Usability evaluation of a locomotor therapy device considering different strategies

• Main Authors: Langthaler Sonja, Lassnig Alexander, Baumgartner Christian, Schröttner Jörg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: De Gruyter 2016-09-01
• Series: Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering
• Subjects: operating safety; promediks; usability testing; use error; useprob
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2016-0018

Usability of medical devices is one of the main determining factors in preventing use errors in treatment and strongly correlates to patient safety and quality of treatment. This thesis demonstrates the usability testing and evaluation of a prototype for locomotor therapy of infants. Therefore, based on the normative requirements of the EN 62366, a concept combined of evaluation procedures and assessing methods was created to enable extensive testing and analysis of the different aspects of usability. On the basis of gathered information weak points were identified and appropriate measures were presented to increase the usability and operating safety of the locomotor prototype. The overall outcome showed an usability value of 77.4% and an evaluation score of 6.99, which can be interpreted as “satisfactory”.