Usability can save life – An example

The complexitiy of medical technical devices and their use - monitoring and treating patients - are continuously increasing. The example of CPOE systems (Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems) clarifies the need for usability engineering and risk management in medical engineering and diagnostics.

Operating errors occur more frequently when working under time pressure and critical conditions. Users confuse connections or misread screen messages due to an insufficient display. This can pose a serious medical risk to patients, especially for inexperienced users. When every minute counts or a wrong dose can be fatal, ambiguous operating panels play an important role.

Double medication an as operating error

CPOE systems list all information on a patient as well as on the therapeutic instructions given by a doctor and instruct nursing staff on the administration of drugs. The objective of such systems is to avoid medication errors and to reduce costs.

According to studies however, these information systems can also bear risks and increase medication errors. The reason is: insufficient usability. Occasionally, there are CPOE systems which add a dose newly entered by a doctor to the current dose without deleting the present number and thus, instruct the nursing staff to administer a dose that is way to high*.

Safe products for the benefit of the patient

Therefore, usability is not only a competitive factor. A user-friendly human-machine interaction can rather help to save and maintain life.

*see Koppel, R., Metlay. J.P., Cohen, A., Abaluck, B., Localio, A.R., Kimmel, S.E., and Strom B.L. (2005): "Role of Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems in Faciliating Medication Errors" Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 293 No. 10 (March 9), 1197-1203.