Evaluation of products and services of a nursing library: user satisfaction.

PubMed

Cozin, Sheila Kátia; Turrini, Ruth Natalia Teresa

2008-01-01

The goal of the study was to evaluate the quality of the services provided by the library at the Nursing School of the University of São Paulo. A questionnaire evaluating users' satisfaction with the service was employed, covering five quality components: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The Satisfaction Rate was calculated through the degree of importance in relation to satisfaction. The analysis of the open-ended answers was quanti-qualitative. For Reliability and Empathy, the users showed dissatisfaction with the training for bibliographic research and the librarian's willingness to meet the clients' information needs, respectively. Responsiveness did not fully satisfy the users, disagreeing with the providers. However, both agreed that the archives are outdated. Among the tangible aspects, equipment and noise were criticized most often. The results show that the library offers good service quality to its users.

Earthdata Search Usability Study Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reese, Mark

2016-01-01

User experience (UX) design is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving various aspects of the user's interaction with an application or website. One aspect of UX design is usability, or the extent to which an application can be used to to accomplish tasks efficiently, effectively, and with satisfaction. NASA's Earthdata Search Client recently underwent a focused usability testing project to measure usability and gain valuable user feedback and insights to increase usability for its end-users. This presentation focuses on the process by which the usability tests were administered and the lessons learned throughout the process.

MEDLINE end-user survey: the University of Florida experience.

PubMed

Hsu, P P

1991-01-01

The University of Florida Health Science Center Library (UF-HSCL) surveyed MEDLINE end-user activities of the faculty from the six colleges which the UF-HSCL serves. A questionnaire was developed and sent to all faculty members. The Basic SAS program was used to analyze the collected data. This survey was intended to identify the users, the reasons for faculty members not being end users, the purpose for searching MEDLINE, the information retrieval methods, the level of end-user satisfaction, and the librarian's role in information retrieval activities. Many findings from this survey were in agreement with those of the 1988 study by the National Library of Medicine.

User Satisfaction Evaluation of an Educational Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akilli, Goknur Kaplan

2005-01-01

This study focuses on one particular aspect of usability, namely, user satisfaction, for an educational website used as a supportive tool for various courses by employing only one specific usability testing technique, a questionnaire. The researcher aimed to find out whether eighth semester undergraduate students of Computer Education and…

The Development and Validation of an End-User Satisfaction Measure in a Student Laptop Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sung; Meng, Juan; Kalinowski, Jon; Shin, Dooyoung

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the development and validation of a measurement model for student user satisfaction in a laptop environment. Using a "quasi Delphi" method in addition to contributions from prior research we used EFA and CFA (LISREL) to identify a five factor (14 item) measurement model that best fit the data. The…

The Effects of Word Processing Software on User Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Micro, Mini, and Mainframe Computers Using an Interactive Artificial Intelligence Expert-System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushinek, Avi; Rushinek, Sara

1984-01-01

Describes results of a system rating study in which users responded to WPS (word processing software) questions. Study objectives were data collection and evaluation of variables; statistical quantification of WPS's contribution (along with other variables) to user satisfaction; design of an expert system to evaluate WPS; and database update and…

Organizational Strategies for End-User Computing Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmun, Robert R.; And Others

1988-01-01

Effective support for end users of computers has been an important issue in higher education from the first applications of general purpose mainframe computers through minicomputers, microcomputers, and supercomputers. The development of end user support is reviewed and organizational models are examined. (Author/MLW)

A Study of End Users' Perceived Usefulness of and Satisfaction with Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Shau E. Eve

2012-01-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have become necessities in today's educational arena and are used extensively to improve office productivity and institutional efficacy. As the implementation of ERP systems usually is costly and time-consuming, it is imperative for administrators to understand how end users adopt the introduced…

Critical thinking: optimal outcomes through end user involvement in the design of critical care areas.

PubMed

Braun, Debra; Barnhardt, Kim

2014-01-01

Including end users in evidence-based design is vital to outcomes. The physical environment impacts caregiver efficiencies, safety, satisfaction, and quality of patient outcomes. End users are more than members of the organization: patients should have representation as well. Patients bring value by offering insight from a different perspective. Timing is key; therefore, it is critical in obtaining desired outcomes, to include end users as early as possible, gaining the most insight into the design of the build. Consideration should also be given to best practice standards, regulatory compliance, progressive sciences, and technologies. Another vital factor is education of the end users on their role and expectations for participation in a design team. When end users are educated and understand the significance of input, the design team will be able to conceive a critical care unit that will meet needs for today and be able to adapt to needs for the future.

