{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T08:18:57Z","timestamp":1787905137831,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787875200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Digit. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The evaluation of healthcare technologies utilizing standardized usability questionnaires has grown exponentially, reflecting the increasing importance of user-centered design in eHealth. However, the application of these instruments remains fragmented across clinical specialties and target populations.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review synthesizes 26 years of literature to examine how standardized usability questionnaires are applied across distinct use cases, healthcare specialties, and target populations to identify current methodological gaps.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A search in MEDLINE\/PubMed was conducted for articles published between 1999 and June 2025. Studies employing standardized usability questionnaires for evaluating healthcare technologies were included. Data regarding publication year, the specific usability instrument employed, target population, healthcare specialty, and application domain were extracted and analyzed descriptively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The search yielded 1,342 peer-reviewed articles. The publication volume showed a substantial upward trend, peaking in 2024 with 256 studies. The System Usability Scale (SUS) was the dominant instrument utilized in 92.8 percent of the publications. The Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) was the second-most common instrument applied in 6.0 percent of studies. Internal Medicine and Public Health were the most prominent clinical fields. Mobile Apps and Web Tools constituted the most frequently targeted systems, accounting for 41.4 percent. Patients and healthcare professionals represented the primary user groups.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>While publication volumes have surged, the field relies heavily on the SUS, limiting the ability to extract diagnostic insights. To ensure that future healthcare technologies are specifically optimized for complex clinical environments, researchers must mature beyond global satisfaction scores and strategically adopt established, comprehensive tools like the PSSUQ.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fdgth.2026.1938990","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T07:49:50Z","timestamp":1787903390000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Mapping the landscape of standardized usability questionnaires in healthcare: a 26-year scoping review"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Matthias Fabian","family":"Berger","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Digital Surgery, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz","place":["Graz, Austria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"Augustin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz","place":["Graz, Austria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lars-Peter","family":"Kamolz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Digital Surgery, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz","place":["Graz, Austria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David Benjamin","family":"Lumenta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Digital Surgery, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz","place":["Graz, Austria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1540","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-025-13745-y","article-title":"Usability evaluation methods for hospital information systems: a systematic review","volume":"25","author":"Dehghani Mahmoodabadi","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1069","DOI":"10.4338\/ACI-2016-06-R-0105","article-title":"Mind the gap","volume":"7","author":"Ratwani","year":"2016","journal-title":"Appl Clin Inform"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.17161\/kjm.v13i1.13721","article-title":"Resident indentified violations of usability heuristic principles in local electronic health records","volume":"13","author":"Berg","year":"2020","journal-title":"Kans J Med"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"476","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mayocp.2019.09.024","article-title":"The association between perceived electronic health record usability and professional burnout among US physicians","volume":"95","author":"Melnick","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mayo Clin Proc"},{"key":"B5","volume-title":"Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-being","year":"2019"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"625","DOI":"10.1097\/MLR.0000000000001536","article-title":"Electronic health record usability: associations with nurse and patient outcomes in hospitals","volume":"59","author":"Kutney-Lee","year":"2021","journal-title":"Med Care"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1093\/jamia\/ocv099","article-title":"Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics","volume":"23","author":"Georgsson","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Am Med Inform Assoc"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e8851","DOI":"10.2196\/mhealth.8851","article-title":"Health information technology usability evaluation scale (health-ITUES) for usability assessment of Mobile health technology: validation study","volume":"6","author":"Schnall","year":"2018","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-802308-2.00008-4","article-title":"Standardized usability questionnaires","volume-title":"Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research","author":"Sauro","year":"2016"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0039-1677907","article-title":"Human factors and usability for health information technology: old and new challenges","volume":"28","author":"Carayon","year":"2019","journal-title":"Yearb Med Inform"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmedinf.2019.05.001","article-title":"Assessing usability of eHealth technology: a comparison of usability benchmarking instruments","volume":"128","author":"Broekhuis","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Med Inf"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"574","DOI":"10.1080\/10447310802205776","article-title":"An