Inclusive Usability Testing

We lead usability and feasibility testing with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse users. S.O.L.V.E. Health Tech can conduct usability and feasibility testing for digital health companies via a sponsored research agreement, typically 12-24 months in length. These projects include study design, ethical approvals, participant engagement and recruitment, data collection, data analysis, as well as presentation and dissemination of results (including in the peer-reviewed literature). Contact us if you are interested in usability and feasibility testing.

To make COVID-19 contact tracing apps more inclusive, UCSF S.O.L.V.E. Health Tech co-authored this study published in JAMIA, evaluating the usability of mobile contact tracing apps, especially for individuals with limited digital literacy skills and who face barriers to communication. Recommendations made for future app designs include lowering content literacy levels, using racial and gender diverse visuals, and including audio/visual components.

UCSF S.O.L.V.E. Health Tech partnered with AppliedVR to identify barriers and facilitators to virtual reality (VR) and digital therapeutics in the medical safety-net. We found that frontline pain management clinicians and leaders are interested in digital therapeutics like VR. However, they suggest significant adaptation – such as cultural tailoring, providing the technology in languages other than English, integration with existing clinical workflows – to address the specific needs of the diverse populations they serve. Healthcare IT News covered these findings in a September 2021 press release and Dr. Sarkar presented them at the UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media Annual Conference in 2020.