Usability, Accessibility, Human Factors & Design

Usability is the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specific users can achieve a specific set of tasks in a particular environment [Schoeffel R. The concept of product usability. ISO Bulletin. 2003;34:6‐7]. Section 508 of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act seeks to ensure accessibility of electronic and information technology to people with disabilities. Traditionally, consumer mobile devices and solutions have strong usability, human factors, accessibility and design focus in order to differentiate themselves competitively in the market. As these devices are augmented and adopted for use in health care they provide great opportunities for improved workflow, communication, accessibility, end user efficiencies and effectiveness as well as user satisfaction.

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NoMoreClipboard, iMPak Health unveil Health Journals at HIMSS12 February 22, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The journals are designed to collect PHR information and provide a direct portal to clinicians and caregivers – all in a wireless package that's easy to use and unobtrusive  More
 
Qualcomm shows off Qualcomm Life, 2net hub at HIMSS12 February 21, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Unveiled at last year's mHealth Summit, the San Diego-based telecommunications company's healthcare division now has partnerships in place with more than 50 mHealth vendors and providers.  More
BoxTone, Verizon, Motorola launch platform for Android-based devices February 20, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The new platform aims to enable healthcare providers to push their services out into the field – whether it be a homecare agency, a remote clinic or the battlefield – through Android-based smartphones and tablets.  More
GetWellNetwork unveils iPad capabilities for IPC solution February 17, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The developer of the popular interactive patient care solution is moving away from the hospital-based computer and laptop and giving patients and caregivers the opportunity to access information and communicate while on the move or outside the hospital room.  More
Philips Healthcare to offer a peek at its Personal Health Book project at HIMSS12 February 17, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Philips is getting ready to beta test its new post-hospital portal for patients, providers and caregivers, and will show off the PHR-like service next week in Las Vegas. The company has also announced a deal with eHealth Global Technologies to help cancer patients gather their records online.  More
ONC launches app challenge to aid people with disabilities February 14, 2012 | Bernie Monegain Federal officials say mobile tools can be used to help those with disabilities gain access to their medical records as well as other health and wellness resources.  More
The numbers add up for Teladoc, Rent-A-Center February 14, 2012 | Eric Wicklund In its first year of contracting for telehealth services for all employees, the national retail chain sees savings of more than $700,000 in reduced healthcare expenses and improved productivity – and at least one life saved.  More
New Jersey physician puts mobility to the test (and gets home in time for dinner) February 13, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Whether he's at home, in the air or on vacation, Richard L. Corson uses his laptop to keep in touch with his office. His mastery of mobility puts him on the leading edge of today's IT-enabled healthcare landscape.  More
University challenge targets NCDs with mHealth and social media February 10, 2012 | Mike Miliard A global competition sponsored by IBM and Novartis has yielded social media and mobile technology tools that could help tackle non-communicable diseases such as asthma, diabetes, stroke and cancer.  More
Qualcomm announces investment in AirStrip Technologies February 9, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The telecommunications giant, which launched its Qualcomm Life subsidiary at last year's mHealth Summit, is throwing its support behind AirStrip, which creates the technology platform to link physicians via mobile devices to patient data collected in EMRs, at the bedside and through home-based monitoring devices.  More
eCollaborative Forum to debut at HIMSS12 February 9, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The day-long forum, organized by the Collaborative Health Consortium, features a packed schedule of speakers and topics focused on developing collaborative platforms to move toward accountable care.  More
Doximity's iRounds gives physicians real-time access to expert advice February 8, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The California-based online network, which boasts connections to more than 5 percent of the nation's physicians, adds tools to enable doctors to consult their peers on tricky cases, new technology and best practices.  More
Book review: A common sense approach to enabling mHealth February 22, 2012 | Ritch Blasi As mHealth continues to be over-hyped by those in the healthcare and mobile communications industries, “mHealth From Smartphones to Smart Systems” might be the antidote needed to inject some reality into all the hype.  More