empirical evaluation of the system usability scale","volume":"24","author":"Bangor","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int J Hum\u2013Comput Interact"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1201\/9781498710411-35","article-title":"SUS-A quick and dirty usability scale","volume":"189","author":"Brooke","year":"1996","journal-title":"Usability Eval Ind"},{"key":"B14","first-page":"14","article-title":"A practical guide to the system usability scale: background, benchmarks & best practices","author":"Sauro","year":"2011","journal-title":"Meas Usability"},{"key":"B15","first-page":"114","article-title":"Determining what individual SUS scores mean: adding an adjective rating scale\u2014jUX","volume":"4","author":"Bangor","year":"2009","journal-title":"JUX\u2014J User Exp"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1056","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbi.2011.08.005","article-title":"TURF: toward a unified framework of EHR usability","volume":"44","author":"Zhang","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Biomed Inform"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1080\/10447319509526110","article-title":"IBM Computer usability satisfaction questionnaires: psychometric evaluation and instructions for use","volume":"7","author":"Lewis","year":"1995","journal-title":"Int J Hum-Comput Interact"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1259","DOI":"10.1177\/154193129203601617","article-title":"Psychometric evaluation of the post-study system usability questionnaire: the PSSUQ","volume":"36","author":"Lewis","year":"1992","journal-title":"Proc Hum Factors Soc Ann Meet"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"463","DOI":"10.1080\/10447318.2002.9669130","article-title":"Psychometric evaluation of the PSSUQ using data from five years of usability studies","volume":"14","author":"Lewis","year":"2002","journal-title":"Int J Hum Comput Interact"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1186\/s12911-022-01764-2","article-title":"The most used questionnaires for evaluating satisfaction, usability, acceptance, and quality outcomes of mobile health","volume":"22","author":"Hajesmaeel-Gohari","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Med Inform Decis Mak"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15465\/gesis-sg_en_016","article-title":"Response biases in standardised surveys","volume":"155","author":"Bogner","year":"2016","journal-title":"GESIS Survey Guidelines"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8535.1993.tb00076.x","article-title":"SUMI: the software usability measurement inventory","volume":"24","author":"Kirakowski","year":"1993","journal-title":"Br J Educ Technol"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.4338\/ACI-2016-10-R-0170","article-title":"Towards usable e-health","volume":"8","author":"Sousa","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appl Clin Inform"},{"key":"B24","article-title":"Questionnaire based usability testing","volume-title":"Infill Systems for Residential Open Building: Comparison and status Report of Developments in Four Countries","author":"Van Veenendaal","year":"2001"},{"key":"B25","first-page":"213","article-title":"Development of an instrument measuring user satisfaction of the human-computer interface","author":"Chin","year":"1988"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e065323","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-065323","article-title":"Design and validation of a new healthcare systems usability scale (HSUS) for clinical decision support systems: a mixed-methods approach","volume":"13","author":"Ghorayeb","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ open"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e11500","DOI":"10.2196\/11500","article-title":"The mHealth app usability questionnaire (MAUQ): development and validation study","volume":"7","author":"Zhou","year":"2019","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"B28","first-page":"1609","article-title":"Correlations among prototypical usability metrics: evidence for the construct of usability","author":"Sauro","year":"2009"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1145\/122672.122692","article-title":"Psychometric evaluation of an after-scenario questionnaire for computer usability studies: the ASQ","volume":"23","author":"Lewis","year":"1991","journal-title":"ACM Sigchi Bulletin"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijhcs.2005.06.002","article-title":"Current practice in measuring usability: challenges to usability studies and research","volume":"64","author":"Hornb\u00e6k","year":"2006","journal-title":"Int J Hum Comput Stud"},{"key":"B31","first-page":"1599","article-title":"Comparison of three one-question, post-task usability questionnaires","author":"Sauro","year":"2009"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"691","DOI":"10.1177\/154193120304700406","article-title":"Usability magnitude estimation","volume":"47","author":"McGee","year":"2003","journal-title":"Proc Hum Factors Ergon Soc Annu Meet"},{"key":"B33","volume-title":"The Construction of a Scale to Measure Perceived Effort","author":"Zijlstra","year":"1985"},{"key":"B34","unstructured":"De Waard\n              D\n            \n          \n          Haren, Netherlands\n          University of Groningen\n          The measurement of drivers\u2019 mental workload\n          \n          1996"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.18869\/acadpub.johe.5.4.211","article-title":"Evaluation of rating scale mental effort (RSME) effectiveness for mental workload assessment in nurses","volume":"5","author":"GhanbarySartang","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Occup Health Epidemiol"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"577","DOI":"10.1080\/10447318.2018.1455307","article-title":"The system usability scale: past, present, and future","volume":"34","author":"Lewis","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Hum\u2013Comput Interact"},{"key":"B37","author":"Sauro","year":"2010"},{"key":"B38","first-page":"1","article-title":"A comparison of methods for eliciting post-task subjective ratings in usability testing","volume":"2006","author":"Tedesco","year":"2006","journal-title":"Usability Prof Assoc"},{"key":"B39","article-title":"Is this