Lab Village Spoke 2 (Università di Trento) on Digital Health - Usability Room

Progress Report on the Usability Room and Stakeholder Co-Design Activities – Spoke 2

Within the framework of the MUR Research Programme of the Innovation Ecosystem iNEST (INTERCONNECTED NORD-EST INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM), funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) – M4C2, Investment 1.5 “Creation and strengthening of Innovation Ecosystems for Sustainability”, and supported by the European Union – Next Generation EU, the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento, Spoke 2, is responsible for the development and implementation of the activities foreseen by the transversal action CC2, “Creation of a network of joint strategic laboratories between universities and companies”. This action introduces a new model of collaboration based on Lab Villages.

The thematic focus of the Spoke 2 Lab Village is Digital Health, with the goal of supporting research and development to foster innovation in products and services, generate new market opportunities, and improve citizens’ health and wellbeing.

In April 2025, a Call for Interest was launched to form an Interest Group. Companies, organisations, associations, and academic research institutions operating in the healthcare sector or related areas expressed their willingness to participate in working groups and practical workshops dedicated to digital health.
These activities take place within the Usability Room, a physical space designed for testing, evaluation, and co-design of innovative solutions.

The aim of the Interest Group is to highlight usability as a central element in the development of healthcare technologies, with a focus on integration, practical use, regulatory requirements, and risk analysis. Thus, the Usability Room is not an abstract simulation or a “game”, but a real tool designed to promote quality, safety, and clinical value.

Creation of the Usability Room

The Department of Industrial Engineering plans to establish physical and digital spaces to launch the Usability Rooms in two areas:

• Pharmacy of Services (e.g., health devices such as blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose, ECG, INR) – already initiated and currently being set up

• Surgical Room (technological integration with a focus on usability) – planned as a second-phase future development

Planned Phases

• Creation of the Usability Room

• Meetings with stakeholders: focus groups, workshops, co-design sessions

• Development of the questionnaire Delphi

Meetings Completed

Four meetings have been held so far.
In April, the Call for Interest was launched. The first meeting, held on 14 July 2025, inaugurated the Digital Health Working Group.
The second meeting (25–26 September) focused on the training of Health Care Professionals and the Usability Room moderators, followed by a short introductory workshop.
The third meeting (16-17 October) included training on the assessment of digital autonomy and the first co-design session for the digital fragility questionnaire.
The fourth meeting (6-7 November) further advanced the co-design of medical device usability and user manuals, and continued the work on the questionnaire.

In December, the final meeting of the year will take place, dedicated to sharing the outcomes of the usability workshop, analysing the results of the digital fragility questionnaire, and conducting the Delphi phase.