Pharma looks to mobile strategies to effectively reach prescribers February 17, 2012 | Sanjay Pingle It is well documented that the pharma industry is facing many challenges in 2012. Drug makers are losing exclusive patents on drugs that have matured, causing unexpected losses of revenue in the billions of dollars. As a result, companies are cutting costs and significantly reducing their sales force – which in turn creates the new challenge of reaching practices and hospitals with fewer face-to-face office visits.  More
The perils of mobile health February 10, 2012 | Matthew Grob, CPHIMS, FHIMSS I promised readers a follow-up to my last entry, “Look Ma, No Wires” but I thought that with the upcoming HIMSS annual conference and the number of people in one place who will be relying on mobile devices while away from the office, it was a good opportunity to make people aware of the perils of using these devices.  More
How do digital health technologies get to older patients? February 8, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD Much of the digital health technologies on the market today are wellness products used by the relatively younger segment of the population.  More
Bring your own device (BYOD) to work - should we even go there? February 3, 2012 | Farida Bambot Technology-savvy consumers are clamoring for the convenience of the “coolest” mobility devices in the workplace.  More
Does the industry's roadmap steer us toward patient-centered care and HIEs? February 3, 2012 | Andrew R. Watson, MD At the start of a New Year, many people find themselves looking ahead as they decide upon their goals and how to achieve them.  More
Managing the mobile workforce February 2, 2012 | Christina Thielst Mobile Health (mHealth) also involves managing the mobile workforce, but I don't often hear this administrative function being discussed.  More
Five reasons why patients with implantable defibrillators deserve their data January 26, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009.  More
Look, Ma - no wires! January 26, 2012 | Matthew Grob, CPHIMS, FHIMSS I started thinking about what will happen when my kids look back at videos shot when they were young. What about those images will look old-fashioned to them? And I realized that they would ask me one simple question – “What’s with all the wires?”  More
WeSprout gives parents a PHR platform for their children January 24, 2012 | Eric Wicklund One of the nagging problems with the adoption of personal health records is the reluctance of the average healthcare consumer to take on the task of launching and maintaining that record.  More
Reducing the rural patient's burden by expanding access with telehealth January 19, 2012 | Andrew R. Watson, MD Over the past several years, as debate about the future of healthcare has raged, “quality, cost, access” has become the mantra for thought leaders seeking strategies to render our system sustainable.  More
Getting 'Siri-ious' about healthcare January 12, 2012 | Matthew Grob, CPHIMS, FHIMSS With increasing focus on the patient’s role in accountable care, particularly around management of chronic conditions, I decided to see how Siri could help a healthcare consumer in that regard.  More
Exploring Mobile Health Consumer Trends January 17, 2012 | Rosemary Nelson, MSN, MA, RN-BC, CPHIMS Mobile technology is all around us, and is impacting all facets of one’s life in day-to-day living activities, business and healthcare. Mobile health (mHealth), a term used for the practice of medicine and public health, supported by mobile devices, has emerged in recent years primarily based on the rapid rise of mobile phone penetration.  More
Mobile Applications in Healthcare December 1, 2011 | mHIMSS Mobile solutions for healthcare industry are to not only focus on operational efficiency but prioritize critical information access and health & wellness management. Mobile in healthcare is to bring efficiency not with sheer focus on lower costs but to provide improved services at the point of care.  More
U.S. Healthcare and Mobile Technology December 1, 2011 | mHIMSS Mobile technology has not only mobilized people and data, but it has also simplified business. In general, mobile solutions are preferred for large field sales and large working staffs to enhance productivity on the road and allow for better cost returns. Mobile solutions for the healthcare industry not only focus on operational efficiency, but also prioritize critical information access and health and wellness management. Mobility in healthcare will bring efficiency not only with sheer focus on lower costs but to provide improved services at the point of care.  More
Cutting Through the Hype: Evaluating Tablet PCs for Point-of-Care Productivity November 29, 2011 | mHIMSS Tablet PCs are more popular than ever. They're mobile, powerful and proven to help clinicians enhance productivity and efficiency. However, with more tablet PCs available than ever before, how do you choose the right tablet PC for your workflow?  More
