Human factors in police mobile computer terminals: A systematic review and survey of recent literature, guideline formulation, and future research directions.

The objectives of this research were to: (1) identify Mobile Computer Terminal (MCT) human factors issues, (2) formulate guidelines and an enhanced MCT for improving interface design and implementation in police patrols, and (3) identify areas of future research to fill gaps in the literature. A systematic literature search was conducted leading to results categorized in four groups including: productivity, physical discomfort, interface usability, and driving distraction. Although MCT use has increased officer productivity, several usability issues need to be resolved. The MCT has also increased officer physical discomfort and distraction. MCT design and implementation guidelines that resolve human factors issues in police patrols were identified along with an enhanced design concept. Guidelines for MCT design were validated with an online survey completed by 81 police officers. Future research directions were proposed to recognize police officer needs and work context.