A Federated Online Search Tool for Biospecimens (Sample Locator): Usability Study.

Area of Science:

• Biobanking and Biomedical Research
• Health Informatics
• Usability Engineering

Background:

• The German Biobank Alliance (GBA) is developing a federated search tool, the Sample Locator, to connect biospecimen data across sites.
• This tool is central to the GBA's IT infrastructure for a cross-site biobank network.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usability of the Sample Locator prototype through end-user participation.
• To ensure the sustainable adoption and future use of the Sample Locator tool.

Main Methods:

• A user-centered design workshop was conducted with GBA IT experts to create low-fidelity mock-ups.
• A prototype was developed and a usability questionnaire, including the System Usability Scale (SUS), was created.
• The prototype was pretested and usability analysis was performed with 27 researchers experienced in sample requests.

Main Results:

• The Sample Locator prototype demonstrated good usability, with 74% of participants finding it intuitive and user-friendly.
• The overall SUS score was 80.4, indicating good system usability.
• Feedback provided actionable insights for optimization, such as the need for a help function.

Conclusions:

• User-centered development aligns with end-user perceptions of the Sample Locator prototype.
• Engaging prospective users is crucial for validating development direction and ensuring future tool adoption.
• User feedback will inform future iterations and refinements of the Sample Locator.