{"id":3000,"date":"2024-11-12T22:45:52","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T21:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/?p=3000"},"modified":"2026-01-16T15:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:19:44","slug":"design-for-doctors-legal-and-usability-issues-in-medical-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/design-for-doctors-legal-and-usability-issues-in-medical-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Design for Doctors: Legal and Usability Issues in Medical Software"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lazyblock-text-kPOfp wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 0px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                  lazyblocks-text-column-border\n                \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 30px;\">\n          <h1>Introduction<\/h1>\n<p>Designing systems for the healthcare sector is much more complex than in other industries, requiring a well-rounded approach that goes beyond standard design concerns. It demands attention to visual and functional elements, a deep understanding of medical workflows and healthcare practices, and adherence to strict regulatory requirements.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>To create a functional system for medical professionals, designers must prioritize maximum usability, accessibility, and aesthetics while also navigating legal issues and requirements that could impact implementation or certification.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This post will be especially helpful if you want to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Design a healthcare system from scratch<\/li>\n<li>Create new functionality for an existing system<\/li>\n<li>Refresh the look of an existing system to improve its usability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So, if you are in one of these groups, or you are simply interested in the topic of design for the healthcare sector, we invite you to read our post!<\/p>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-2sJNC6 wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 70px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 20px;\">\n          <h1><b>Step 0: Legal issues<\/b><\/h1>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Before we jump into user research, designing, testing\u2026 there is a very important matter &#8211; legal issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the country where we release our product, it&#8217;s necessary to familiarize ourselves with the appropriate regulations. They typically include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mandatory and minimum requirements for medical software<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specifications for user interface elements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accessibility standards<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data security and patient confidentiality requirements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compliance with industry-specific standards and certifications<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integration steps requirements with other healthcare systems and e-services<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These regulations vary by country and may be defined by specialized organizations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, in Germany, the KBV (<strong>Kassen\u00e4rtzliche Bundesvereinigung<\/strong>) publishes detailed requirements for medical software.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>KBV (Kassen\u00e4rtzliche Bundesvereinigung)<\/strong> is a medical association that functions as mouthpiece for self-employed doctors and psychotherapists around Germany.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this <a href=\"https:\/\/update.kbv.de\/ita-update\/Verordnungen\/Arzneimittel\/EXT_ITA_VGEX_Anforderungskatalog_AVWG.pdf\">link<\/a> you will find the document that specifies and detail the mandatory and minimum requirements for medical software. It indicates what the design should prioritize.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This document contains information about:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mandatory fields when displaying information about medications in search results.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">P2-110, 2.2.1: <strong>m<\/strong><\/span><\/i><b><i>inimum information on finished medications according to the price and product list and other specified sources.<\/i><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Design challenge: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a lot of data, long strings and action buttons that cannot be hidden. Design must present all required data.<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medication labels that should be represented by icons.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Design challenge:<\/strong> custom and complicated icons or illustrations. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;medication withdrawn from the market&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;medication withdrawn from the market, but available if the pharmacy has stock&#8221;<br \/><br \/><\/span>These icons have to be different, but recognizable by doctors.<br \/><br \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elements that should always be visible to the doctor, such as patient data.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Design challenge:<\/strong> Present a large amount of data in a consolidated, clear, and readable manner that fits on screens of various sizes <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(look at WCAG below).<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Minimal font size &#8211; 10pt and specific font family (Monotype Courier or Courier New) for printing preview.\n<ul>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><\/i><b><i>P3-720 Allgemeine Vorgaben fu\u0308r die Rezeptbedruckung)<\/i><\/b><b><i><br \/><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-Z2wNTBp wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-block-section wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n    \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"507\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2-1-1024x507.png\" alt=\"A dark themed slide titled &quot;Legal issues elements&quot; showing a stack of four blue transparent disks. Each disk is connected to a text label describing different legal requirements: data security and patient confidentiality, specifications for user interface elements, accessibility standards, and mandatory requirements for medical software.\" class=\"wp-image-3040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2-1-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2-1-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2-1-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2-1-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2-1.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-175aXM wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 0px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 20px;\">\n          <h1 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Step 1: Accessibility<\/b><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next, very important issue is accessibility. When creating design tools for which medical professionals are the target users, it&#8217;s necessary to take into account the needs and potential limitations of the professional group.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s examine a Eurostat study that illustrates the age distribution of medical workers in the European Union:<\/span><\/p>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-Z1raGPx wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-block-section wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n    \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"507\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3-1024x507.png\" alt=\"A presentation slide showing a pie chart of EU health workers by age group. The chart divides workers into three segments: 36% are 50+ years old (turquoise), 35% are 35-49 years old (purple), and 29% are 15-34 years old (light green).\" class=\"wp-image-3009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-ZFv6CS wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 0px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                          lazyblocks-text-big-font-quote\n        \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 0px;\">\n          <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The data reveals that a significant proportion of medical workers are over 50 years old.