1 National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) Usability Survey

OMB # 0915-0212

Expiration Date: 04/30/2024

Public Burden Statement: The purpose of this data collection effort is to ensure that the NPDB system and any future enhancements are user-friendly. Data obtained from this effort will be used by DPDB and its contractor(s) to identify strengths and weaknesses in the NPDB system and to identify issues that need to be remedied to allow for ease of use. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this information collection is 0915-0212 and it is valid until XX/XX/20XX. This information collection is voluntary. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 14N136B, Rockville, Maryland, 20857 or [email protected].

Usability Testing

1. NPDB System Survey

System Usability Scale (SUS)

Describe the scale (1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)) and ask how the user feels.

1. I think that I would like to use this system frequently.

1 2 3 4 5

2. I found the system unnecessarily complex.

1 2 3 4 5

3. I thought the system was easy to use.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

4. I think that I would need the support of a technical person to be able to use this system.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

5. I found the various functions in this system were well integrated.    

  1 2 3 4 5                      

6. I thought there was too much inconsistency in this system.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

7. I would imagine that most people would learn to use this system very quickly.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

8. I found the system very cumbersome to use.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

9. I felt very confident using the system.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

10. I needed to learn a lot of things before I could get going with this system.

  1 2 3 4 5                      

Open Ended Questions

1. What are your general reactions to the IQRS (Integrated Query and Response System) application for reporting?

2. Are you familiar with the NPDB code lists? (e.g., Basis for Action Codes, Adverse Action Classification Codes, Field of Licensure)

3. Are there standard operating procedures that influence which codes you select when submitting a report?

4. When submitting reports to the NPDB, is it easy to find the codes that you need to describe why your organization took an action against a practitioner’s license? (e.g., Basis for Action Codes, Adverse Action Classification Codes, Field of Licensure)

5. What are the things in particular that you like, if any?

6. What are the things that you would like to see changed, if any?

7. What are the things you expect to see on the site but do not see, if any?

8. What things, if any, would you recommend adding to the site, in terms of content or tools?

Probing Questions (Asked for additional information during the open-ended questions, if necessary)

1. Can you tell me more about that?

2. What would have made this clearer/easier for you?

3. What would you change?

4. How do you usually get this information?

5. How do you use this information in your organization?

6. Which of these do you prefer and why?

7. Do you typically use this? If so, how?

8. [Asked after the “Task Question” that follows:] What specifically made this task easy or difficult?

Task Question (Participants are given a particular task to do as part of the usability testing and then asked to rate the difficulty of the task)

1. Please rate the difficulty of completing the task (1 (very easy) to 5 (very difficult)).      

1 2 3 4 5

Usability Testing

2. Usability Tasks and Scenarios

Scenario 1

Imagine you are a registered nurse. You have a new job working at a small private medical practice. When you check your mail at home, you see an envelope from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Inside the envelope is a document titled SENSITIVE INFORMATION ENCLOSED.

Tasks

Use the contents of the document and the website to answer the following questions:

1. What is the NPDB?

2. What is the purpose of the letter?

3. What is a report and why was it created?

4. Does the report expire? If so, when?

5. What is the Report Response Service and how can you use it?

6. What can you do if the information on the report is wrong?

7. What can you do if the information is correct but you do not like what is on the report?

8. Who can remove or delete the report?

9. Who has access to the report?

Scenario 2

Imagine you are a dentist who just moved to Massachusetts and are applying for a license. It is Saturday morning and you are looking at the licensing board’s website to see what you need to complete the application. One item on their checklist of required documents for the application reads as follows:

“Attachment 10: National Practitioner Data Bank Self-Query (if you have ever held a professional healthcare license in the United States). To request a Self-Query, please contact the NPDB at 1-800-767-6732 or www.npdb.hrsa.gov.”

Tasks

Use the website to answer the following questions:

1. What is a Self-Query?

2. What will you need to do to access the Self-query?

3. What type of information will be in the Self-query?

4. How long will it take for you to receive it?

Scenario 3

Imagine that you started a new job as a claims administrator with Mutual Atlantic, a malpractice insurance company offering coverage for health care practitioners. Mutual Atlantic just opened for business two weeks ago. You have been advised by management that you are responsible for processing all reports required by the NPDB.

Tasks

Use the website to answer the following questions:

1. What will you need to report to the NPDB?

2. What do you need to do to enter a report to the NPDB?

Scenario 4

You’ve been hired as the credentialing manager for Forsythe Medical Group. Forsythe is an Independent Physician Association, a new company formed by a group of family practice doctors in Hunt County to negotiate contracts with insurance companies. The director informs you that you will need to register with for your company to be accredited.

Tasks

Use the website to answer the following questions:

1. What is required to register?

2. What is the process for registration?

3. What happens after you are registered?

4. What actions will you report?

Scenario 5

You are a new employee in the medical staff services office at Thomas Paine General, a small hospital. You’ve been asked to sign into the NPDB to see if any reports have been submitted on Betsy Ross, a physician who applied to Thomas Paine General for clinical privileges. You have all the paperwork Dr. Ross submitted with her clinical privileges application, Thomas Paine General’s Data Bank ID, your own User ID, and your NPDB password.

Task

Use this information to sign into the NPDB.

DBID: 234500012346890

User ID: TPGAdmin1

Password: J@n01TPG 

Scenario 6

You are a new employee with a state medical board. You’ve been asked to sign into the NPDB to submit an adverse action report on Betsy Ross, a physician who had her medical license suspended by the medical board for failure to disclose history of a past criminal conviction on her initial licensure application. You have all the paperwork outlining information on the adverse action taken, basis for action, state medical board’s data bank ID, your user ID, and your NPDB password.

Tasks

Use the website to answer the following questions:

1. What is required to submit the reportable action?

2. What is the basis for action taken by the organization?

3. What source will you use to locate the appropriate basis for action codes?