Usability Aspects Reduce Design Complexity and Help Prevent Use-Related Errors in ICU Ventilators

The complexity of the user interface design of critical healthcare devices may lead to use-related errors. Involving users as co-creators to design simple user interfaces for critical healthcare systems helps reduce user-related errors and, ultimately, lowers the risk to life. The participation of co-creators is effective in reducing the design and process complexity while developing the experimental prototype, which may help reduce cognitive load. A usability evaluation was conducted to assess the users’ perceptions and real experiences with the experimental prototype in actual settings. The participants involved in this study were requested to perform tasks on an experimental prototype and a questionnaire survey was used to gather the participants’ feedback. The results reveal that the interface design increases the user perception of usability by minimizing complexities in design because a strong association between design aspects and system simplicity was observed. The findings provide valuable insight both practically and theoretically to improve the reliability and usability of critical healthcare devices.