Human Factors Validation of Collaborative Medical Workflows Through Multi-User Workflow Simulation: A Case Study in Interventional Radiology

Abstract

This paper challenges the traditional focus on individual 1on1 sessions during workflow simulations and usability testing, which often fail to capture the collaborative nature of medical workflows. To overcome this, a human factors and workflow simulation lab was developed within the research campus STIMULATE. The paper describes the conception, development, and operational capabilities of the lab particularly focusing on collaborative human factors assessment. A novel methodology, based on hierarchical task analysis, is introduced. It breaks down complex workflows into subtasks and assigns them to specific user groups, such as Radiologists and Radiologic Technologists, capturing the intricacies of user interactions in specialized medical environments. The lab’s first validation study is presented using the example of the simulation of an image-guided interventional liver biopsy. The study demonstrates the lab's ability to accurately replicate a high percentage of tasks performed by medical professionals in complex procedures, thereby confirming its effectiveness in modelling collaborative medical workflows. It emphasizes the importance of detailed task-level workflow segmentation for analysing human-machine and human-human interactions and introduces specific metrics for measuring usability dimensions like effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.

Keywords: Workflow Simulation, Multi-User, Medical, Human Factors Engineering, Usability

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004847