Health Care Interface Design Essay

This paper is mainly discussing about the user interface design problems faced by the healthcare professionals in the healthcare industry with the applications in their handheld devices that assist them in dealing with daily routine work. The authors attempt to identify and address the key problems from the previous researches. To tackle these issues, a mobile user interface (UI) framework is reviewed as the basis for discussion and suggestion for improving future interface design for healthcare. The discussion also includes case study on the interface design of an existing medical applications available on iPhone as the example of evaluation. 1 Introduction In the dynamic healthcare industry, healthcare professionals are expected to be highly mobile, ready and on-the-go. Accessing instant medical information at work is required almost all the time. Instead of carrying bulky laptops around the workplace, most healthcare professionals are carrying with them handheld devices of either the Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) or smart phone nowadays. The applications commonly used by the healthcare professionals are those that enable them to have access to patients’ information, drugs information and administrative functions (Honeybourne et al, 2006). In order to keep them competent at workplace, usability of the mobile application is of vital important in ensuring that information can be retrieved by the healthcare professionals instantly at all conditions. In view of this, the objective of this paper is to understand the difficulties faced by this group of people with their mobile application and to provide insightful solutions to th ese problems in the context of user interface design. 2 Healthcare Interface Design Healthcare interface design is one of the important aspects many researchers are focusing on over the past decades. It is increasingly supported by multiple technologies including human computer interaction and media interactive design to improve the efficiency and quality. Generally, IT has the potential to provide healthcare professionals with faster access to patient information mainly by electronic healthcare records (EHCR) and medical knowledge resources (Volsko, 2004). These functions are normally associated with the use of stationary computers but also available on mobile technology such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), which can be used in a more flexible way than the stationary computers. A PDA is a small handheld computer popular for calendar and note functions (Lundby, 2002) but nowadays, PDAs are also employed in various medical applications, as well as in business and education environments (Volsko, 2004). A PDA allows large volumes of updated information to be stored in the pocket. It is the substitution or complement to laptops because it works as efficiently as a wireless mobile device that implies reading and computing data including images in a hospital environment. With connection to a computer it allows regular backups, data transfer and software downloads (Huffstutler, Wyatt & Wright, 2002). Different healthcare professionals have used the PDA to a various extent for different tasks, such as accessing patient records, writing prescriptions, billing, performing medical computations, e-mail, accessing the internet and medical textbooks (Miller, Beattie & Butt, 2003). 3 Problem Statements Although the latest PDAs and handheld mobile devices have increasing capabilities in getting information, there are still several issues affecting the user’s ability to access and use the information. Based on the studies by other researchers, the key issues are identified and addressed as follows: 3.1 Only Part of Screen is used to Show Information. Several studies done by researchers, who involved in healthcare PDA interface design, found that most of the healthcare professionals are not happy with the interface when it comes to display of information. Internet-based information or database information is usually delivered though web browsers of PDA. If only part of the screen is used to display information, users are unable to view the full information. Typically, the medical information is delivered inside one display window on the handheld device. Only part of the information is seen as it squeezed with other elements, for example, navigation buttons, menu, and etc. to fit into the window. Most of the browsers in the computer are able to switch to full screen display and this function enable users to hide the unwanted toolbars temporary while increasing screen space for information display. However, this was not available on the browser of handheld device. 3.2 Scrolling is Not Good Design for Healthcare Interface Design On top of that, research shows that most of the users do not like the scrolling button. Especially for users of healthcare information, they all agreed with the suggestion that scrolling should be avoided or at least minimized. In some interface design researches (e.g. Albers & Kim, 2001); researchers propose dragging the content presented on a screen as another solution for this problem. But this way has been proved that users are still not comfortable in other studies. As mentioned in previous research papers, healthcare information in the PDA devices should be able to use visualization and interactivity and minimize amount of text as much as possible on a screen. Scrolling is obviously not function for this purpose. Usually, information of healthcare for learning is better to be designed in the way of representation, so that the information can be delivered only in one screen. Lots of experiences feedback has shown t hat large amounts of information can be organized and effectively presented in this way. 3.3 Switching between Portrait and Landscape Mode Switching between portrait and landscape mode is functionality that traditionally has been available as tailored functionality in specific applications, where the developers have found it useful. At least on the PocketPC platform, using only landscape mode as an alternative to portrait used to be quite common in games, but applications supporting both have been rare – at least for the application as such, it is more common for special features like showing a picture in full screen mode. During the last years, switching between landscape and portrait has become standard functionality in the operating system of most platforms (including Windows Mobile, Symbian S60v3 and v5, iPhone/iPod Touch ) and all included applications support the switching. Also, some devices supporting these platforms use landscape mode as standard when the built-in HW keyboard is used. This facilitates having a larger keyboard than models using platforms only offering portrait mode. 3.4 Handheld Devices is Harmful to Eyesight In the recent reports, users are concern with their handheld devices will have harmful impact to their eyesight, if users use the devices to search complex information, e.g. patient historic data, frequently and in long time. