Table 3.

HCI-based Leading Indicators for the Most Impacted Aspects of Quality of Care.

	Leading Indicators
Visibility of the system	• Designing an Inherently Visible System • Visual System Feedback	• Does the system provide visibility? • Are there context labels, menu maps, place markers and consistent icon design scheme and stylistic treatment to facilitate users’ navigation across the system? • Does the system indicate the method by which it saves information? • Is there some form of system feedback for every user's action?	• The user can recognize the state of the system at any point of time and knows how to proceed. • The user is kept informed of the system progress in case of any observable delays. • Every display starts with a title or headline to describe its content. • In a multi-page screen, not only each page is labeled properly, but also its relation with other pages is shown clearly. • There is a consistent schematic design and visual cues to facilitate users’ easy transition across the system. • The system indicates whether it auto-saves information, it requires a deliberate action to save, or it is a combination of both. • After an action or a group of actions is completed, the system provides feedback to indicate that the next action or group of actions can be started. • Visual feedback is provided by the system when objects are selected or moved. • Feedback response time is appropriate to the task.
	Leading Indicators
Match between the system and the real world	• Match between system design and users’ mental model	• Does system design leverage familiarity with real-world objects and activities? • Does the system speak the users’ language in familiar, rather than system-oriented terms?	• Icons are concrete and familiar. • Related items appear on the same display. • Used colors correspond to common expectations about color codes. • Menu choices are grouped and ordered in the most logical way for the intended user population. • System language is task-oriented and familiar to users; e.g. according to their expectations and mental model. • The words in the prompt message are consistent with the action it requires.
User control and freedom	• System support for undo and redo • Users’ freedom to select, sequence, and finalize tasks	• Can users easily cancel or reverse their actions? • Can users easily and efficiently select, sequence, and complete tasks?	• System allows users to reverse their actions. • Multiple undos are permitted when the system allows users to reverse their actions. • An undo function is available both at a level of single entry and a group of actions. • Users can cancel out of operations in progress. • Users can manage their own default settings. • System allows users to assess relationships of displayed information and adjust any inaccurately placed information • System generates prompts to notify users about consequences of their actions. • System requires confirmation from the user before processing a completed task. • System supports save, exit, and return option.
Flexibility and efficiency of use	• Flexibility of use	• Does the system provide flexibility of use; e.g. alternative means of access and operation, for both experienced and inexperienced users?	• Error messages are designed with multiple levels of details to support both novice and expert users. • Inexperienced users can enter the most common form of commands while expert users can modify the commands. • Expert users can utilize shortcuts to bypass nested dialog boxes and menus. • System provides function keys for frequent commands.
	Leading Indicators
Error prevention and recovery	• Designing a system with error prevention in mind • Warning Management • Error Monitoring • Continual Improvement • Training	• Does the system prevent users from making errors? • Does the system warn users if they are about to make a potential error? • Do error messages help users recognize an error and recover from it? • Do error messages inform users of the severity of and consequences of their actions? • Are system generated errors tracked and monitored? • Are user errors tracked and monitored? • Is the system continuously evaluated and updated? • Do healthcare providers go through sufficient training before using the system to interact with patients?	• Provide default values for entry fields or suggest required information when possible. • Critical information has to be proactively tagged to avoid users’ errors. • The system generates prompts to notify users about consequences of their actions. • Error messages are expressed in a clear and simple language to describe the nature of the problem and suggest a way to solve it. • Information is presented in a simple and well-organized way to enable users to easily identify inaccurate or inappropriate items. • Error messages are designed with multiple levels of details to support both novice and expert users. • Rate and the nature of system generated errors are captured over time and reported. • Rate and the nature of user errors are captured over time and reported. • There are established goals to guide and measures to track the continual improvement.
Help and documentation	• Help options and documents	• Are help options and documents visible, consistent with the interface design and easily accessible? • Are provided help documents current and accurate?	• The help function is visible. • Accessing the help system and returning from it is easy. • Users are able to return and continue work after accessing help options. • There are navigation and completion instructions to support data entry screens and dialog boxes. • Memory aids are embedded in the design of system commands. • There is consistency between the interfaces (navigation, presentation and conversation) of the help system and the application it supports. • Help documentations provide multiple levels of context-specific detail tailored for different users. • Help documents provide accurate, complete, and understandable information.