Jun 17, 2018
Siemens Healthineers set out to design a new ultrasound machine with Sonographers ease of use in mind. Emids was brought in to help Siemens determine if they met their goal.
Inexpensive, portable and non-invasive, ultrasound systems provide valuable, real-time insight into patients’ bodies. However, hard-to-use equipment can compromise scan quality, regardless of a sonographer’s expertise.
Opportunity
Siemens Healthineers spent time and money creating a new product to bridge this ultrasound usability gap. Then, the company seized on Emids digital technology experience and proven user-experience insight to conduct an objective third-party usability assessment to gauge the new product’s success.
Approach
Emids screened and recruited sonographers to operate the new system in a simulated clinical environment. During the test, researchers collected standard usability data and measured task success, error rates and deviations from the expected process. They also gathered ease-of-use ratings and qualitative feedback following each task. Results were presented in accordance with ISO/IEC 25062:2006 Common Industry Format for Usability Test Reports.
Results
The final report validated Siemens’ trust in its new product. Specifically, Emids found that the new equipment:
- Improved user satisfaction
- Reduced overall errors
- Showed high task completion rate
- Generated fewer deviations
- Resulted in high scores for ease of use
The clear evidence of enhanced usability empowered Siemens’ ultrasound sales team when pitching to new and existing clients. Yet the greater value of Emids work for Siemens may be in identifying potential improvements that would further enhance usability in the next generation of ultrasound equipment.
