Frameworks and Tasks Used in Usability Testing Scripts: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Software Engineering

Background:

• Usability is crucial for the success of electronic health records (EHRs) and healthcare technologies.
• Usability testing methods often use scripts to evaluate tools in real-world settings.
• Understanding script generation is key to improving testing methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore frameworks, principles, and methodologies used in generating usability testing scripts.
• To identify common approaches researchers take when creating usability test scripts.
• To highlight inconsistencies in current usability test script generation processes.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted to analyze existing literature on usability test script generation.
• Qualitative analysis was employed to identify recurring themes in script development.
• The review focused on understanding the guiding principles behind script creation.

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged in usability test script generation: focusing on baseline functionality, representative tasks, or complex tasks.
• The analysis revealed a lack of standardized processes in how usability testing scripts are created.
• Researchers' approaches to script generation are varied and not consistently documented.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant need for standardized usability testing scripts in healthcare technology development.
• Developing consistent script generation processes will enhance the reliability and comparability of usability testing results.
• Standardization can lead to more effective evaluation of electronic health records and related systems.