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (Spencer, 2006) stated that the impact of a small screen device might have serious impact on an individual’s eyesight. In this article, author described a case study, which can be used to prove that a person who uses PDA devices would be affected especially in eyesight. 3.5 Lack of Short Contacts and Task Centeredness A healthcare handheld device usually assists and supports a user in his or her activities, e.g., searching patient information, scheduling time for doctors, looking for relevant medicine information and so on. Most of handheld devices for healthcare do not provide the function, which is to plan user’s tasks simultaneously. The short contact with device is useful and usually short in terms of time (e.g., reviewing the tasks and timetables, computing the amount of medicine, viewing the professional introduction from remote doctors, or making a personal note). Considering this useful function, many healthcare interface users demand to have this way, which is provided short contacts and task centeredness in a simple action on a small screen. Healthcare information plays a significant role, which is supplements for user’s intelligence and supports their needs of rapid and convenience information retrieval way using the functions of the device at hand. Portability ensures dat abases or information is always available to access and provides support at anytime and anywhere whenever needed. 3.6 Lack of Rapid Interaction One of the healthcare interface design purpose is the information and database materials should be provided through visualization and interactivity and the devices can deliver all necessary information with a single screen. Some interactive elements are necessary, for example, hot-spots and button. Those elements would be integrated in a learning object should provide immediate feedback to the learner. Rapid interactions, such as moving a button, should result in immediate updates on the screen according to a user’s action. This is useful for healthcare information users, as they would change elements frequently but they don’t have enough time to modify every single element, which is affected by this change. Other alternative is the ability for customization services or functions for design interactive method to communicate with their handheld devices. They want to move or redesign the buttons, arrows and sliders depending on their needs. 4 Mobile User Interface Design In this section, the mobile user interface design guideline that has been identified will be addressed accordingly. The guideline that has been selected will be used in the subsequent section to resolve the common problems faced by the healthcare professionals with their current mobile applications (Zafar, 2009). 4.1 Learnability The mobile device should provide easy and simple interface for users when they firstly use the application. To define simple interface is where the application should only provide limited functions in the application to allow users to achieve the goal easily. Complex system will require users to explore and study each features provided in the application will eventually turn the users off. 4.2 Efficiency Efficiency in this context refers to the number of steps that required for user to accomplish the goal. Key task should be as direct as possible, key features are preferable to be available on the first page when the application is launched without wasting unnecessary time. 4.3 Memorability The user interface should be easy to use every time the users interact with the application. With simple and easy interface, user has higher tendency to use the application repeatedly, as memorability is related to the frequency of the users utilize the application. 4.4 Error Recovery Ideally, a perfect interface shall not allow mistakes, but in reality that there is always bug and errors for the applications. Therefore, application should be able to recovery from the error and return to the latest operation that has performed by the user to reduce data loss and damage to increase the confident of the users towards the application. 4.5 Simplicity Although the interface design should be easy and simple for all the usual task, nevertheless less common task need to be possible as well to provide a complete solution for the users. However, unnecessary functions should be avoided to reduce complexity. Lastly, visual design and layout should be uncluttered to attract users for re-using it. 4.6 Mapping The expectation of users towards the application is very important, the application should provide feedback and return result base on the action made by the users. As each feature / function should map the expectation of the users. 4.7 Visibility In term of the visibility perspective, important information should be visible at the application, while less important information can be display in the features or to be selected if necessary to reduce complexity of the interface at the glance for the users. But ultimately, understanding the users goal is crucial as that will determine the information / contents to be displayed in the main screen when the application is launched. 4.8 Feedback Being able to prompt appropriate feedback to the users so that users will be aware that the application is executing the action is important. By providing proper feedback, users will not tend to repeat the command or waiting if the application is running. 4.9 Consistency By satisfying users’ expectations towards the application, likewise functions should be displayed and acted in the consistent and systematic way across the application. There should not be many changes when users select each features of the application. 4.10 Satisfaction Ultimately, overall satisfaction of the users towards the application is the keynote. An application is successful if it is used repeatedly with good feedback from users and users are comfortable with each features provided in the application.