Exploring Usability of a Clinical Decision Support System for Cancer Care: A User-Centered Study

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions in oncology
• Patient safety and quality of care
• Usability engineering in medical devices

Background:

• Adverse events significantly impact cancer patients' quality of life.
• Clinical decision support systems are crucial for proactive management of complications.
• There is a need for user-friendly tools to manage adverse events in cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usability and user-friendliness of a medical device for managing adverse events.
• To assess the device's suitability for both cancer patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs).
• To determine how well the device meets user needs in real-world settings.

Main Methods:

• A multi-method approach was employed for comprehensive usability assessment.
• Testing involved six cancer patients and six HCPs.
• Data collection included scenario completion rates, System Usability Scale (SUS) scores, and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• All participants achieved 100% task completion, indicating high usability.
• The device achieved a SUS score in the 90th percentile (Grade A) for both patients and HCPs.
• Users found the interface intuitive and expressed interest in daily integration and recommending the tool.

Conclusions:

• The digital health medical device exhibits excellent usability, safety, and ease of use for oncology patients and HCPs.
• Minor improvements for refinement were identified without compromising functionality.
• Future research will focus on implementing feedback and conducting clinical usability studies.