Experience Evaluation Report for DSLs for Clinical Protocols: The Case of GDL and PROforma DSLs from a Medical Perspective.

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of two Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) — the Guidelines Definition Language (GDL) and PROforma — in developing clinical protocols from the perspective of medical professionals. The objective was to assess the usability, learnability, and overall performance of these tools through hands-on tasks and paper exercises. Participants, including general practitioners, nephrologists, and public health specialists, provided feedback on the GDL 2 Editor and PROforma DSL based on their experience in creating clinical protocols. GDL 2 Editor was found to be more intuitive and user-friendly for simpler tasks, though it faced challenges in handling more complex logic and conditional rules. In contrast, PROforma, despite being designed for advanced decision-making, suffered from usability issues due to its technical complexity and the absence of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which limited its practical application. The results highlight the need for further refinement of both tools, with a focus on improving IDE functionality, enhancing user-centered design, and integrating the DSLs more seamlessly into clinical systems to support widespread adoption in healthcare settings. Future work will concentrate on improving usability, adding support tools, and ensuring practical applicability to meet the evolving needs of medical professionals.