Digital casts in orthodontics: a comparison of 4 software systems.

INTRODUCTION: The introduction of digital cast models is inevitable in the otherwise digitized everyday life of orthodontics. The introduction of this new technology, however, is not straightforward, and selecting an appropriate system can be difficult. The aim of the study was to compare 4 orthodontic digital software systems regarding service, features, and usability. METHODS: Information regarding service offered by the companies was obtained from questionnaires and Web sites. The features of each software system were collected by exploring the user manuals and the software programs. Replicas of pretreatment casts were sent to Cadent (OrthoCAD; Cadent, Carlstadt, NJ), OthoLab (O3DM; OrthoLab, Poznan, Poland), OrthoProof (DigiModel; OrthoProof, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands), and 3Shape (OrthoAnalyzer; 3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark). The usability of the programs was assessed by experts in interaction design and usability using the "enhanced cognitive walkthrough" method: 4 tasks were defined and performed by a group of domain experts while they were observed by usability experts. RESULTS: The services provided by the companies were similar. Regarding the features, all 4 systems were able to perform basic measurements; however, not all provided the peer assessment rating index or the American Board of Orthodontics analysis, simulation of the treatment with braces, or digital articulation of the casts. All systems demonstrated weaknesses in usability. However, OrthoCAD and 03DM were considered to be easier to learn for first-time users. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the usability of these programs was poor and needs to be further developed. Hands-on training supervised by the program experts is recommended for beginners.

An example of an application of the semiotic inspection method in the domain of computerized patient record system.

Efficiently navigating through an interface and conducting work tasks in flow is what GUI designers strive for. Dental professionals, who alternate between examination and treatment of a patient and insertion of data into the Computerized Patient Record system, particularly need an interface that would facilitate the workflow. In this paper we present an inspection evaluation of an existing and widely used Computerized Patient Record system. The Semiotic Inspection Method was applied with the expectation that the method could provide evidence that task flow, navigation and wayfinding were major usability issues of the interface. Also expected was that the Semiotic Inspection would reveal the means and strategies used in the interface in order to communicate the flow. The analysis conducted using the Semiotic Inspection Method showed inconsistencies in the communication of the way forward through the interface. In addition, the profile of the users, regarding digital skills, appears to be ambiguous. Finally, the strategies used in the interface for conveying the workflow could be identified as well.

Better quality in healthcare through gamified simulation based skill training application.

Although the screening of abdominal aortic diameter helps to identify men with abdominal aortic aneurysm and saves lives, there is need to coordinate and synchronize screening personnel's way to work. This article describes the design of a game based skill training application that could give the screening personnel an additional opportunity to refine measuring of abdominal aortic diameter in ultrasound images. The design work follows the steps of the Goal Directed design process. Consequently, the design activities are divided into six phases: the Research, Modelling, Requirements Definition, Framework Definition, Refinement and Development support. The design process described in this paper finishes with usability testing of an interactive prototype. The evaluation of the design was conducted with end users by studying their subjective ratings and performance on given tasks. The overall results of the usability testing show that the interactive prototype of the skill training application is not yet fully usable. Consequently, further improvement of the interface design is needed. The identified usability issues and collected qualitative and quantitative material about the interaction between test participants and the interface can guide the next design iteration and lead to more usable design.