The thing that stood out to me most was the example of the usability testing for the new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system. It wasn't just asking, "Does it work?" but "How does it feel to use it for a full 12-hour shift?" Seeing them track things like click fatigue, time spent on data entry, and even user frustration levels… it makes you realise that a system can be technically brilliant but still add to burnout if it's not designed with the human in mind. In my own setting, this is a massive takeaway. Before rolling out any new software, even a small app, we absolutely need to embed that kind of deep-dive usability testing with the people who will actually use it. It’s the difference between a tool that helps and a tool that hinders.
Another big one was the cost-benefit analysis that looked beyond just the financials. It factored in things like reduced medication errors and faster discharge times. That speaks a language that our board and budget holders understand. It gives a solid, quantitative reason why we should invest in good informatics. For us, this means I need to get better at building a business case that doesn’t just talk about the price of the software, but also the 'cost' of not having it—like the hours spent on manual searches or the risk of a missed alert.
Finally, the long-term study on patient outcomes really struck a chord. It moved the conversation from "We've implemented a new portal" to "Okay, but did it actually improve patient health? Did they feel more empowered?" That’s the ultimate goal, right? It’s a good reminder for my own work that the success of any project shouldn't just be measured at launch. We need to plan for follow-up evaluations months or even years down the line to see if our tech is genuinely making a difference to the people we're here to serve.
Overall, these examples have shown me that evaluation isn’t the boring final chapter of a project. It’s the essential feedback loop that ensures our tech is effective, efficient, and truly human-centred. It’s what turns a simple IT upgrade into a genuine step forward for patient care.