VetSync Usability Testing Report

1. Test Goals

The goal of this usability test was to evaluate how easy it is for users to navigate and understand the VetSync prototype, a veterinary workflow management system.    

     
• Evaluate how easily users understand the dashboard workflow.
     
• Determine whether users can quickly locate and interpret patient information.
     
• Assess how intuitive the patient detail pages are.
     
• Evaluate whether the color-coded status system clearly communicates patient status.
     
• Review overall ease of navigation and layout clarity.
   

The goal was not to test backend functionality, but rather to evaluate usability, clarity, and overall user experience.    

2. Methods

Usability testing was conducted using an informal, task-based approach with a small group of participants. Participants were provided with a link to the VetSync prototype and asked to complete a series of tasks independently.    

Tasks Included:

     
• Identifying which patient is currently waiting in the lobby.
     
• Locating a discharge-ready patient.
     
• Navigating to a specific patient profile.
     
• Interpreting patient status and color indicators.
     
• Finding medications and preventative care information.
     
• Identifying any alerts or items requiring attention.
   

Observations were recorded based on how easily tasks were completed, any hesitation or confusion, and user feedback.    

3. Participant Profiles

     
• Participant 1: General user with a non-medical background.
     
• Participant 2: General user with basic system familiarity.
     
• Participant 3: Veterinary professional.
   

This mix allowed for evaluation of both general usability and real-world veterinary workflow relevance.    

4. Findings

Dashboard and Workflow Understanding

All participants were able to correctly identify patient status using the dashboard. Users quickly recognized workflow stages such as In Lobby and Discharge Ready. One participant identified the discharge-ready patient quickly by noticing the green status color, while another relied more on column labels than color.    

Patient Navigation and Interaction

All participants were able to locate and access patient profiles. However, two participants initially attempted to click the entire patient card instead of only the patient name.    

Color-Coding Effectiveness

Color indicators were generally understood, but usage varied. Two participants correctly interpreted color meanings without explanation, while one participant relied mostly on text labels.    

Navigation Within Patient Pages

All participants were able to locate information such as medications and preventative care, but all users relied on scrolling instead of using the navigation tabs. This suggests that the tabs are not immediately recognized as interactive elements.    

Alerts Visibility

Alerts were not consistently noticed on patient pages. One participant did not notice the alerts section at first, while others found urgency by scanning the page or navigating to the full Alerts page.    

Overall Usability and Layout

Participants described the system as easy to follow, straightforward, and organized. One participant with veterinary experience noted that the system felt similar to veterinary software systems and was easy to follow.    

5. Issues Identified

     
1. Clickable areas are unclear: Users expected the entire patient card to be clickable.
     
2. Tabs are underutilized: Users consistently scrolled instead of using navigation tabs.
     
3. Alerts lack visibility: Alerts on patient pages were often overlooked.
     
4. Color coding is secondary to text: Users relied more on labels than color indicators.
     
5. Potential scalability concerns: With more patients, users may need improved ways to quickly scan information.
   

6. Recommendations

Expand clickable areas

      Make the entire patient card clickable instead of only the patient name to better match user expectations.    

Improve tab visibility

      Enhance the appearance of navigation tabs through stronger contrast, highlighting, or underlining.    

Increase alert visibility

      Make alerts more prominent within patient pages by adjusting placement or visual emphasis.    

Enhance color usage

      Slightly increase the use of color throughout the interface, such as subtle background highlights, to improve recognition of patient status.    

Support scalability

      For future development, consider filtering options or simplified patient lists to improve usability in larger clinic environments.    

7. Conclusion

The usability testing results show that the VetSync prototype is intuitive, easy to navigate, and aligned with real-world veterinary workflows. Users were able to complete tasks efficiently with minimal confusion, and the overall layout supports quick access to important information. While there are opportunities to improve navigation cues and visual emphasis, the current design successfully meets its goal of supporting workflow tracking and patient management.