What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim was to develop and assess the usability of an integrated neonatal incubator in a NICU environment.

April 8, 2026Open Access

Effectiveness Assessment of a Multi-Functional Neonatal Incubator in the NICU

Key Points

The aim was to develop and assess the usability of an integrated neonatal incubator in a NICU environment.
Developed a multi-functional neonatal incubator incorporating various medical device functionalities.
Applied user-centered design principles and usability engineering through an iterative design process.
Conducted usability evaluations with 20 NICU clinicians using 13 scenarios and 39 tasks.
Measured outcomes with task success rates and usability questionnaires like SUS and NASA-TLX.
Overall task success rate was 95.64%, with high success in various functions.
Success rates included 94.63% for incubator tasks, 98.33% for monitoring and phototherapy tasks.
The mean SUS score was 78.63, indicating good usability above the benchmark of 68.
No significant differences were found in usability scores based on clinical roles or experience.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Preterm and critically ill neonates in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) require multiple medical devices, including incubators, radiant warmers, phototherapy systems, and patient monitors. The coexistence of standalone devices without interoperability increases cognitive and operational burdens for healthcare providers and leads to spatial inefficiency. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a multi-functional neonatal incubator integrating these core functions into a single platform, using user-centered design (UCD) and usability engineering principles. Methods: By synthesizing and analyzing international standards (ISO 13485, IEC 62366-1, IEC 62366-2, and ISO 9241-210), a four-phase design process was established. Following the development of the monitoring system, the design was iteratively refined and validated through repeated formative usability evaluations. A summative usability evaluation was then conducted with 20 NICU clinicians in a simulated NICU environment, using 13 scenarios comprising 39 tasks. Outcome measures included task success rate, the After-Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ), the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results: The overall task success rate was 95.64%. When analyzed by function, success rates were 94.63% for incubator-related tasks, 98.33% for patient monitoring, 96.67% for radiant warmer tasks, and 98.33% for phototherapy tasks. The mean SUS score was 78.63, exceeding the benchmark score of 68 that indicates good usability. In addition, no statistically significant differences were observed in workload (NASA-TLX) or usability (SUS) scores according to clinical role or length of clinical experience. Conclusions: The multi-functional neonatal incubator developed in this study demonstrated high usability despite the integration of multiple medical device functions. The findings suggest that this integrated system has the potential to enhance clinical workflow efficiency, optimize spatial utilization, and improve patient safety in NICU settings.

Bookmark

View Full Paper

Cite This Study

Choi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d5f0bb74eaea4b11a7a262 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14070949

Bookmark

View Full Paper