what you expected? The use of expectation measures in usability testing","author":"Albert","year":"2003"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1016\/j.intcom.2011.04.002","article-title":"Too good to be bad: favorable product expectations boost subjective usability ratings","volume":"23","author":"Raita","year":"2011","journal-title":"Interact Comput"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"480","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.62.4.480","article-title":"Effect of expectation and disconfirmation on postexposure product evaluations: an alternative interpretation","volume":"62","author":"Oliver","year":"1977","journal-title":"J Appl Psychol"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1145\/3529225","article-title":"The placebo effect of artificial intelligence in human\u2013computer interaction","volume":"29","author":"Kosch","year":"2023","journal-title":"ACM Trans Comput-Hum Interact"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbi.2004.01.003","article-title":"Cognitive and usability engineering methods for the evaluation of clinical information systems","volume":"37","author":"Kushniruk","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Biomed Inform"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2633489520987828","DOI":"10.1177\/2633489520987828","article-title":"Assessing the usability of complex psychosocial interventions: the intervention usability scale","volume":"2","author":"Lyon","year":"2021","journal-title":"Implement Res Pract"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0257035","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0257035","article-title":"Development and usability testing of mobile application on diet and oral health","volume":"16","author":"Akmal Muhamat","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e45974","DOI":"10.2196\/45974","article-title":"Patients\u2019 experiences of a national patient portal and its usability: cross-sectional survey study","volume":"25","author":"Simola","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e37438","DOI":"10.2196\/37438","article-title":"Patients\u2019 experiences of web-based access to electronic health records in Finland: cross-sectional survey","volume":"24","author":"Kujala","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B48","first-page":"2099","article-title":"UMUX-LITE: when there\u2019s no time for the SUS","author":"Lewis","year":"2013"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e42416","DOI":"10.2196\/42416","article-title":"Remote cognitive screening of healthy older adults for primary care with the MyCog Mobile app: iterative design and usability evaluation","volume":"7","author":"Young","year":"2023","journal-title":"JMIR Form Res"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.1007\/s40266-023-01011-x","article-title":"TANGO: development of consumer information leaflets to support TAperiNG of opioids in older adults with low back pain and hip and knee osteoarthritis","volume":"40","author":"Marcelo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Drugs Aging"},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"352","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brachy.2022.12.006","article-title":"Communicating the gynecologic brachytherapy experience (CoGBE): clinician perceived benefits of a graphic narrative discussion guide","volume":"22","author":"Avila","year":"2023","journal-title":"Brachytherapy"},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-816427-3.00013-0","article-title":"Chapter 13\u2014design for improved workflow","volume-title":"Design for Health","author":"Ozkaynak","year":"2020"},{"key":"B53","first-page":"1","article-title":"Guidelines for human-AI interaction","author":"Amershi","year":"2019"},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e081554","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj-2024-081554","article-title":"FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare","volume":"388","author":"Lekadir","year":"2025","journal-title":"Br Med J"},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2128790","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.28790","article-title":"Analysis of electronic health record use and clinical productivity and their association with physician turnover","volume":"4","author":"Melnick","year":"","journal-title":"JAMA Netw. Open"},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmedinf.2019.03.018","article-title":"Methods of usability testing in the development of eHealth applications: a scoping review","volume":"126","author":"Maramba","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Med Inform"},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20552076211018617","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076211018617","article-title":"The NICE evidence standards framework for digital health and care technologies\u2014developing and maintaining an innovative evidence framework with global impact","volume":"7","author":"Unsworth","year":"2021","journal-title":"Digit Health"},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1403","DOI":"10.1111\/jep.13582","article-title":"Systematic review of applied usability metrics within usability evaluation methods for hospital electronic healthcare record systems","volume":"27","author":"Wronikowska","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Eval Clin Pract"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-025-02243-4","article-title":"When better data meets better design: how EHR data usability and system usability shape physicians\u2019 cognitive load","volume":"9","author":"Merriweather","year":"2026","journal-title":"npj Digit Med"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Digital Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fdgth.2026.1938990\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T07:49:53Z","timestamp":1787903393000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fdgth.2026.1938990\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]]},"references-count":59,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fdgth.2026.1938990"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fdgth.2026.1938990","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-253X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-253X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]]},"article-number":"1938990"}}