Determining What to Study - Evaluation Methods in Biomedical Informatics - page 53

TABLE 3.1. Classification of generic study types by broad study questions and the
stakeholders most concerned.

Audience/stakeholders

Study Broad study primarily interested in

type Aspect studied question results

1. Needs Need for the What is the problem? Resource developers,

assessment resource funders of the resource

2. Design Design and Is the development Funders of the resource;

validation development method in accord with professional and

process accepted practices? governmental

certification agencies

3. Structure Resource static Is the resource Professional indemnity

validation structure appropriately designed insurers, resource

to function as intended? developers; professional

and governmental
certification agencies

4. Usability Resource dynamic Can intended users Resource developers,

test usability and navigate the resource so users

function it carries out intended

functions?

5. Laboratory Resource dynamic Does the resource have Resource developers,

function usability and the potential to be funders, users, academic

study function beneficial? community

6. Field Resource dynamic Does the resource have Resource developers, ,

function usability and the potential to be funders users

study function beneficial in the real

world?

7. Lab user Resource effect and Is the resource likely to Resource developers and

effect study impact change user behavior? funders, users

8. Field user Resource effect and Does the resource Resource users and their

effect study impact change actual user clients, resource

behavior in ways that purchasers and funders

are positive?

9. Problem Resource effect and Does the resource have The universe of

impact impact a positive impact on the stakeholders

study original problem?

setting where the resource is to be deployed, although simulated settings
may sometimes be used to study problems in communication or decision-
making, as long as the potential users of the resource are included. Ideally,
these potential users will be studied while they work with real problems or
cases to clarify how information is used and communicated, as well as iden-
tify the causes and consequences of inadequate information flows. The
investigator seeks to understand users' skills, knowledge, and attitudes, as
well as how they make decisions or take actions. To ensure that developers