<\/strong> This demographic insight is crucial for software design as it means our applications will be used by people who may have various health issues or physical limitations.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>That\u2019s why we have to consider WCAG<\/strong><b>. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are a set of internationally recognized standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure digital content is accessible to all users, including people with disabilities <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below we present some key WCAG recommendations that are particularly relevant in the context of medical software design.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe visual presentation of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#dfn-text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">text<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#dfn-images-of-text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">images of text<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#dfn-contrast-ratio\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contrast ratio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of at least 7:1\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <br \/><strong>Note: <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given a large number of physicians is relatively older it is essential to keep text easily readable (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#text-alternatives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<br \/><br \/><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMake all functionalities available from a keyboard.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <br \/><strong>Note:<\/strong> This is actually very important for the physicians. During our work we discovered that they often use keyboard to navigate, because it&#8217;s much quicker for them (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#keyboard-accessible\">source<\/a>).<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInterruptions can be postponed or suppressed by the user, except interruptions involving an <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emergency<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <br \/><strong>Note:<\/strong> During a patient visit, physicians want to do their work very quickly, so notifications that are not accurate with patient visit might be very frustrating (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#dfn-emergency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><b>Confirmed; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A mechanism is available for reviewing, confirming, and correcting information before finalizing the submission.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <br \/><strong>Note:<\/strong> Finalizing an e-prescription is a critical task where doctors can&#8217;t afford mistakes. That&#8217;s why we need to allow them to correct errors and provide clear confirmation of their actions (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#text-alternatives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[\u2026]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Line height (line spacing) to at least 1.5 times the font size;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spacing following paragraphs to at least 2 times the font size;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Letter spacing (tracking) to at least 0.12 times the font size;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Word spacing to at least 0.16 times the font size.\u201d<br \/><br \/><\/span><strong>Note<\/strong>: Medical systems often contain a lot of data, labels, and descriptions. It&#8217;s important to establish a clear typographic hierarchy to provide readable information (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/#text-alternatives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-Z1BdUhL wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 70px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 0px;\">\n          <h1 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Step 2: Avoid mistakes and burnout<\/b><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another crucial consideration in healthcare is the context in which a tool will be used. Medical personnel often use software in stressful situations. Therefore, these tools must provide clear messages and be easy to manage so they don&#8217;t interfere with doctor-patient communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from WCAG, one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/ten-usability-heuristics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nielsen Norman\u2019s heuristics<\/a> tell us about showing system status (errors, warning, success, info):<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><b>\u201cThe design should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within a reasonable amount of time.\u201d \u2013 Jako Nielsen<\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>In the medical context, this heuristic takes on even greater significance.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s now examine all the challenges and errors faced by doctors:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complex processes and non-ergonomic interfaces can lead to mistakes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Example presented in this<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> study (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5553914\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>) says:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span>\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201c[\u2026] For example, when examining blood draw results some interfaces do not group the results under meaningful topics, do not utilize color to highlight abnormal values, or do not clearly display the time associated with the result leading to clinicians making decisions based on information that may be outdated\u201d.<\/span><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctors may waste valuable time navigating through complicated systems, reducing the time spent with patients.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Difficulties in quickly accessing patient information or previous treatment records can slow down clinical decision-making which leads to treatment delays<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of these problems lead to increased stress, frustration, and burnout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mayo Clinic Proceedings report &#8211; \u201c<\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinicproceedings.org\/article\/S0025-6196(19)30836-5\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Association Between Perceived Electronic Health Record Usability and Professional Burnout Among US Physicians<\/a>\u201d explored the relationship between EHR usability and physician burnout. It found:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physicians gave EHRs a <\/span><b>System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 45<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is considered &#8220;below average&#8221; in terms of usability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Time-consuming documentation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <strong>poor user interface<\/strong> <strong>design<\/strong> are significant sources of frustration for doctors, contributing to high burnout rates.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are more reports like that, which shows us the scale of the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8187272\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Electronic Health Record Usability: Associations with Nurse and Patient Outcomes in Hospitals<\/a>\u201d, EHR Association (EHRA) 2021<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u201c<\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8783275\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Comparing International Experiences With Electronic Health Records Among Emergency Medicine Physicians in the United States and Norway: Semistructured Interview Study<\/a>\u201d.