Common use of Usability and accessibility of telecare equipment and services Clause in Contracts

Usability and accessibility of telecare equipment and services. The European Telecommunications Standards Institute published a paper (ETSI, 2007) providing a synopsis of user experience guidelines applicable to the research, design, development and deployment of telecare services. This comprehensive document focuses on the guidelines grouped according to three main themes: trust; usability and accessibility; and service provisioning, all addressed using a user-centric approach. The usability and accessibility aspects considered are those applicable to users who directly interact with the telecare equipment. Users may face difficulties when using telecare equipment, either because of limited ICT proficiency or due to physical, cognitive or sensory issues. Telecare services may be provided through different types of generic ICT applications: fixed and mobile phones, TV sets and their remote controls, personal computers, Laptops, PDAs, and so on. This trend may affect interaction with telecare devices. On the other hand, other specific pieces of equipment, such as medical or biometric devices, may be part of the telecare system. Available guidelines in this field are mainly related to enhancing the usability of medical devices to minimise the risk of human error. Additional guidelines refer to accessibility and usability of general ICT products and services. The following list presents a selection of guidelines provided by the ETSI document in relation to usability and accessibility.

Usability and accessibility of telecare equipment and services. The European Telecommunications Standards Institute published a paper (ETSI, 2007) providing a synopsis of user experience guidelines applicable to the research, design, development and deployment of telecare services. This comprehensive document focuses on the guidelines grouped according to three main themes: trust; usability and accessibility; and service provisioning, all addressed using a user-centric approach. The usability and accessibility aspects considered are those applicable to users who directly interact with the telecare equipment. Users may face difficulties when using telecare equipment, either because of limited ICT proficiency or due to physical, cognitive or sensory issues. Telecare services may be provided through different types of generic ICT applications: fixed and mobile phones, TV sets and their remote controls, personal computers, Laptops, PDAs, and so on. This trend may affect interaction with telecare devices. On the other hand, hand other specific pieces of equipment, such as medical or biometric devices, may be part of the telecare system. Available guidelines in this field are mainly related to enhancing the usability of medical devices to minimise the risk of human error. Additional guidelines refer to accessibility and usability of general ICT products and services. The following list presents a selection of guidelines provided by the ETSI document in relation to usability and accessibility.