Usability Evaluation of Laboratory Information System by the Model of Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use (USE)

Introduction: Laboratory information system (LIS) is one of the key components of healthcare information system (HIS). It can help the healthcare providers to delivery faster, easier, and more efficient healthcare services. Acceptance and success of LISs depend on the appropriate designs of user interface of these systems. Therefore, this study was conducted aiming to focus on the end-user usability evaluation of LIS. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. It was conducted on the LIS embedded into a HIS used in Faghihi Hospital affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Science, Iran. The target population was all of 80 pathologists and laboratory technicians of this hospital who worked with LIS. We used the questionnaire of Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use (USE) to evaluate the LIS. The descriptive data were analyzed using SPSS22; the reliability and validity of the measures and model were determined using Smart-PLS version 3 with Partial Least Squares. Results: The result of all the constructs with regard to USEQ model demonstrated a positive effect of “Usefulness” (t-value=2.08), “Satisfaction” (t-value=1.89) and “Ease of use” (t-value=5.05) on the usability of the LIS. Conclusion: The USEQ model proposed was a valid and reliable instrument and could be used by researchers. The LIS was usable, and end-users could interact with this system without any effort. Therefore, healthcare professionals can perform their tasks better with this system and make appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic decisions for their patients.