From Challenge to Opportunity: Optimizing Healthcare User Research in the Covid / Remote Era

This talk focuses on creating an optimal mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods for healthcare research and testing by reducing reliance on pure analytics, usability testing, or pure qualitative discovery methods. While a robust research mix has long been the stated goal for most researchers, the reality has been heavy reliance on qualitative insights from anecdotal/small sample sizes, combined with a focus on federally mandated usability assessments for medical devices. This talk will share a simple framework for optimal UX research that could be applied to any sector. We will then discuss how UX research at GE Healthcare evolved during Covid, given the lack of in-person testing or site access, to focus on remote methods. Finally, an example of using targeted, double-blind remote surveys to bridge the “best of” both qualitative and quantitative approaches will be shared as an example of a happy medium  healthcare research approach.