Finding usability gaps in X-ray machines
User research - User experience - Healthcare
The project aimed to observe radiographers using X-ray machines to identify any usability difficulties that they encountered.
My role
Research space
In this project, I worked collaboratively with my teammate to prepare the plan of action and reach out to hospitals for permission to conduct our study. Together, we carried out primary research, including interviews with radiographers, to understand their experiences with X-ray machines. We also decoded the interview responses and analyzed the data to identify the usability gaps.
Primary research was conducted at two diagnostic centers in Bangalore.
Methodology
Contextual Inquiry
Observational research
Unstructured interviews
This method was used to observe how radiographers operate the X-ray machine in the diagnostic center and to have them explain their actions and challenges while performing X-rays with patients.
In addition to interacting with the radiographers while they performed X-rays, we silently observed their actions to understand their needs and challenges. Many questions arose from simply watching the radiographers and how they conducted X-rays, which led to our next methodology.
We interviewed the radiographers using the questions we noted during our observations, along with some pre-planned questions. These included inquiries about the number of patients they see in a day, the types of problems for which patients require X-rays, how they handle children, the safety protocols they adhere to, how often the X-ray machine is checked, and the frequency of software updates.
Findings from the research
Images of the setting, with markings indicating some of the key usability issues mentioned by the radiographers.
Usability gaps
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Usability gaps in both physical design and technical aspects.
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Many gaps due to the lack of a feedback loop.
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Example: No indication if the cassette is not loaded in the bucky, causing repeated X-rays or missed patient records.
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Essential to address these gaps to improve overall functionality.
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Secondary research suggests voice commands for a more hygienic machine.
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Radiographers prefer automation to reduce verbal instructions.
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Findings show these solutions are impractical due to:
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Noisy X-ray room environment causing errors in voice commands.
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Patients speaking various languages require multilingual or queued commands, which are time-consuming and impractical.
My learnings
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Learned to perform contextual inquiries and observational research.
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Users' behavior in their own environment provides more authentic information than surveys and interviews.
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Observing users reveals insights that may be missed with other methodologies.
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Realized accessing healthcare facilities requires significant ethical considerations.