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Clear Closure

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Clear closure demands that each task has a well-defined beginning and end. Users should be unambiguously notified that a task is completed. Specifically, each interactive transaction needs to a beginning, middle and end to accomplish the seven stages of actions proposed by Norman. The transparent feedback to the user indicates when a goal has been achieved and current stacks of goals can be released.

Guidelines Summary:

  • Provide feedback on user’s location. [2] Usability.gov 7:4
  • Use site maps. [2] Usability.gov 7:10
  • Mitigate the potential for action to be taken without sufficient information by presenting carefully selected information and explicit labels to clarify what information is displayed and the extent to which it is complete. [3] CUI (Design Guidance - Drug Administration) p.21
  • Mitigate the potential for action to be taken without sufficient information by presenting carefully selected information by default, avoiding occlusion and providing clear signposts to further information. [3] CUI (Design Guidance - Medications List) p.13
  • Describe inclusion criteria clearly by providing explicit labels to clarify what information is displayed and the extent to which it is complete. [3] CUI (Design Guidance - Medications List) p.13
  • Adhere to a user interface strategy that gives the impression of making progress within a single space (that has all the necessary information immediately or readily available) and avoids the impression of needing to move between many different spaces. [3] CUI (Design Guidance - Search and Prescribe) p.19
Please note:The content provided here are intended as guidelines (recommended, but not mandatory) for design and implementation, not as standards (mandatory, minimum requirements). 

References:

[1] Nielsen J. 113 design guidelines for homepage usability. 2001; Available from:www.nngroup.com/articles/113-design-guidelines-homepage-usability.

[2] U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines, Enlarged/Expanded edition. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2006. Available from: https://www.usability.gov/.

[3] Microsoft. Microsoft Health Common User Interface design guidance. 2012; Available to download from:  https://archive.codeplex.com/?p=mscui. (Design Guidance - Find a Patient PDF).

[4] Lowry SZ, Quinn MT, Ramaiah M, Brick D, Patterson ES, Zhang J, et al. A human factors guide to enhance EHR usability of critical user interactions when supporting pediatric patient care. The National Institute of Standards and Technology; 2012.

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