Robert Schumacher Lectures on Usability in HIT to Online Students at Johns Hopkins University

User Centric Managing Director Robert Schumacher, Ph.D. was invited to lecture to online students enrolled in the “University Human Factors in Health IT” at Johns Hopkins University, on April 7. His lecture will address  the importance of understanding the physician’s experience and clinical workflow, signifying that most shortcomings in current HIT systems, such as electronic health records (EHRs), are not the technology. Leading a class discussion on how considering HIT usability extends the capabilities of medical professionals; help them work smarter; and provide the information they need to make the best decisions on behalf of their patients, Schumacher explains that usability research is the key to gaining improvements for healthcare technologies.

Schumacher has been actively involved in developing usability criteria for EHR and PHR systems and is often called on to lend his expertise on the usability of this technology. Most recently, he co-authored the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Guide to the Processes Approach for Improving the Usability of Electronic Health Records. He also presented at the HIMSS 2011 conference on health information technology usability.

About the “Human Factors in Health IT” course at Johns Hopkins University

The health care system is becoming increasingly complex, posing a variety of challenges to health care providers and patients. The course will review research that applies the methods and theories of cognitive psychology and human factors to develop design, instruction, and training interventions that help providers deliver care more safely and effectively. Topics include human errors related to the design of health/healthcare information technologies (HIT), interventions to improve person’s comprehension of health information, issues related to providers and patient’s use of HIT in health & health care settings, and the key importance of user-centered HIT design. The course will begin with a brief introduction to problems and accidents in the health system related to human factors, followed by an overview of basic concepts and methods from the fields of human factors, usability, and cognitive psychology. This overview provides a foundation for analysis of specific topics in health and health care and the human factors that impact HIT usability.

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