Investigating Usability of Conversational User Interfaces for Integrated System-Physical Interactions: A Medical Device Perspective
Neelarnab Dutta, Debayan Dhar · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · 2024
The use of Conversational User Interfaces (CUIs) as human-machine interfaces in AI-infused systems has become increasingly popular. However, the existing design guidelines for CUIs are inadequate for meeting the complex interaction requirements of applications involving integrated System-Physical Interaction. In this study, the real-life context of using CUIs as the front-end of AI-enabled medical devices is examined, investigating interaction and usability issues in clinical task operations. Voice- and text-based CUIs were tested with 40 participants to perform clinical tasks. Based on user testing results, a team of seven experts identified 116 unique usability issues and synthesized 16 heuristics using a multilevel thematic coding process. These heuristics were compared to past guidelines to assess their alignment and novelty. Further, 12 usability experts evaluated the heuristics across various clinical systems. The study established that the proposed 16 heuristics provide comprehensive guidance for designing and evaluating CUIs, addressing a wide range of usability requirements.