Gavin Lew presents User Centric's research in health care at HFES 2005

Gavin Lew, Managing Director, presented a paper entitled "Evaluation of Drug Label Designs Usign Eye Tracking" at the 49th Annual Meeting of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in Orlando. The paper, coauthored by Aga Bojko, Catherine Gaddy, Gavin Lew, Amy Quinn, and Ed Israelski, describes a study in which eye movement measures were used to assess the effectiveness of drug labels.

Abstract:

Eye movement measures and conventional performance metrics were used to compare existing drug labels to a new label template that was created based on human factors principles and user research. Twenty pharmacy practitioners were asked to locate a particular drug among others using sets of existing labels and their redesigned counterparts. For most tasks, the new design led to faster responses, either due to a decrease in the number of fixations required to complete a task or a decrease in the mean fixation length. The number and sequence of fixations within a single label and across labels (used as indicators of search efficiency) and fixation duration (used as a measure of information processing efficiency) provided insight into the origins of the noted speed improvements, helping assess which of the multiple design changes introduced in the new template had impact on performance. Application of eye tracking to redesign evaluation is discussed.

About the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society was founded in 1957. Its mission is to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems and devices. The Society's 5,000+ members advocate systematic use of human factors knowledge to achieve compatibility in the design of interactive systems of people, machines, and environments to ensure their effectiveness, safety, and ease of performance. Through its 21 technical groups, 35 local chapters and 31 student chapters, the Society encourages education and training for those entering the human factors and ergonomics profession and for those who conceive, design, develop, manufacture, test, manage, and participate in systems.

About User Centric, Inc.

User Centric is a global consulting firm that focuses on improving user experience. We apply our expertise to projects involving handhelds, web sites, software, medical devices, print, packaging, and telephony services. Experience, quality, value, global reach and outstanding client services set us apart. Our services include user research, user interface design consulting, information architecture, usability testing, user interface evaluations, eye tracking, and online surveys. Learn more about us at www.UserCentric.com.