Training leads to increased auditory brain-computer interface performance of end-users with motor impairments.

PubMed

Halder, S; Käthner, I; Kübler, A

2016-02-01

Auditory brain-computer interfaces are an assistive technology that can restore communication for motor impaired end-users. Such non-visual brain-computer interface paradigms are of particular importance for end-users that may lose or have lost gaze control. We attempted to show that motor impaired end-users can learn to control an auditory speller on the basis of event-related potentials. Five end-users with motor impairments, two of whom with additional visual impairments, participated in five sessions. We applied a newly developed auditory brain-computer interface paradigm with natural sounds and directional cues. Three of five end-users learned to select symbols using this method. Averaged over all five end-users the information transfer rate increased by more than 1800% from the first session (0.17 bits/min) to the last session (3.08 bits/min). The two best end-users achieved information transfer rates of 5.78 bits/min and accuracies of 92%. Our results show that an auditory BCI with a combination of natural sounds and directional cues, can be controlled by end-users with motor impairment. Training improves the performance of end-users to the level of healthy controls. To our knowledge, this is the first time end-users with motor impairments controlled an auditory brain-computer interface speller with such high accuracy and information transfer rates. Further, our results demonstrate that operating a BCI with event-related potentials benefits from training and specifically end-users may require more than one session to develop their full potential. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graphical User Interfaces and Library Systems: End-User Reactions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorn, Margaret; Marshall, Lucy

1995-01-01

Describes a study by Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research Library to determine user satisfaction with the graphical user interface-based (GUI) Dynix Marquis compared with the text-based Dynix Classic Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). Results show that the GUI-based OPAC was preferred by endusers over the text-based OPAC. (eight references) (DGM)

Electronic health records: postadoption physician satisfaction and continued use.

PubMed

Wright, Edward; Marvel, Jon

2012-01-01

One goal of public-policy makers in general and health care managers in particular is the adoption and efficient utilization of electronic health record (EHR) systems throughout the health care industry. Consequently, this investigation focused on the effects of known antecedents of technology adoption on physician satisfaction with EHR technology and the continued use of such systems. The American Academy of Family Physicians provided support in the survey of 453 physicians regarding their satisfaction with their EHR use experience. A conceptual model merging technology adoption and computer user satisfaction models was tested using structural equation modeling. Results indicate that effort expectancy (ease of use) has the most substantive effect on physician satisfaction and the continued use of EHR systems. As such, health care managers should be especially sensitive to the user and computer interface of prospective EHR systems to avoid costly and disruptive system selection mistakes.

User experience analysis of e-TB Manager, a nationwide electronic tuberculosis recording and reporting system in Ukraine.

PubMed

Konduri, Niranjan; Sawyer, Kelly; Nizova, Nataliya

2017-04-01

Ukraine has successfully implemented e-TB Manager nationwide as its mandatory national tuberculosis registry after first introducing it in 2009. Our objective was to perform an end-of-programme evaluation after formal handover of the registry administration to Ukraine's Centre for Disease Control in 2015. We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional, anonymous, 18-point user experience survey, and stratified the registry's transaction statistics to demonstrate usability. Contrary to initial implementation experience, older users (aged >50 years), often with limited or no computer proficiency prior to using the registry, had significantly better user experience scores for at least six of the 12 measures compared to younger users (aged 18-29 years). Using the registry for >3 years was associated with significantly higher scores for having capacity, adequacy of training received and satisfaction with the registry. Of the 5.9 million transactions over a 4-year period, nine out of 24 oblasts (regions) and Kiev city accounted for 62.5% of all transactions, and corresponded to 59% of Ukraine's tuberculosis burden. There were 437 unique active users in 486 rayons (districts) of Ukraine, demonstrating extensive reach. Our key findings complement the World Health Organization and European Respiratory Society's agenda for action on digital health to help implement the End TB Strategy.

Managing End User Computing in the Federal Government.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Services Administration, Washington, DC.

This report presents an initial approach developed by the General Services Administration for the management of end user computing in federal government agencies. Defined as technology used directly by individuals in need of information products, end user computing represents a new field encompassing such technologies as word processing, personal…

Customization of electronic medical record templates to improve end-user satisfaction.

