Environmental Control Units for Inpatient Care at Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injury Centers: Heuristic Evaluation and Design Recommendations

Heuristic evaluation is a valid and widely accepted method for evaluating system usability. Findings from such evaluations provide valuable insight concerning which system elements should be targeted in future design iterations for improved functionality and user experience. This paper details a heuristic evaluation, utilizing Nielsen’s Heuristics and Shneiderman’s Golden Rules of Interface Design, of an inpatient environmental control unit used at the VA Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders (SCI/D) Centers nationwide. Results identified a number of usability issues inherent to the currently deployed interface at varying levels of severity. Design recommendations for addressing these significant issues in future iterations of this system are provided in an effort to foster independence and enhance quality of life in veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders.