Consider your own experiences with integrating new technology. How have these changes influenced the procedures you follow at work? As the end user, it’s easy to overlook all of the critical decisions that went into the finished product you’re looking at. When you look at the final data management screens, you may find yourself at a fork in the road between two options. You may be either 1) ecstatic about the much-needed change brought about by this system, or 2) frustrated because you believe the system adds new obstacles to your already hectic day. If you have ever had to deal with the latter option, the statement “I could have implemented a better system than this” may ring true for you. Though research agrees that user input helps HIT designers, developing and implementing new systems is not as simple as it appears. As they strive to meet the needs of all users within the proposed development timeline, HIT development teams are constantly in trial and error mode. Failure to deliver on promised usability benefits may result in increased costs and job complications. It is critical to use effective strategies to overcome usability issues.

In this week’s Discussion, you shift from the perspective of a “outsider looking in” (end user) to a real-world implementation example. To finish this Discussion, you must evaluate a case study to determine where the implementation process went wrong. Make use of this week’s Learning Resources to suggest changes that could have put this operation on the right track.

To get ready:

Examine the Learning Resources, paying special attention to the TIGER Usability and Clinical Application Design Collaborative.

Consider the â€Best Practice Exemplars†provided in the Nursing Informatics: Where Technology and Caring Meet course text.

Examine â€Case Study 1: A Usability and Clinical Application Design Challenge†on page 238 of the course textbook Nursing Informatics: Where Technology and Caring Meet.

Determine the root causes of the noted usability issues (e.g., human factors, ergonomics, human-computer interaction), as well as any potential usability issues encountered by staff during implementation. Consider the design flaws that may have resulted in usability issues.

What strategies might you use to address these HIT usability issues and concerns?

Post a cohesive response to the following by Day 3:

Put yourself in the shoes of the clinical administrator in charge of implementing the new health information technology system in the case study.

Examine the usability issues you encountered during implementation, as well as the factors that contributed to these issues.

Determine whether these issues were caused by implementation or design.

Create strategies for overcoming these usability issues.