assessing the usability of the national drug reaction reporting system: a heuristic analysis of user experience

Background: as an ongoing public health issue, adverse drug reactions (adrs) affect various aspects of health society. this study aimed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the usability of the national adrs reporting system. methods: this study, undertaken in 2022 at mashhad university of medical sciences, adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design to detect, categorize, and prioritize usability issues within the national drug reaction reporting system across a network of 28 hospitals. employing the heuristic evaluation methodology, a team of seven evaluators assessed the severity of identified issues using nielsen’s established heuristic checklist, comprising 13 criteria, each scored on a 0-4 rating scale. the data collection process was rigorous, utilizing a bespoke excel template specifically designed for this purpose and meticulously collecting data using a custom-designed excel form. results: this study uncovered a total of 265 usability issues, with the overwhelming majority (94.5%, corresponding to 135 issues) related to consistency, standards, and recognition rather than recall. these issues were characterized by minor severity. in contrast, the least frequently reported problems pertained to flexibility, minimalist design, and error prevention, detection, and recovery; however, they were associated with high severity. the severity ratings of the identified issues ranged from 1.03 to 8.56, with no critical technical issues detected. conclusion: the system examined in this study is currently widely employed in the healthcare sector. however, usability issues with this system can result in user dissatisfaction and, more critically, compromise patient safety. therefore, it is recommended that these systems undergo continuous usability evaluations, both during the initial setup phase and following implementation, in order to optimize work processes and ensure patient safety.