Certified Healthcare Technology Specialist (CHTS) Process Workflow & Information Management Redesign Practice Exam

What are some of the challenges in making EHR software usable?

1. Lack of information and standards on usability

2. High costs of implementation

3. Contracts that prohibit customer feedback

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: Lack of information and standards on usability

The challenge of usability in EHR (Electronic Health Record) software arises significantly from a lack of information and standards regarding usability. In the healthcare technology field, usability encompasses the ease with which healthcare professionals can interact with the software to accomplish their tasks. Without well-defined standards and guidelines, developers may struggle to create interfaces that meet the needs of diverse user groups, leading to inefficiencies and frustration among users. Having a robust framework for usability is crucial because it can inform design decisions and help ensure that EHR systems are intuitive, user-friendly, and capable of minimizing errors. Such frameworks could include best practices, evidence-based design principles, and user feedback mechanisms aimed at refining the software based on actual user experiences. A deficiency in this area can result in software that is difficult to navigate or overly complex, ultimately hindering the goal of improving patient care. Although other challenges like high implementation costs or contractual limitations on customer feedback can certainly complicate the deployment and improvement of EHR systems, they do not directly relate to the fundamental aspect of making the software usable from a design and functionality perspective. Therefore, the lack of established information and standards on usability stands out as a pressing concern for enhancing EHR software.