Modelling user manuals of modal medical devices and learning from the experience

Abstract

Ensuring that users can successfully interact with software and hardware devices is a critical part of software engineering. There are many approaches taken to ensure successful interaction, e.g. the use of user-centred design, usability studies, training and education etc. In this paper we consider how the users of modal medical devices, such as syringe pumps, are supported (or not) post-training by documentation such as user manuals. Our intention is to show that modelling such documents is a useful component in the software engineering process, allowing us to discover inconsistencies between devices and manuals as well as uncovering potentially undesirable properties of the devices being modelled.