Usability Testing a Context-Sensitive Strategy for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Public Health
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Background:

• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an established evidence-based practice for managing substance use.
• Digital health tools are increasingly integrated into primary care to improve patient management.
• Assessing patient usability is crucial for the successful adoption of new clinical technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the patient-reported usability of a newly deployed digital tablet-based SBIRT screening instrument in a primary care setting.
• To determine the feasibility and patient perception of a digital SBIRT tool for substance use screening.
• To identify potential barriers or facilitators to the adoption of digital SBIRT in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional patient survey was employed to gather data on the usability of the digital SBIRT screening tool.
• Participants completed the tablet-based screening questions prior to a clinical encounter.
• Data collected included patient-reported completion times and perceptions of ease of use and impact.

Main Results:

• The majority of participants (64.2%) completed the digital SBIRT screening in under five minutes.
• No patient reported completion times exceeding fifteen minutes, indicating high efficiency.
• Patients perceived the digital tool as easy to understand, increasing clinician awareness and promoting positive action.

Conclusions:

• The tablet-based SBIRT screener is a user-friendly and efficient tool for primary care settings.
• Patient-reported usability supports the wider adoption and integration of digital SBIRT tools.
• This digital approach has the potential to enhance patient engagement and improve substance use disorder management.