Walking the line: balancing performance barriers and facilitators in an augmented reality mobile application for...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Health

Background:

• Paediatric resuscitations require efficient access to standardised equipment like code carts.
• Clinician knowledge of code cart contents and organisation is crucial for effective resuscitation.
• Existing training methods may not adequately prepare clinicians for high-stakes, infrequent events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an augmented reality (AR) mobile application for improving clinician knowledge of paediatric code carts.
• To identify work system barriers and facilitators influencing the adoption and use of this AR application.
• To propose design principles for future AR-based digital health technologies.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 22 clinicians.
• Qualitative data analysis was used to identify themes related to barriers and facilitators.
• The study explored user perceptions of convenience, technology, and workload.

Main Results:

• Twelve dimensions of barriers and facilitators were identified, including interface design, technological glitches, and workload.
• User feedback highlighted areas for improvement such as non-AR modes and enhanced tutorials.
• Clinician attitudes towards code carts and resuscitation influenced application usability.

Conclusions:

• The developed AR application can potentially improve clinician preparedness for paediatric resuscitations.
• Understanding user-centric barriers is essential for successful implementation of AR in healthcare.
• Nine design principles are proposed to guide the development of effective AR digital health tools, emphasizing workload considerations.