A medical device manufacturer asked us to evaluate the usability of a home monitoring device for individuals with pacemakers and defibrillators and explore ways to improve the product according to user needs and preferences.
Improve usability of home monitoring system for patients with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators
Challenge
The home monitoring device would communicate to users the working status of their pacemaker and notify them and their doctor of any malfunctioning. Therefore, it was important that the instructions and notifications on the device were easy to interpret. Furthermore, the device was designed to be set up in the home by the intended user, which meant that the usability of the instructions for use (IFU) and setup procedures also had to be evaluated.
Approach
Our research approach involved a 90-minute in-depth interview with participants from the target population, who were observed as they followed the IFU to set up and used the device. We then asked them questions about their experiences and probed on any aspects of confusion at each stage of their interaction with the device.
Outcome
Participant performance in setting up the device suggested that a clearer IFU was needed, along with some potential design changes. We worked closely with the client during the study sessions to refine the direction of the research as participants provided feedback to ensure that they received the insights needed to fulfil their research objectives.