Enhanced Cognitive Walkthrough: Development of the Cognitive Walkthrough Method to Better Predict, Identify, and Present Usability Problems

Lars-Ola Bligård,Anna-Lisa Osvalder

doi:10.1155/2013/931698

Lars-Ola Bligård, Anna-Lisa Osvalder

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/931698

Copy DOI

Abstract

To avoid use errors when handling medical equipment, it is important to develop products with a high degree of usability. This can be achieved by performing usability evaluations in the product development process to detect and mitigate potential usability problems. A commonly used method is cognitive walkthrough (CW), but this method shows three weaknesses: poor high-level perspective, insufficient categorisation of detected usability problems, and difficulties in overviewing the analytical results. This paper presents a further development of CW with the aim of overcoming its weaknesses. The new method is called enhanced cognitive walkthrough (ECW). ECW is a proactive analytical method for analysis of potential usability problems. The ECW method has been employed to evaluate user interface designs of medical equipment such as home-care ventilators, infusion pumps, dialysis machines, and insulin pumps. The method has proved capable of identifying several potential use problems in designs.

Highlights

In the development of user interfaces, it is important to consider the need for these to be simple and safe to handle for the user group in the intended context
This is especially true of safety-critical technical equipment such as medical equipment, where a possibility of harm to patients can arise from erroneous use of the devices [1,2,3,4]
The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss a refined version of the CW method, designated enhanced cognitive walkthrough (ECW)

Summary

Introduction

In the development of user interfaces, it is important to consider the need for these to be simple and safe to handle for the user group in the intended context. This is especially true of safety-critical technical equipment such as medical equipment, where a possibility of harm to patients can arise from erroneous use of the devices [1,2,3,4]. An important step in the development of usable technology is to try in advance to identify and evaluate the occasions, in the interaction between user and product, when there is a possibility of errors arising [8]. Jaspers [9] presents an overview of methods used in medical technology usability evaluations

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion