Redesign of the Columbia University Infobutton Manager.
BACKGROUND
The Infobutton Manager (IM) is an application that provides clinical users with context-specific links to health information resources. Usage of the first version (IM-1) suggested that the user interface was suboptimal.


METHODS
We conducted a laboratory-based observational study of IM-1, use, applied standard user interface design techniques to address observed problems, developed a new version (IM-2), conducted a second observational study and analyzed log files of the actual use of IM-1 and IM-2.


RESULTS
Modifications to the IM resulted in a reduction of "perusal time" (time between evocation of the IM and selecting a topic) from 11.13 to 5.92 seconds. However, evaluation of 14 months of usage logs did not show an appreciable effect on the perusal time or the rate at which users selected a topic once the IM was evoked.


CONCLUSIONS
Laboratory analysis of the IM was evoked.


CONCLUSIONS
Laboratory analysis of the IM guided redesign that led to improved performance in the laboratory, but did not address factors that are influencing use.
Cimino
James J
JJ
Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Friedmann
Beth E
BE
Jackson
Kevin M
KM
Li
Jianhua
J
Pevzner
Jenia
J
Wrenn
Jesse
J
D019992:Databases as Topic; D007255:Information Services; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D019370:Observation; D009862:Online Systems; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface