The Electronic Health Record has become a staple today in every hospital and clinic, thanks to policy changes advocating its use. However, its full potential can be realized only when it is easy to use and compliant to the needs of the different user subgroups. This study uses a novel approach of eye tracking to assess and differentiate EHR usability based on gender. Though the findings were not suggestive of a significant gender-based difference, they did indicate that the design and layout of screen elements have a significant influence on the search efficiency for both user groups and this point could be relevant for future EHR design.
Keywords: Electronic health records; eye tracking; fixation count; usability.