Advanced practice registered nurse usability testing of a tailored computer-mediated health communication program.

This study tested the usability of a touch-screen-enabled Personal Education Program with advanced practice RNs. The Personal Education Program is designed to enhance medication adherence and reduce adverse self-medication behaviors in older adults with hypertension. An iterative research process was used, which involved the use of (1) pretrial focus groups to guide the design of system information architecture, (2) two different cycles of think-aloud trials to test the software interface, and (3) post-trial focus groups to gather feedback on the think-aloud studies. Results from this iterative usability-testing process were used to systematically modify and improve the three Personal Education Program prototype versions-the pilot, prototype 1, and prototype 2. Findings contrasting the two separate think-aloud trials showed that APRN users rated the Personal Education Program system usability, system information, and system-use satisfaction at a moderately high level between trials. In addition, errors using the interface were reduced by 76%, and the interface time was reduced by 18.5% between the two trials. The usability-testing processes used in this study ensured an interface design adapted to APRNs' needs and preferences to allow them to effectively use the computer-mediated health-communication technology in a clinical setting.