1. Usability and Human Factors
Unit 1a
People and Technology, Studies of Technology

2. Human Factors & Health Care
Health Devices
Electronic Health Record Systems
Images of Health Devices:
Various medical equipment with monitors, including a OneTouch glucose monitor
Images of Electronic Health Record Systems:
A woman looking at multiple computer monitors with various programs open
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

3. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010
People and Technology
Image: a cartoon of a man smashing his computer with an ax
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

4. Transformative Nature of Technology
Technologies can have enormous social and cognitive impact
Precipitates large scale societal changes
Technological changes have positive and negative consequences
Technologies have enormous social and cognitive impact
Precipitates large scale societal changes
Technological changes have positive and negative consequences
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

5. Transformative Technologies
Photo credits:
Image 1: Very old telephone:
Image 2: Old poster advertisement for an Electro Lux vacuum with a woman using it:
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

6. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010
Modern Technologies
Images: various new technologies such as a Blackberry, GPS, iPhone, iPad and iPods
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

7. Early Medical Technologies
Various images of early medical technologies:
Ancient Doctor's Tools:
Ancient Egyptian stethoscope carved in stone:
Ancient Enemas:
Mechanical Therapy (hand drawn picture of a man sitting on a complex machine):
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

8. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010
Usability
Quality of a user's experience when interacting with a product or system
Factors affect the user's experience:
Ease of learning/Learnability
Efficiency of use
Supports Cognitive Task
Memorability
Error frequency and severity
Aesthetics
Subjective satisfaction
Quality of a user’s experience when interacting with a product or system
Ease of learning/learnability
Efficiency of use
Supports cognitive task
Memorability
Error frequency & severity
Aesthetics
Subjective satisfaction
Factors affecting the user’s experience:
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010 8

9. Usability Principles Visibility of system status
Match between system & read world
User control & freedom
Consistency & standards
Help user recognize, diagnose and recover from errors
Minimize memory load
(recognition over recall)
Flexibility & efficiency
Motivation & engagement
Visibility of system status
Match between system & real world
User control &freedom
Consistency &standards
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Minimize memory load
Recognition over recall
Flexibility &efficiency
Motivation & engagement
(Nielsen, 1993)
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

10. Human Computer Interaction and Human Factors
Basic and Applied Discipline devoted to the study of “people using computers to accomplish work”
People, Systems, and Tasks
Ergonomics and Human Factors
Concerned with user performance in context of any system, whether computer, mechanical or manual
Understanding humans in relation to their use of technologies
Study of people using computers to work
People, systems, tasks
Basic & Applied Discipline
User performance in context of any system
Computer, mechanical or manual
Ergonomics & Human Factors
Humans in relation to their use of technologies
Understanding
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

11. HCI and Health Information Technologies
Enormous advances in health information technologies in the last decade
Affords potential for improved healthcare
Clinicians and patients employ health information technologies
Current designs are frequently suboptimal
Increasingly, there are options
Increasingly, there are more options
Clinicians & patients employ health information technologies
Current designs are suboptimal
Enormous advances in health information technologies in the last decade
Potential for improved healthcare
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010

12. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010
Why it May Matter to You
Technology is a potential source of error and can compromise patient safety
Position to make a difference in product selection
The best technologies have some deficiencies
Better and worse choices
Component 15/Unit 1a
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 1.0/Fall 2010