Making Keyboard Shortcuts Accessible : Keyboard Shortcuts for Healthcare Professionals in an Electronic Healthcare System

Abstract: This thesis was initiated by Cambio Healthcare Systems and was aimed to investigate the usage of keyboard shortcuts (KBS) in the electronic health record system COSMIC. The aim was to determine which users would benefit from learning keyboard shortcuts and understand how users can learn them effectively. The study also aimed to identify suitable techniques for users in the sensitive healthcare environment, with a focus on efficiency. Through workshops and interviews with individuals with experience of the user, it was found that most users would benefit from learning more KBS, particularly primary nurses who would save significant time. A thematic analysis revealed four themes: Benefits Everyone, Key Users, Documentation, and Visibility. Lack of awareness and a need for visualization were identified as the main issues. To address these findings, design requirements were established to meet user needs. Two design concepts, a visualizing wiki and an all-knowing search, were created as prototypes to represent potential design solutions. Evaluation with three participants showed positive results for the first concept, indicating it would be effective for teaching KBS to novice users. The second concept, while insufficient on its own, could complement the first concept and benefit users seeking quick results in COSMIC, such as medical secretaries and administrators. The study's strength lies in its preliminary stages, which provided valuable insights into user needs and identified underlying issues related to KBS in COSMIC.