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Addressing usability issues in medical software is crucial as it directly impacts patient care and safety.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-1ILzVi wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 70px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 20px;\">\n          <h1 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Step 3: Implementing User-Centered Design<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By focusing on user-centered design, we can address many of the usability issues, ultimately improving efficiency, reducing errors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important because, at the end of the day, it&#8217;s the doctor who sits in front of their computer and inputs a multitude of important data that has enormous significance for patients&#8217; lives and health. There&#8217;s no room for fatigue, mistakes, or any ambiguities here.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User-centered design (UCD) is an iterative design process in which designers focus on the users and their needs in each phase of the design process. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In UCD, design teams involve users throughout the design process via a variety of research and design techniques, to create highly usable and accessible products for them (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.interaction-design.org\/literature\/topics\/user-centered-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That means that before implementing anything, we should study how our user (the doctor) behaves. This is where User research comes to the rescue:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User research involves collecting and analyzing data about users through various methods such as surveys, interviews, and usability testing. This allows us to reach user\u2019s (doctor\u2019s) pain points and spot the opportunities, not only to fix usability issues, but also to improve workflow.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can ask our doctors about:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does the communication in facility look like? Maybe they struggle with effective and safe communication with each other?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What their workflows look like, what are typical activities during the day.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How they collect information, not only in digital form. Doctors often write down information on paper, so it\u2019s worth looking closer at this.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where in their work the most errors occur, where they struggle.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How they interact with existing systems and tools.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(these are only some examples, during discovery phase we should ask many more specific questions)<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>What methods can we use?<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Face-to-face and remote user interviews<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User testing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examination of existing data<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Observations in work field<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Talking to our users (doctors) is the only way to confirm that our software improves their daily work. We can test our solution in the beginning of the project &#8211; on discovery phase, during project and after implementation.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to explore this topic further, this study: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5553914\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Electronic Health Records and Improved Patient Care: Opportunities for Applied Psychology<\/strong><\/a> addresses\u00a0the need for understanding of cognitive or perceptual needs of the clinician.<\/span><\/p>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-1GWctz wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-block-section wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n    \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"507\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4-1024x507.png\" alt=\"A dark slide showing an equation-like format with three elements: &quot;User research&quot;, &quot;WCAG&quot;, and &quot;User-Centered Design&quot; connected by plus signs. Below is the result: &quot;Avoid mistakes and burnout&quot;.\" class=\"wp-image-3015\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-yPW1r wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 70px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                          lazyblocks-text-big-font-quote\n        \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 20px;\">\n          <h1><b>Step: \u2026 AI<\/b><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What about the future where AI is helping doctors in their everyday work?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User-centered design might be the bridge between technology and users. Design&#8217;s job is to present AI&#8217;s work in a clear, trustworthy manner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design should anticipate and highlight what has been done by AI, show alternatives, and catch common errors caused by human oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A study at Sentara and UC San Diego Health highlighted the importance of transparency in AI tools used in healthcare. The research emphasized that doctors should actively engage with AI-driven decision-making processes, understanding both the data inputs and the reasoning behind AI conclusions.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI won&#8217;t replace doctors but rather assist them during their long shifts in clinics.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-Z2cFtW7 wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n<div class=\"lazyblock-inner-block-section wp-block-lazyblock-inner\">\n    \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"507\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5-1024x507.png\" alt=\"A dark slide showing a simple diagram where &quot;AI&quot; and &quot;Users&quot; are connected by a dotted line, with the word &quot;Design&quot; positioned above the line.\" class=\"wp-image-3018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-text-ZMcf0d wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n  <div style=\"--size-margin-text-block: 70px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-text-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-text\">\n    <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-columns-wrapper\">\n              <div class=\"lazyblocks-text-column\n                \" style=\"--size-padding-text-block: 35px;\">\n          <p>If you&#8217;re interested in AI in healthcare or developing software from a technological perspective, we invite you to explore more articles on our <a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/\">blog<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/nubisoftpl\">LinkedIn<\/a>. Feel free to contact us with any questions about building software for the healthcare industry.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who are we?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At NubiSoft, we develop software for the healthcare industry. We are a trusted technology partner for medical institutions as well as for companies whose end users are medical professionals.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>We are certain that well-designed solutions can make a real difference in the work of medical professionals.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>We are ready to help your company join the AI revolution safely and sustainably. <strong>Contact us when you think you&#8217;re ready for it, too.<\/strong><\/p>        <\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-UMMNA wp-block-lazyblock-contact-form\">\n\n    <div class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-contact-section wp-block-lazyblock-contact-form\">\n        <div class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-contact-section-inner\">\n\n                            <dialog id=\"ns-pop-up-dialog\" class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-dialog\">\n                                <div class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-contact-wrapper\">\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-contact-title-wrapper\">\n                        <h2 class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-contact-title\">\n                            Contact                        <\/h2>\n                        <p class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-contact-description\">\n                            Leave your email and we&#8217;ll reach out to you to arrange a non-committal online meeting to see\u00a0<strong>how we can help each other.