Defining an EMR and HIE Strategy for Medical Imaging November 29, 2011 | mHIMSS Healthcare organizations are seeking to deliver a robust EMR that’s accessible from multiple points of care. It’s what your patient and medical communities are loudly demanding - with the goal of gaining increased access to patient medical records, and enhanced capabilities with the records themselves. One vital component of an EMR is often overlooked: feature-rich, easy access to integrated, patient-centric, archived medical imaging records.  More
Mobility Advantage: Health Care Made Easier July 10, 2011 | mHIMSS Studies prove it. Mobility can greatly improve the productivity of your healthcare organization. Not only does mobility reduce paperwork, but it can help improve overall care by accelerating updates in EMRs and reducing transcription errors.  More
How Consumer-Based Technology is Reshaping Healthcare Workforce Management Software January 20, 2011 | mHIMSS See how the best features of consumer electronics married with the power of our workforce management solution result in an unrivaled user experience that will help you better control labor costs, improve workforce productivity, and minimize compliance.  More
MidMichigan Health: Health System Improves Efficiency, Clinician Experience and Face Time with Patients January 4, 2012 | mHIMSS Based in Midland, Michigan, MidMichigan Health is a nonprofit health system serving a 12-county region with 481 hospital beds at four medical centers and several outpatient facilities, urgent-care centers, nursing homes, medical offices and other locations. MidMichigan relies on instant access to allow clinicians to badge in and out of the EMR system on a network of thin-client devices placed at the points of care delivery. This solution reduces costs and makes it fast and easy for clinicians at MidMichigan to access medical records and healthcare applications so they can spend more time with patients.  More
Video Presentations from The 2011 mHealth Summit, December 5 - 7 2011 January 18, 2012 | mHIMSS This webpage hosts all of the video presentations from the The 2011 mHealth Summit, December 5 - 7 2011.  More
60 Minutes Features Autism Apps November 30, 2011 | mHIMSS In its October 23 episode, the CBS News magazine "60 Minutes" reported on software for the Apple iPad and other tablet computers that allows people with autism and other communication disabilities to use the iPad as a communicator. Correspondent Lesley Stahl interviews people with autism as well as family members, doctors and therapists on the benefits these apps have had for many people.  More
Design Tenet: Let Data Scream February 1, 2012 | mHIMSS The data is THE story; it should be front and center to the end user. This tenet provides guidance on giving prominence to the most pertinent pieces of data with limited screen real estate on mobile devices.  More
Definitions of mHealth January 5, 2012 | mHIMSS A collection of mHealth definitions from key healthcare organizations.  More
Design Tenet: Going Mobile December 28, 2011 | mHIMSS This presentation talks about the advantages of mobile platforms for healthcare applications. It outlines new capabilities that do not exist in desktops such as location awareness, touch-based interaction, integrated sensors and communication etc., and new interaction patterns unique to mobile platforms.  More
Design Tenet: Gorillas in the Mist December 21, 2011 | mHIMSS Observe users in their environment. This insight into the drivers and motivators of user behavior in healthcare setting gives us the ‘Aha’ moments for design, and clear direction of where to take the product.  More
Design Tenet: What Interface December 14, 2011 | mHIMSS With limited real estate, every element must be necessary and efficient. This tenet provides design best practices for getting the interface out of the way so users accomplish their work.  More
Design Tenet: Type Less and Less Type November 17, 2011 | mHIMSS Typography is the visual hierarchy for words. It’s the interface design for text, critical for readability and scanning.  More
Glossary of Terms February 6, 2012 | mHIMSS   More
mHealth: FROM SMART PHONES TO SMART SYSTEMS January 31, 2012 | mHIMSS Click on the book cover to preview a chapter from the new book mHealth: FROM SMART PHONES TO SMART SYSTEMS  More
User Interface Guidelines: Nokia December 7, 2011 | mHIMSS This library includes basic information about usability and usability methods, as well as information about Nokia UI styles, and various design guidelines.  More
User Interface Guidelines: BlackBerry December 7, 2011 | mHIMSS The Blackberry user interface guidelines can be found at this link.  More
User Interface Guidelines: Windows Phone December 7, 2011 | mHIMSS This guide helps you create a Windows® Phone application that follows best practices for user experience design. Advice presented was collected from the experts who created Windows Phone and from people who were the designers of many of its first applications.  More
User Interface Guidelines: Android December 7, 2011 | mHIMSS The Android UI team has begun developing guidelines for the interaction and visual design of Android applications. Look here for articles that describe these guidelines as we release them.  More