Mapping the landscape of standardized usability questionnaires in healthcare: a 26-year scoping review

Abstract

The evaluation of healthcare technologies utilizing standardized usability questionnaires has grown exponentially, reflecting the increasing importance of user-centered design in eHealth. However, the application of these instruments remains fragmented across clinical specialties and target populations. This scoping review synthesizes 26 years of literature to examine how standardized usability questionnaires are applied across distinct use cases, healthcare specialties, and target populations to identify current methodological gaps. A search in MEDLINE/PubMed was conducted for articles published between 1999 and June 2025. Studies employing standardized usability questionnaires for evaluating healthcare technologies were included. Data regarding publication year, the specific usability instrument employed, target population, healthcare specialty, and application domain were extracted and analyzed descriptively. The search yielded 1,342 peer-reviewed articles. The publication volume showed a substantial upward trend, peaking in 2024 with 256 studies. The System Usability Scale (SUS) was the dominant instrument utilized in 92.8 percent of the publications. The Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) was the second-most common instrument applied in 6.0 percent of studies. Internal Medicine and Public Health were the most prominent clinical fields. Mobile Apps and Web Tools constituted the most frequently targeted systems, accounting for 41.4 percent. Patients and healthcare professionals represented the primary user groups. While publication volumes have surged, the field relies heavily on the SUS, limiting the ability to extract diagnostic insights. To ensure that future healthcare technologies are specifically optimized for complex clinical environments, researchers must mature beyond global satisfaction scores and strategically adopt established, comprehensive tools like the PSSUQ.