<\/strong>                        <\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                    <script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\" https:\/\/m.nubisoft.io\/form\/generate.js?id=3\"><\/script>\n                                            <button class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-close-button\">\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n                \n                <\/dialog>\n                <button class=\"lazyblock-contact-form-button\" id=\"ns-pickup-button\">\n                    Let&#8217;s talk                <\/button>\n\n            \n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-posts-23lHxi wp-block-lazyblock-posts\">\n\n\n<div style=\"--size-margin-posts-block: 70px;\" class=\"lazyblocks-posts-wrapper wp-block-lazyblock-posts\">\n                                <h3 class=\"lazyblocks-posts-header\">People who read this article also read:<\/h3>                     \n\n        <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-container\">\n\n                            <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-single-wrapper\">\n                                        <a class=\"lazyblocks-posts-image-wrapper\" style=\"--post-thumbail-url: url('https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights-150x150.png');\" href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/generative-ai-in-healthcare-doctors-perspectives-and-statistical-insights\/\">\n\n\n                                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"287\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights-1024x507.png\" class=\"lazyblocks-posts-image wp-post-image\" alt=\"The image displays a dark background with the NubiSoft logo in the upper right corner. The title &quot;Generative AI in Healthcare&quot; is prominently displayed, followed by the subtitle &quot;Doctors Perspectives and Statistical Insights.&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Generative-AI-in-Healthcare-Doctors-Perspectives-and-Statistical-Insights.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/>                                            <\/a>\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-info-wrapper\">\n                                                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-category-wrapper\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/category\/healthcare\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Healthcare<\/a>                            <\/div>\n                        \n                        <span class=\"lazyblocks-posts-read-time\">1 min read<\/span>                    <\/div>\n\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-title-wrapper\">\n                        <h2 class=\"lazyblocks-posts-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/generative-ai-in-healthcare-doctors-perspectives-and-statistical-insights\/\">Generative AI in Healthcare \u2013 Doctors&#8217; Perspectives and Statistical Insights<\/a><\/h2>\n                        <a class=\"lazyblocks-posts-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/generative-ai-in-healthcare-doctors-perspectives-and-statistical-insights\/\">Read more<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-single-wrapper\">\n                                        <a class=\"lazyblocks-posts-image-wrapper\" style=\"--post-thumbail-url: url('https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations-150x150.png');\" href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/ai-llms-4-healthcare-innovations\/\">\n\n\n                                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"287\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations-1024x507.png\" class=\"lazyblocks-posts-image wp-post-image\" alt=\"The image presents a dark background with a few light blue circles and text in the center. The text reads &quot;AI &amp; LLMs: 4 Healthcare Innovations,&quot; indicating a focus on artificial intelligence and language models in the medical field.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4-Healthcare-Innovations.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/>                                            <\/a>\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-info-wrapper\">\n                                                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-category-wrapper\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/category\/healthcare\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Healthcare<\/a>                            <\/div>\n                        \n                        <span class=\"lazyblocks-posts-read-time\">1 min read<\/span>                    <\/div>\n\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-title-wrapper\">\n                        <h2 class=\"lazyblocks-posts-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/ai-llms-4-healthcare-innovations\/\">AI &#038; LLMs: 4 Healthcare Innovations<\/a><\/h2>\n                        <a class=\"lazyblocks-posts-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/ai-llms-4-healthcare-innovations\/\">Read more<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-single-wrapper\">\n                                        <a class=\"lazyblocks-posts-image-wrapper\" style=\"--post-thumbail-url: url('https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template-150x150.png');\" href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/nubisofts-role-in-advancing-health-e-services\/\">\n\n\n                                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"287\" src=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template-1024x507.png\" class=\"lazyblocks-posts-image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template-1024x507.png 1024w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template-1200x594.png 1200w, https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Blog-template.png 1248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/>                                            <\/a>\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-info-wrapper\">\n                                                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-category-wrapper\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/category\/case-study\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Case study<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/category\/healthcare\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Healthcare<\/a>                            <\/div>\n                        \n                        <span class=\"lazyblocks-posts-read-time\">1 min read<\/span>                    <\/div>\n\n\n                    <div class=\"lazyblocks-posts-title-wrapper\">\n                        <h2 class=\"lazyblocks-posts-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/nubisofts-role-in-advancing-health-e-services\/\">NubiSoft\u2019s Role in Advancing Health E-Services<\/a><\/h2>\n                        <a class=\"lazyblocks-posts-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/nubisofts-role-in-advancing-health-e-services\/\">Read more<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to design healthcare software that doctors love to use. From legal compliance to user experience &#8211; a practical guide to creating efficient medical systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":3002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"post-2024.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_case_study_excerpt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[66,221],"tags":[63,512],"class_list":["post-3000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design","category-healthcare","tag-design","tag-healthcare-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3000"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4486,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3000\/revisions\/4486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nubisoft.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}