Usability Associates
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This space will be used to post articles, links, and other information that could be of interest to you…and sometimes even amuse you. 

NEW Use Error Hazards from a Popular Emergency Department Information System - December 2007.   Health IT systems are not subject to FDA requirements for interface design standards. ED Information Systems (EDIS) provide support for all aspects of patient care in the emergency department. Results are presented from a usability/heuristic evaluation which reveals hazards in a popular commercially-available EDIS system.
Click here to view the entire article in PDF format.

Understanding the User - The right research can steer appliance designers away from traps. -  Caplan, Stanley, "Understand the User," Appliance Design, September 2007, Page 46. 

Usability Study of Two Common Defibrillators Reveals Hazards -  Fairbanks RJ, Caplan SH, Bishop PA, Marks AM, Shah MN. Annals of Emergency Medicine, [epub ahead of print]. This 1mb article is in PDF format, which requires a PDF Reader on your computer. A new window will open.

Think Total User Experience - For companies to be truly successful in the long run, they must address the big picture.  This article is in Adobe Acrobat format, which requires the Acrobat Reader on your computer. A new window will open.

March 2002 IEEE Swearless Interfaces Presentation - view the entire presentation. 
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Usability at 30,000 Feet - a personal experience of observing first-hand how Human Factors can make a difference. 

The Human Side of Product Testing - Systems thinking for reducing the chance of product failure in the marketplace. 

Usability Associates teams with Innovation-TRIZ -  to bring clients an innovative methodology for solving those difficult Human Factors design problems.

Ergonomic Guidelines for Designing Machines - A few design principles keep machines safe and easy to use.

The following articles are in PDF format, which requires a PDF Reader on your computer.  If you do not have the Reader, click here to down load a current version from Adobe.

Integrating Usability Into Development Of A Clinical Decision Support System - A human factors study resulted in implementation of an improved physician treatment protocol. 

Poor Interface Design and Lack of Usability Testing Facilitate Medical Error  A depiction of possible interface design induced error during a hypothetical patient care emergency. Includes discussion and recommendations for improving patient safety.

Defibrillator Usability Study Among Paramedics   A usability testing study of two manual defibrillators used by emergency medical personnel. Includes specific recommendations for design improvements.

Testing the Ergonomics  A product with the best technology might still fail if the user interface isn't easy to use and intuitive.

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