Robert Schumacher Featured in HIMSS Physician Community Podcast Series

During the latest episode of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) sponsored podcast series, Robert Schumacher, PhD, Managing Director of User Centric, and Lyle Berkowitz, MD, were interviewed regarding the HIMSS Usability Task Force white paper on EMR usability evaluation and rating.  The podcast series highlights issues relevant to physicians involved in healthcare IT and management systems in hospital and health system settings.  Demanding a large audience in the first two weeks of its broadcast, the episode, EHR Usability - The What, Why and How of Applying Usability to EHR Design, has shown to be one of the most successful podcasts posted to date. 

User Centric grabbed the national spotlight earlier this year after publishing research about the usability of electronic health records and the impact on adoption.  User Centric has also played a significant role in establishing the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) 2011 Usability Testing Guide for Comprehensive Ambulatory EHRs.  These guidelines can be found on the CCHIT website.

Podcast Summary:

Episode #17: EHR Usability - The What, Why and How of Applying Usability to EHR Design

Robert M. Schumacher, PhD, Managing Director at User Centric, Inc., a leading global user research firm, and Lyle Berkowitz, MD, Medical Director of Clinical Information Systems for Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, discuss how EHR usability impacts EHR adoption. Topics include the "paper paradigm," why and how physicians and vendors need to re-think the design process, factors to consider, and how to fine-tune current EHRs.  Hear their thoughts on the white paper created by the HIMSS EHR Usability Task Force (reporting to the HIMSS Enterprise Information Systems Steering Committee): "Defining and Testing EMR Usability: Principles and Proposed Methods of EMR Usability Evaluation and Rating." The interview is moderated by Steve Arnold, CMO of Virginia Premier Health Plan and Chair of the HIMSS/AMDIS Physician Community.

You can view this complimentary podcast by visiting http://www.himss.org/ASP/physicianCommunityPodcast.asp