Systems Implementation, Usability, and Human Factors
Core concepts
Know the systems development life cycle: planning, analysis, design, build, test, train, implement, and maintain. Understand implementation strategies: big bang, phased, pilot, and parallel. Learn usability principles from Nielsen (visibility, feedback, consistency, error prevention) and human factors concepts: cognitive load, situation awareness, automation bias, and the Swiss cheese model. Understand the difference between usability testing (formative) and user acceptance testing (summative). Know the role of cognitive task analysis and workflow analysis before build.
Traps
Questions often treat usability testing as optional or as equivalent to UAT. Another trap: assuming training fixes a design flaw. Also watch for automation bias - clinicians over-trusting a system recommendation - being confused with alert fatigue.
Rule of thumb
Design for the workflow you observed, not the workflow you assumed. Test with real users on real tasks before go-live.
Worked example
After go-live, order entry errors spike. Root cause analysis shows the default dose field auto-populates the prior patient's value. The fix is a design change (clear defaults), not more training.