PubMed

Gardner, Carrie Lee; Pearce, Patricia F

2013-03-01

Since 2004, increasing importance has been placed on the adoption of electronic medical records by healthcare providers for documentation of patient care. Recent federal regulations have shifted the focus from adoption alone to meaningful use of an electronic medical record system. As proposed by the Technology Acceptance Model, the behavioral intention to use technology is determined by the person's attitude toward usage. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to devise and implement customized templates into an existent electronic medical record system in a single clinic and measure the satisfaction of the clinic providers with the system before and after implementation. Provider satisfaction with the electronic medical record system was evaluated prior to and following template implementation using the current version 7.0 of the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction tool. Provider comments and improvement in the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction levels of rankings following template implementation indicated a positive perspective by the providers in regard to the templates and customization of the system.

Modeling antecedents of electronic medical record system implementation success in low-resource setting hospitals.

PubMed

Tilahun, Binyam; Fritz, Fleur

2015-08-01

With the increasing implementation of Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMR) in developing countries, there is a growing need to identify antecedents of EMR success to measure and predict the level of adoption before costly implementation. However, less evidence is available about EMR success in the context of low-resource setting implementations. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by examining the constructs and relationships of the widely used DeLone and MacLean (D&M) information system success model to determine whether it can be applied to measure EMR success in those settings. A quantitative cross sectional study design using self-administered questionnaires was used to collect data from 384 health professionals working in five governmental hospitals in Ethiopia. The hospitals use a comprehensive EMR system since three years. Descriptive and structural equation modeling methods were applied to describe and validate the extent of relationship of constructs and mediating effects. The findings of the structural equation modeling shows that system quality has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.32, P < 0.05) and user satisfaction (β = 0.53, P < 0.01); information quality has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.44, P < 0.05) and user satisfaction (β = 0.48, P < 0.01) and service quality has strong significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.36, P < 0.05) and user satisfaction (β = 0.56, P < 0.01). User satisfaction has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.41, P < 0.05) but the effect of EMR use on user satisfaction was not significant. Both EMR use and user satisfaction have significant influence on perceived net-benefit (β = 0.31, P < 0.01; β = 0.60, P < 0.01), respectively. Additionally, computer literacy was found to be a mediating factor in the relationship between service quality and EMR use (P < 0.05) as well as user satisfaction (P < 0.01). Among all the constructs, user satisfaction showed the strongest effect on perceived net-benefit of health professionals. EMR implementers and managers in developing countries are in urgent need of implementation models to design proper implementation strategies. In this study, the constructs and relationships depicted in the updated D&M model were found to be applicable to assess the success of EMR in low resource settings. Additionally, computer literacy was found to be a mediating factor in EMR use and user satisfaction of health professionals. Hence, EMR implementers and managers in those settings should give priority in improving service quality of the hospitals like technical support and infrastructure; providing continuous basic computer trainings to health professionals; and give attention to the system and information quality of the systems they want to implement.

User experience analysis of e-TB Manager, a nationwide electronic tuberculosis recording and reporting system in Ukraine

PubMed Central

Sawyer, Kelly; Nizova, Nataliya

2017-01-01

Ukraine has successfully implemented e-TB Manager nationwide as its mandatory national tuberculosis registry after first introducing it in 2009. Our objective was to perform an end-of-programme evaluation after formal handover of the registry administration to Ukraine's Centre for Disease Control in 2015. We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional, anonymous, 18-point user experience survey, and stratified the registry's transaction statistics to demonstrate usability. Contrary to initial implementation experience, older users (aged >50 years), often with limited or no computer proficiency prior to using the registry, had significantly better user experience scores for at least six of the 12 measures compared to younger users (aged 18–29 years). Using the registry for >3 years was associated with significantly higher scores for having capacity, adequacy of training received and satisfaction with the registry. Of the 5.9 million transactions over a 4-year period, nine out of 24 oblasts (regions) and Kiev city accounted for 62.5% of all transactions, and corresponded to 59% of Ukraine's tuberculosis burden. There were 437 unique active users in 486 rayons (districts) of Ukraine, demonstrating extensive reach. Our key findings complement the World Health Organization and European Respiratory Society's agenda for action on digital health to help implement the End TB Strategy. PMID:28512634

Exploratory Mixed-Method Study of End-User Computing within an Information Technology Infrastructure Library U.S. Army Service Delivery Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manzano, Sancho J., Jr.

2012-01-01

Empirical studies have been conducted on what is known as end-user computing from as early as the 1980s to present-day IT employees. There have been many studies on using quantitative instruments by Cotterman and Kumar (1989) and Rockart and Flannery (1983). Qualitative studies on end-user computing classifications have been conducted by…

Managing the Risks Associated with End-User Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alavi, Maryam; Weiss, Ira R.

