Usability And Feasibility of an in-Home Remote Exam Device in Children with Medical Complexity During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Children with medical complexity (CMC) account for high health care utilization. Telemedicine holds significant potential in CMC, as it allows a provider to engage with CMC in their home environment and can alleviate both financial and transportation burdens. Remote exam devices that enable the performance of a physical exam could expand the ability of providers to clinically assess CMC during a telemedicine visit. In this pilot study, our goal was to develop a process for integrating an in-home remote exam device into a complex care clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate the usability and feasibility of this device. Methods: The remote exam device was distributed to caregivers of CMC cared for at a complex care outpatient center. Using deliberate practice framework, our onboarding process provided opportunities for caregivers and providers to learn how to utilize the device. Surveys examining usability and feasibility were administered to both caregivers and providers after each telemedicine encounter. Results: A total of 43 caregivers participated in the onboarding process, which included a total of 83 practice visits. The remote exam device was rated as having excellent usability by caregivers; however, providers rated the device as having lower usability. Feasibility was notable for technology issues contributing to 15% of encounters being cancelled or ending early. Conclusions: The remote exam device was successfully integrated into a complex care clinic. Data from this pilot study supports the usability and feasibility of deploying a remote exam device across a telemedicine platform in a busy and complex outpatient academic practice.

Usability Testing of Situation Awareness Clinical Decision Support in the Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate the usability of an automated clinical decision support (CDS) tool previously implemented in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to promote shared situation awareness among the medical team to prevent serious safety events within children's hospitals. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods usability evaluation of a CDS tool in a PICU at a large, urban, quaternary, free-standing children's hospital in the Midwest. Quantitative assessment was done using the system usability scale (SUS), while qualitative assessment involved think-aloud usability testing. The SUS was scored according to survey guidelines. For think-aloud testing, task times were calculated, and means and standard deviations were determined, stratified by role. Qualitative feedback from participants and moderator observations were summarized. RESULTS: Fifty-one PICU staff members, including physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and respiratory therapists, completed the SUS, while ten participants underwent think-aloud usability testing. The overall median usability score was 87.5 (interquartile range: 80-95), with over 96% rating the tool's usability as "good" or "excellent." Task completion times ranged from 2 to 92 seconds, with the quickest completion for reviewing high-risk criteria and the slowest for adding to high-risk criteria. Observations and participant responses from think-aloud testing highlighted positive aspects of learnability and clear display of complex information that is easily accessed, as well as opportunities for improvement in tool integration into clinical workflows. CONCLUSION: The PICU Warning Tool demonstrates good usability in the critical care setting. This study demonstrates the value of postimplementation usability testing in identifying opportunities for continued improvement of CDS tools.