Software quality: Application of a process model for quality-in-use assessment

Quality-in-use characteristics can be measured to assess the quality of the software and even point out problems in its production since they reflect the quality of the system perceived by the end-users identified in the running systems. Measuring such characteristics is a way of verifying that the software meets the requirements and expectations of the interested parties. This study presents the validation of a process model for the evaluation of the quality-in-use characteristics of a system. The model works with the identification and measurement of important characteristics of the system to determine the quality of the software, and thus identify potential problems that may inhibit its use. We applied our process model in a clinical decision support system in the oncology field using a questionnaire for gathering data for the measurement. The questionnaire mainly sought to identify user satisfaction with the use of the software, and the answers permitted us to measure the quality-in-use characteristics of the system. Our experiments revealed the adequacy of our evaluation process model and the evaluated CDSS reached a score of 71.35, which is advantageous according to our standard of measures and meets the expectations of users.