Which statement about usability testing is false?

• A. Usability testing can be conducted only by human engineers
• B. Usability testing can be conducted inexpensively in hospitals
• C. Lack of user input in design and testing is a major cause of system implementation failure
• D. Nurses and physicians should be involved in systems design

Answer: (A)

Usability testing relies on real users working with the system to reveal how well it supports their actual tasks. In healthcare, that means clinicians like nurses and physicians, plus other staff who use the system, participate in the testing so the product fits daily workflows and patient care processes. While usability experts or designers often guide the process, engineers alone don’t capture the lived experience of end users. In fact, involving clinicians from the start helps surface issues that software or technical polish might miss, leading to stronger adoption and fewer workflow disruptions.

Hospitals can perform usability testing cost-effectively by using small groups of clinicians, simple prototypes (even paper ones), and think-aloud protocols to gather direct feedback. This aligns with the idea that lack of user input in design and testing is a major reason systems fail to implement well. Involving nurses and physicians in design is essential to ensure the tool supports real clinical tasks and fits the clinical environment.

So the statement that is false is the notion that usability testing can be conducted only by human engineers.