Usability Evaluation of a Community Pharmacy Health Information Exchange Interface Prototype

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Pharmacy Practice
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Community pharmacies currently have limited access to health information exchange (HIE) data.
• Integrating HIE into community pharmacy workflows is crucial for improving patient care coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usability of a novel HIE interface prototype (HIE-Pioneer mock-up) designed for community pharmacy settings.
• To identify areas for improvement to facilitate future HIE implementation in community pharmacies.

Main Methods:

• Usability evaluations were conducted with 16 community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians using the HIE-Pioneer mock-up.
• Data collected included System Usability Scale (SUS) scores, task completion rates, and qualitative analysis of usability problems.
• Prototype utilization and efficiency were assessed through video reviews and direct observation.

Main Results:

• The HIE-Pioneer mock-up achieved an average SUS score of 69.7, indicating generally good usability.
• Pharmacists reported higher satisfaction (74.1) than technicians (65.3).
• Twenty-three usability issues were identified, primarily related to tool label clarity and workflow integration.

Conclusions:

• The HIE-Pioneer mock-up demonstrates potential for enhancing community pharmacy access to HIE data.
• Addressing identified usability issues can optimize the prototype for broader implementation.
• Successful HIE integration can improve interprofessional communication and clinical decision-making in community pharmacy settings.