Presentation
Exploration of Age and Its Impact on Healthcare Professionals’ Ability to Safely and Effectively Use New Devices
SessionPoster Session 1
DescriptionHuman factors studies involving lay users usually make a deliberate effort to include a range of ages among the participants in order to identify the potential impact of any age-related risks, young or old. For healthcare professional (HCP) users, however, it is more often assumed that HCPs of all ages and experience levels will demonstrate similar usability performance as long as they share the same professional qualifications and are actively practicing. As a result, less is known about the potential effects of HCP age on medical device use.
In medical literature, much of the research examining HCP age focuses on the direct relationship between HCPs’ age and experience and clinical patient outcomes (Satkunasivam et al., 2020; Tsugawa et al., 2018; Tsugawa et al., 2017). There is also literature suggesting older HCPs showcase greater analytic competence that may not be fully captured by standardized assessments, including but not limited to heightened diagnostic reasoning and patient management (Ajmi & Aase, 2021; Choudhry et al., 2005; Eva, 2002).
We believe the potential influences of age deserve further exploration from a human factors context. Therefore, we consider the following:
1. How does age impact medical device usability for HCPs?
2. What are the underlying patterns between age and use events?
This research evaluated data from simulated-use human factors studies of medical devices intended for use by HCPs. First, we analyzed the relationship between participant age and use events for a medical device including self-reported subjective feedback. The primary root cause for each use event was identified to determine if any similarities across root causes existed. These root cause categories were determined through an age-blinded review of the data.
The device user interface and product type are also known to impact device usability by age (Tase et al., 2022). Therefore, a range of device types were selected for analysis, including simple devices (e.g., injection devices) as well as more complex devices or those with more variable user interface elements (e.g., surgical systems, software as a medical device).
This poster will discuss any identified differences in use events and root causes between younger, less-experienced HCPs and older, more-experienced HCPs. This research will also share potential learnings for the selection of representative samples of HCPs in human factors testing. We acknowledge that age and years of professional experience are highly correlated; this poster cannot differentiate between their effects. However, we will use age to encompass various individual characteristics, such as physical, cognitive, and perceptual ability, that may impact medical device use that is not necessarily captured by years of experience.
In medical literature, much of the research examining HCP age focuses on the direct relationship between HCPs’ age and experience and clinical patient outcomes (Satkunasivam et al., 2020; Tsugawa et al., 2018; Tsugawa et al., 2017). There is also literature suggesting older HCPs showcase greater analytic competence that may not be fully captured by standardized assessments, including but not limited to heightened diagnostic reasoning and patient management (Ajmi & Aase, 2021; Choudhry et al., 2005; Eva, 2002).
We believe the potential influences of age deserve further exploration from a human factors context. Therefore, we consider the following:
1. How does age impact medical device usability for HCPs?
2. What are the underlying patterns between age and use events?
This research evaluated data from simulated-use human factors studies of medical devices intended for use by HCPs. First, we analyzed the relationship between participant age and use events for a medical device including self-reported subjective feedback. The primary root cause for each use event was identified to determine if any similarities across root causes existed. These root cause categories were determined through an age-blinded review of the data.
The device user interface and product type are also known to impact device usability by age (Tase et al., 2022). Therefore, a range of device types were selected for analysis, including simple devices (e.g., injection devices) as well as more complex devices or those with more variable user interface elements (e.g., surgical systems, software as a medical device).
This poster will discuss any identified differences in use events and root causes between younger, less-experienced HCPs and older, more-experienced HCPs. This research will also share potential learnings for the selection of representative samples of HCPs in human factors testing. We acknowledge that age and years of professional experience are highly correlated; this poster cannot differentiate between their effects. However, we will use age to encompass various individual characteristics, such as physical, cognitive, and perceptual ability, that may impact medical device use that is not necessarily captured by years of experience.
Event Type
Poster Presentation
TimeMonday, March 234:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
LocationRhinelander Gallery
Medical and Drug Delivery Devices