My first academic paper - on EMR Usability

Friends,

I did my first published paper in academics!

A subject near and dear to your heart, too: EMR Usability

 

I posted about it on my blog, www.toomanyclicks.com.

Link to the actual paper is here (a 42 page PDF) at the HIMSS website.

 

Here's the executive summary:

Electronic medical record (EMR) adoption rates have been slower than expected in the United States,

especially in comparison to other industry sectors and other developed countries. A key reason, aside

from initial costs and lost productivity during EMR implementation, is lack of efficiency and usability of

EMRs currently available. Achieving the healthcare reform goals of broad EMR adoption and

"meaningful use" will require that efficiency and usability be effectively addressed at a fundamental

level.

 

We conducted a literature review of usability principles, especially those applicable to EMRs. The key

principles identified were simplicity, naturalness, consistency, minimizing cognitive load, efficient

interactions, forgiveness and feedback, effective use of language, effective information presentation,

and preservation of context.

 

Usability is often mistakenly equated with user satisfaction, which is an oversimplification. We describe

methods of usability evaluation, offering several alternative methods for measuring efficiency and

effectiveness, including patient safety. We provide samples of objective, repeatable and cost‐efficient

test scenarios applicable to evaluating EMR usability as an adjunct to certification, and we discuss rating

schema for scoring the results.

 

HIMSS 2009

 

Thanks for your inspiration and for teaching me over the past few years.

 

 

Jeff Belden MD  |  beldenj@health.missouri. edu  |  573-489-4206 m  |  www.toomanyclicks.com