HINF 350 Midterm Exam Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025/2026
Why do a large number of health information systems fail due to user resistance ? - Answers -
may not work
-may only partially work
-may work but users don't want to use them
What human aspects do the designers nelgect? - Answers the organizational environment
social interactions
political issues
hidden costs such interruptions of established organizational routines
Impact of systems on complex healthcare work activities
Impact of systems on individual's thinking (reasoning and decision making)
What human aspects should be considered? - Answers Study of human-computer interaction
(HCI)
Human factors
Impact of systems on healthcare reasoning and cognition
New forms of design - e.g. participative design, socio-technical design training, user-centered
design
What does the Ultimate acceptance or rejection of HISs often depend on? - Answers system
usability
What is usability a measure of? - Answers Ease of using an application
Ease of learning
Ease of remembering interaction methods
User satisfaction with system use
Efficiency of system use
Error-free/error-forgiving interactions
Fit of an information system to the task
What are some solutions? - Answers Applying concepts from
,Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Interaction Design (ID) into system design,
implementation, purchase and customization can help to improve the current situation
What is Ergonomics? - Answers (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with
the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the
profession that applies theory, principles, data, and other methods to design in order to optimize
human well-being and overall system performance
What is Physical HFE ? - Answers optimizes design by applying knowledge of human bodies
What is Organizational HFE ? - Answers optimizes socio-technical systems including
organizational structures, policies and processes
What is Cognitive HFE ? - Answers optimizes system design to support human mental
processes
What does ergonomics try to do? - Answers Seeks to harmonize
Needs
Abilities
Limitations
What is physical ergonomics concerned with? - Answers Physical ergonomics is concerned with
human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they
relate to physical activity.
Examples include: working postures, repetitive movements, workplace layout, safety, and health
What is cognitive ergonomics concerned with? - Answers "Cognitive ergonomics is concerned
with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they
affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system."
Examples include: mental workload, decision-making, HCI, designing to mitigate impact of work
stress and fatigue
What is organizational ergonomics concerned with? - Answers "Organizational ergonomics is
concerned with the optimization of sociotechnical systems, including their organizational
structures, policies, and processes."
Examples include: communication, teamwork, telework
What is human-computer interaction (HCL) - Answers Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is the
"discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing
systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them"
, HCI is essentially a type of cognitive HFE with the aim of optimizing human-computer systems
What is HCL concerned with? - Answers Involves the study of end users and their interaction
with computers
Concerned with understanding how people use computer systems
For every input and output the developer must consider the interaction between the user and the
computer
The field of HCI investigates how people use computer systems, so that better systems can be
designed
One aspect is concerned with technological innovation (e.g. better input devices, like electronic
pen etc.)
The other aspect is concerned with the human element (e.g. how people reason, solve problems
and interact with computers) - the most challenging aspect of HCI!
What are the goals of hcl? - Answers Usable (easy to learn and use)
Safe
Useful or Functional (do what you wanted it to do)
What are the 2 dimensions of hcl? - Answers Technological
Hardware and Software Advances
Better displays
Improved input devices
Programs run faster, less prone to crashing
Cognitive
Knowledge Representation
Reasoning Strategies
Decision Making
go over Needs-Satisfaction Curve of Information Technology (IT) diagram (slides) - Answers
Why do a large number of health information systems fail due to user resistance ? - Answers -
may not work
-may only partially work
-may work but users don't want to use them
What human aspects do the designers nelgect? - Answers the organizational environment
social interactions
political issues
hidden costs such interruptions of established organizational routines
Impact of systems on complex healthcare work activities
Impact of systems on individual's thinking (reasoning and decision making)
What human aspects should be considered? - Answers Study of human-computer interaction
(HCI)
Human factors
Impact of systems on healthcare reasoning and cognition
New forms of design - e.g. participative design, socio-technical design training, user-centered
design
What does the Ultimate acceptance or rejection of HISs often depend on? - Answers system
usability
What is usability a measure of? - Answers Ease of using an application
Ease of learning
Ease of remembering interaction methods
User satisfaction with system use
Efficiency of system use
Error-free/error-forgiving interactions
Fit of an information system to the task
What are some solutions? - Answers Applying concepts from
,Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Interaction Design (ID) into system design,
implementation, purchase and customization can help to improve the current situation
What is Ergonomics? - Answers (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with
the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the
profession that applies theory, principles, data, and other methods to design in order to optimize
human well-being and overall system performance
What is Physical HFE ? - Answers optimizes design by applying knowledge of human bodies
What is Organizational HFE ? - Answers optimizes socio-technical systems including
organizational structures, policies and processes
What is Cognitive HFE ? - Answers optimizes system design to support human mental
processes
What does ergonomics try to do? - Answers Seeks to harmonize
Needs
Abilities
Limitations
What is physical ergonomics concerned with? - Answers Physical ergonomics is concerned with
human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they
relate to physical activity.
Examples include: working postures, repetitive movements, workplace layout, safety, and health
What is cognitive ergonomics concerned with? - Answers "Cognitive ergonomics is concerned
with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they
affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system."
Examples include: mental workload, decision-making, HCI, designing to mitigate impact of work
stress and fatigue
What is organizational ergonomics concerned with? - Answers "Organizational ergonomics is
concerned with the optimization of sociotechnical systems, including their organizational
structures, policies, and processes."
Examples include: communication, teamwork, telework
What is human-computer interaction (HCL) - Answers Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is the
"discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing
systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them"
, HCI is essentially a type of cognitive HFE with the aim of optimizing human-computer systems
What is HCL concerned with? - Answers Involves the study of end users and their interaction
with computers
Concerned with understanding how people use computer systems
For every input and output the developer must consider the interaction between the user and the
computer
The field of HCI investigates how people use computer systems, so that better systems can be
designed
One aspect is concerned with technological innovation (e.g. better input devices, like electronic
pen etc.)
The other aspect is concerned with the human element (e.g. how people reason, solve problems
and interact with computers) - the most challenging aspect of HCI!
What are the goals of hcl? - Answers Usable (easy to learn and use)
Safe
Useful or Functional (do what you wanted it to do)
What are the 2 dimensions of hcl? - Answers Technological
Hardware and Software Advances
Better displays
Improved input devices
Programs run faster, less prone to crashing
Cognitive
Knowledge Representation
Reasoning Strategies
Decision Making
go over Needs-Satisfaction Curve of Information Technology (IT) diagram (slides) - Answers
