Researchers found that 34 percent of vendors did not meet the certification standards set forth by the ONC for describing their user-centered design processes. Measuring usability for EHRs requires testing participants as they interact with the technology. However, 63 percent of vendors did not use the minimum 15 participants required, and only 22 percent tested participants with clinical backgrounds.
“The lack of adherence to usability testing may be a major factor contributing to the poor usability experienced by clinicians. Enforcement of existing standards, specific usability guidelines and greater scrutiny of vendor UCD processes may be necessary to achieve the functional and safety goals for the next generation of EHRs,” the authors conclude.
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