Improving the Usability of a Digital Questionnaire to Elicit Symptoms for Patients Referred via the Cancer Diagnostic Pathway for Suspected Head and Neck Cancer

We present the usability testing of a digital questionnaire co-designed with patient representatives. Two usability methods, think-aloud and timed usability testing, were employed to assess the system. Twelve participants took part in the study by completing the questionnaire, reporting HNC symptoms. Think-aloud testing revealed issues such as unclear instructions and layout inconsistencies, while timed usability testing indicated that younger participants (16-54 years) completed the tasks faster than older participants (55-74 years), although the difference was not significant. The System Usability Scale (SUS) scores reflected overall positive feedback, with suggestions for further improvements.