A Heuristic Analysis of Covid-19 At-Home Test Kits’ Usability

Abstract

As COVID-19 cases continue to be prevalent, at-home testing for the illness will continue to be in demand. At-home testing is convenient as results are obtained quickly and often at a lower cost. This study utilized Nielsen’s Ten Usability Heuristics to evaluate at-home COVID-19 test kits, with consideration given to older users when applicable. Understanding whether users can correctly use and interpret these tests is critical to ensure the kits provide accurate results and to ensure user trust. Results of our analysis showed that there is a need for at-home COVID-19 test kits to improve the way results are presented and implement more error prevention techniques. In regards to older users, the kits would benefit from clearing up ambiguities which require reference materials, accommodating users with contrast sensitivity difficulties, and ensuring that the test kit products are easy to manually handle. While the kits have acceptable usability, improvements to the usability of COVID-19 at-home test kits will lead to lower user errors and improved result accuracy.