ABSTRACT
To provide high quality care for patients the healthcare industry is dependent upon the provision of well designed medical devices. To achieve this, ergonomists recommend taking a user-centered and systems approach to design. In this study Contextual Inquiry was used to study 12 clinical participants whilst using a prototype new medical imaging device during patient consultations. Contextual Inquiry was found to be effective for evaluating a prototype device within a clinical environment. A number of contextual issues were identified which were likely to affect the use and uptake of the new device. These included the physical and organizational structure of the environment, as well as the characteristics and capabilities of clinical users and patients.
