A Comprehensive Tool for Usability Evaluation of Telehealth

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2019:261:168-173.

Abstract

Introduction: Telehealth has a high potential for delivering healthcare by overcoming the geographical distance, increased access to care, and efficiency. To obtain the potential benefits of telehealth, this system should be usable to the patients and healthcare providers. The aim of this study was to report a new comprehensive tool for assessing the usability of telehealth services and systems, covering different aspects of usability.

Method: We searched the keywords, such as telemedicine, telehealth, usability, satisfaction, questionnaires, and evaluation in Google, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar from 1988 to 2019. All the studies that used the Telehealth services and computer& information technology evaluation tools were included.

Result: We identified 204 items and extracted 10 criteria that were classified into two categories. The first category is system usability, which includes Efficiency, Memorability, Learnability, Usefulness, and Satisfaction. Second category system reliability, included Interaction, Interface design, Saving, System capabilities, and Getting rid of Errors. This tool consider many aspects of telehealth service evaluation from the usability aspect.

Conclusion: Further studies are warranted to evaluate other aspects of Telehealth services and measuring reliability so that researchers can have access to a comprehensive tool for assessing interventions in the field of Telemedicine and Telehealth.

Keywords: Evaluation; Satisfaction; Telehealth; Telemedicine; Usability.

MeSH terms

  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Technology Assessment, Biomedical*
  • Telemedicine*