Eye tracking to evaluate the effectiveness of electronic medical record training

Eye tracking has not been fully explored in the assessment of electronic medical record (EMR) training, which is typically done using subjective data. Our objective was to determine whether eye tracking can be used to investigate differences in performance between recently trained users and experts and then provide insight into any differences. After EMR training, medical personnel performed a set of medical tasks using their EMR. Their performance (accuracy and response time) and three eye tracking metrics (spatial density, mean saccade length, and mean fixation duration) were recorded. These measures were then compared to those of an expert user. The analysis showed that the expert was significantly more focused and targeted in the use of the EMR. The results suggest that eye tracking is a promising objective approach to measure the effectiveness of EMR training and the proficiency of users. Suggestions for improved EMR design and training are also provided.