The aim of this paper is to review some work conducted in the field of user testing that aims at specifying or clarifying the test procedures and at defining and developing tools to help conduct user tests. The topics that have been selected were considered relevant for evaluating applications in the field of medical and health care informatics. These topics are: the number of participants that should take part in a user test, the test procedure, remote usability evaluation, usability testing tools, and evaluating mobile applications.
Many concepts and methodologies exist today that are based on the idea that products and technical systems used in both work and everyday life need to satisfy a number of criteria if they are to be accepted and used under normal conditions. These new concepts, particularly those related to « user experience », bring into question the role played by human factors and ergonomics in the design of products, as well as the contributions they can make. Also brought into question are the concepts and methods that are borrowed from other disciplines, and the development of methodological tools used. This paper aims to examine such issues, together with any developments.
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