Don’t forget about human factors: Lessons learned from COVID-19 point-of-care testing

• Published in: Cell Reports Methods Vol. 2; no. 5; p. 100222
• Main Authors: Farmer, Sarah, Razin, Victoria, Peagler, Amanda Foster, Strickler, Samantha, Fain, W. Bradley, Damhorst, Gregory L., Kempker, Russell R., Pollock, Nira R., Brand, Oliver, Seitter, Brooke, Heilman, Stacy S., Nehl, Eric J., Levy, Joshua M., Gottfried, David S., Martin, Greg S., Greenleaf, Morgan, Ku, David N., Waggoner, Jesse J., Iffrig, Elizabeth, Mannino, Robert G., F. Wang, Yun, Ortlund, Eric, Sullivan, Julie, Rebolledo, Paulina A., Clavería, Viviana, Roback, John D., Benoit, MacArthur, Stone, Cheryl, Esper, Annette, Frank, Filipp, Lam, Wilbur A.
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23.05.2022; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: COVID-19; Human factors; point-of-care diagnostics; usability; COVID-19; point-of-care diagnostics; usability; Human factors
• ISSN: 2667-2375; 2667-2375
• DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100222

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic testing accelerated in an unparalleled fashion. As a result, there has been an increased need for accurate, robust, and easy-to-use POC testing in a variety of non-traditional settings (i.e., pharmacies, drive-thru sites, schools). While stakeholders often express the desire for POC technologies that are “as simple as digital pregnancy tests,” there is little discussion of what this means in regards to device design, development, and assessment. The design of POC technologies and systems should take into account the capabilities and limitations of the users and their environments. Such "human factors" are important tenets that can help technology developers create POC technologies that are effective for end-users in a multitude of settings. Here, we review the core principles of human factors and discuss lessons learned during the evaluation process of SARS-CoV-2 POC testing. As the COVID-19 pandemic further hastens the decentralization of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies from hospitals to non-traditional settings such as clinics, schools, and homes, the need for robust and easy-to-use technologies is more important than ever. In this perspective, Farmer et al. discuss human factors that should be considered in the design of effective POC technologies.