An introduction to eye tracking in human factors healthcare research and medical device testing

Abstract

Eye tracking is a powerful and sophisticated tool that provides an objective glimpse into the cognition of healthcare providers, patients, caregivers, and medical device users. Insights gleaned from eye tracking can be harnessed to better understand – and ultimately improve – the dynamics of healthcare, which quite literally has the potential to save lives. Nonetheless, the use of eye tracking within healthcare research and medical device testing remains in its infancy, which at least partly reflects the learning curve that it demands. As such, the central aim of this article is to provide an easily digestible primer for healthcare researchers and practitioners interested in first getting started with eye tracking. The discussion offers a general overview of how it works, device types and notable specifications, a taxonomy of common metrics, and various sensible best practices and recommendations tailored to the use of wearable eye trackers in a high-fidelity simulated use study context.