Electronic medical record evaluation using task analysis technique

• Main Authors: Mohd, Haslina, Syed-Mohamad, Sharifah-Mastura
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/12509/1/54.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/12509/; http://sorana.academicdirect.ro/conferences/iSHIMR_220_226.pdf

This paper discusses user interface evaluations of Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMR) using task analysis technique. The main objectives of this evaluation are to identify usability problems in the user interface (UI) design, estimate execution time for the observed EMR main functionality and to propose suitable interfaces that are compatible with the intended doctors' needs and preferences.Studies were conducted in two public hospitals in Malaysia that have been using EMR since 1999 and 2000 consecutively.Evaluations were conducted by observing the usage of EMR by 20 doctors during their consultation hours in an outpatient setting.Task analysis was used to identify tasks that were performed by the doctors, the most priority task to the doctors, and the task dependencies. The identified tasks were transformed into Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) to obtain a clear view of the workflow.We found that the UI of the EMR systems in both hospitals did not follow the exact main workflow that was actually performed in the outpatient setting. Button arrangement for the main workflow should be visible and follow the sequence of the workflow.Doctors also faced problems with too many keystrokes they have to hit and frequently opening and closing certain templates to obtain patient information. Key-stroke Level Model was applied to justify the time estimation for the observed functionality as well as for the proposed task description that represented in the scenario technique.The simplified HTA and proposed task description were transformed into a mock-up user interface design layout before being converted into the EMR prototype.The proposed interface confines to the doctor's workflow and is easy to be understood and navigated, hence may increase the efficiency of the EMR system, reduce medical errors, and increase the acceptance level of the system.