Usability of Two Clinical Registry Data-Entry Interfaces: A Randomized Crossover Study

Efficient and accurate data entry is essential for ensuring high-quality clinical registries; however, conventional electronic data-capture (EDC) interfaces impose a substantial workload on healthcare professionals. This study compared a wizard-style graphical user interface (WS-GUI) with an exploratory–selective graphical user interface (ES-GUI) for registry data-entry tasks. Twenty physical and occupational therapists completed standardized simulated registry data-entry tasks using both interfaces in a randomized, within-participant crossover design. Data-entry time, input accuracy, and perceived workload were evaluated using task completion time, error counts, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), respectively. The evaluated WS-GUI implementation was associated with shorter data-entry times, fewer errors, and lower perceived workload than the evaluated ES-GUI implementation. The largest workload differences were observed for mental demand, physical demand, and effort. Because the interfaces also differed in navigation and input methods, these findings are specific to the tested implementations, participant group, and short simulated tasks and do not establish the general superiority of wizard-style interfaces.