A Mobile Tablet App for Clinical Evaluation and Medical Education: Development and Usability Evaluation

Abstract

<p>The rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets has sparked substantial interest among healthcare providers. Increasing number of medical schools have launched curricula targeted for mobile tablets. A mobile tablet that facilitates clinical documentation can enhance the mobility of residents and physicians by eliminating the need to be tethered to a workstation. Considering the popularity of Apple’s iPad, a clinical evaluation tool for syncope was implemented on an iPad to test its usability in this environment.</p> <p>The primary objective of this thesis is to develop a mobile tablet app for clinical evaluation and to assess its usability. The contents of the app are based on clinical practice guidelines. The app facilitates clinical evaluation using structured, pre-populated items and unstructured free-text narratives. The participants of this study used the app and paper in pre-determined sequences to document clinical evaluation of a given scenario. A System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire was used to gather feedback on usability. A comparison questionnaire gathered participant preferences between app and paper.</p> <p>This study showed that evidence-based app could be developed, with an emphasis on usability during design and development. During the study, participants recorded more ‘structured’ than ‘unstructured’ free-text information on the tablet. The SUS scores indicated an above average usability score for the app. However, participants rated paper above the app in overall comparison. Future studies are needed to determine whether the level of detail of clinical information presented in mobile tablet apps have a negative effect on participant acceptance.</p>