3 Task Analysis

This study’s analysis focuses on understanding and improving the design of dashboards specifically for healthcare Quality Improvement (QI) by using a framework(design space) identified by Sarikaya et al., along with considering the unique challenges of healthcare QI.

• Guided by Dashboard Design Principles : The analysis is guided by a set of dimensions or factors that define good dashboard design, as identified by Sarikaya et al. These dimensions provide a structured way to think about how dashboards should be designed to effectively support user needs.
• Dashboard Design Principles by Sarikaya et al.
  • dashboard design space
    1. Data and Content Representation : This principle focuses on how data is presented on the dashboard. It includes decisions about the types of visualizations (e.g., bar charts, line graphs, pie charts), the level of detail shown, and the way information is organized to communicate the intended message clearly and efficiently.
    2. User Tasks and Goals : The dashboard design should be aligned with the specific tasks that users need to perform. This involves understanding the user’s goals, such as monitoring trends, exploring data, identifying patterns, or comparing metrics. The dashboard should support these tasks through relevant features, like filtering, sorting, and drill-down options.
    3. Audience and Context : Different user groups (e.g., analysts, managers, or general users) have different needs and levels of expertise. The design should consider these differences and adapt accordingly. This also includes understanding the context in which the dashboard will be used, such as on a desktop computer, a mobile device, or in a real-time operational setting.
    4. Aesthetics and Usability : The visual design of the dashboard should be aesthetically pleasing while ensuring usability. This includes choosing an appropriate color palette, font size, spacing, and layout that enhance readability and make it easy for users to find and understand the information they need.
    5. Interactivity and Customization : Dashboards should offer interactive features that allow users to engage with the data, such as zooming, panning, filtering, and customizing views. This interactivity helps users explore data from different perspectives and gain deeper insights.
    6. Adaptability and Scalability : The design should be adaptable to different datasets and scalable to accommodate a growing amount of data or additional features. This is particularly important in dynamic environments where data is frequently updated or where new metrics need to be added.
    7. Performance and Efficiency : The dashboard should be optimized for performance, ensuring that it loads quickly and handles large volumes of data efficiently. This is critical for maintaining user engagement and supporting real-time decision-making.
    8. Data Accuracy and Integrity : Ensuring data accuracy and integrity is essential for building user trust. Dashboards should clearly communicate the source and reliability of data, including any potential limitations or uncertainties.
    9. Feedback and Guidance : Effective dashboards provide feedback to users about their actions, such as confirming a filter has been applied or highlighting areas that need attention. This also includes offering guidance, such as tooltips or help buttons, to assist users in navigating the dashboard and understanding its features.
    10. Minimalism and Clarity : The design should focus on clarity and simplicity, avoiding unnecessary clutter or overly complex visualizations. This principle emphasizes using only the elements needed to convey the intended message, ensuring that users can quickly understand the key information without distraction.
• What user task sequences exist within and across audiences of healthcare QI?
  • User Tasks and Goals, Audience and Context
  • These principles focus on understanding the different tasks users perform with the dashboard (e.g., monitoring, exploring, comparing data) and tailoring the design to the needs of different audiences (e.g., clinicians, administrators, patients). This aligns with your question about identifying task sequences across different user groups in healthcare.
• How are metrics and benchmarks defined?
  • Data and Content Representation, Data Accuracy and Integrity
  • This relates to how data is presented, what types of data (metrics) are chosen, and how benchmarks (standards for performance) are clearly defined and communicated to users. These principles help ensure that metrics are both meaningful and accurately represented, which is essential for effective decision-making in healthcare QI.
• What visual features strike a balance between ease-of-use and adaptation?
  • Data and Content Representation, Data Accuracy and Integrity
  • This relates to how data is presented, what types of data (metrics) are chosen, and how benchmarks (standards for performance) are clearly defined and communicated to users. These principles help ensure that metrics are both meaningful and accurately represented, which is essential for effective decision-making in healthcare QI.
• How updatable should the dashboards be?
  • Adaptability and Scalability, Performance and Efficiency
  • These principles deal with the ability of the dashboard to adapt to new data, scale as needed, and maintain performance. This aligns about how frequently and easily dashboards should be updated to remain relevant and useful in a dynamic healthcare environment.

3.1 Data Collection

3.1.1 Interviews with Stakeholders

3.1.2 Co-design Workshop

3.1.3 Structure of Task Sequences