Acceptability of Clinical Decision Support Interface Prototypes for a Nursing Electronic Health Record to Facilitate Supportive Care Outcomes

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the acceptability, usefulness, and ease of use for four nursing clinical decision support interface prototypes.

Methods: In a simulated hospital environment, 60 registered nurses (48 female; mean age = 33.7 ± 10.8; mean years of experience = 8.1 ± 9.7) participated in a randomized study with four study groups. Measures included acceptability, usefulness, and ease of use scales.

Findings: Mean scores were high for acceptability, usefulness, and the ease of use for all four groups. Inexperienced participants (<1 year) reported higher perceived ease of use (p = .05) and perceived usefulness (p = .01) than those with experience of 1 year or more.

Conclusions: Participants completed the protocol and reported that all four interfaces, including the control (HANDS), were acceptable, easy to use, and useful.

Implications for nursing knowledge: Further study is warranted before clinical implementation within the electronic health record.

Keywords: Clinical decision support; electronic health record; end-of-life care; interface usability; practice-based evidence; simulation.