1986-01-01

Identifies organizational risks of end-user computing (EUC) associated with different stages of the end-user applications life cycle (analysis, design, implementation). Generic controls are identified that address each of the risks enumerated in a manner that allows EUC management to select those most appropriate to their EUC environment. (5…

Workload measurement in a communication application operated through a P300-based brain-computer interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riccio, A.; Leotta, F.; Bianchi, L.; Aloise, F.; Zickler, C.; Hoogerwerf, E.-J.; Kübler, A.; Mattia, D.; Cincotti, F.

2011-04-01

Advancing the brain-computer interface (BCI) towards practical applications in technology-based assistive solutions for people with disabilities requires coping with problems of accessibility and usability to increase user acceptance and satisfaction. The main objective of this study was to introduce a usability-oriented approach in the assessment of BCI technology development by focusing on evaluation of the user's subjective workload and satisfaction. The secondary aim was to compare two applications for a P300-based BCI. Eight healthy subjects were asked to use an assistive technology solution which integrates the P300-based BCI with commercially available software under two conditions—visual stimuli needed to evoke the P300 response were either overlaid onto the application's graphical user interface or presented on a separate screen. The two conditions were compared for effectiveness (level of performance), efficiency (subjective workload measured by means of NASA-TXL) and satisfaction of the user. Although no significant difference in usability could be detected between the two conditions, the methodology proved to be an effective tool to highlight weaknesses in the technical solution.

Evaluating a Web-Based Health Risk Assessment With Tailored Feedback: What Does an Expert Focus Group Yield Compared to a Web-Based End-User Survey?

PubMed Central

Vosbergen, Sandra; Mahieu, Guy R; Laan, Eva K; Kraaijenhagen, Roderik A; Jaspers, Monique WM

2014-01-01

Background Increasingly, Web-based health applications are developed for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. However, their reach and utilization is often disappointing. Qualitative evaluations post-implementation can be used to inform the optimization process and ultimately enhance their adoption. In current practice, such evaluations are mainly performed with end-user surveys. However, a review approach by experts in a focus group may be easier to administer and might provide similar results. Objective The aim of this study was to assess whether industrial design engineers in a focus group would address the same issues as end users in a Web-based survey when evaluating a commercial Web-based health risk assessment (HRA) with tailored feedback. Methods Seven Dutch companies used the HRA as part of their corporate health management strategy. Employees using the HRA (N=2289) and 10 independent industrial designers were invited to participate in the study. The HRA consisted of four components: (1) an electronic health questionnaire, (2) biometric measurements, (3) laboratory evaluation, and (4) individually tailored feedback generated by decision support software. After participating in the HRA as end users, both end users and designers evaluated the program. End users completed an evaluation questionnaire that included a free-text field. Designers participated in a focus group discussion. Constructs from user satisfaction and technology acceptance theories were used to categorize and compare the remarks from both evaluations. Results We assessed and qualitatively analyzed 294 remarks of 189 end users and 337 remarks of 6 industrial designers, pertaining to 295 issues in total. Of those, 137 issues were addressed in the end-user survey and 148 issues in the designer focus group. Only 7.3% (10/137) of the issues addressed in the survey were also addressed in the focus group. End users made more remarks about the usefulness of the HRA and prior expectations that were not met. Designers made more remarks about how the information was presented to end users, quality of the feedback provided by the HRA, recommendations on the marketing and on how to create more unity in the design of the HRA, and on how to improve the HRA based on these issues. Conclusions End-user surveys should not be substituted for expert focus groups. Issues identified by end users in the survey and designers in the focus group differed considerably, and the focus group produced a lot of new issues. The issues addressed in the focus group often focused on different aspects of user satisfaction and technology acceptance than those addressed by the survey participants; when they did focus on the same aspects, then the nature of issues differed considerably in content. PMID:24384408

Evaluating a web-based health risk assessment with tailored feedback: what does an expert focus group yield compared to a web-based end-user survey?

PubMed

Vosbergen, Sandra; Mahieu, Guy R; Laan, Eva K; Kraaijenhagen, Roderik A; Jaspers, Monique Wm; Peek, Niels

2014-01-02

Increasingly, Web-based health applications are developed for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. However, their reach and utilization is often disappointing. Qualitative evaluations post-implementation can be used to inform the optimization process and ultimately enhance their adoption. In current practice, such evaluations are mainly performed with end-user surveys. However, a review approach by experts in a focus group may be easier to administer and might provide similar results. The aim of this study was to assess whether industrial design engineers in a focus group would address the same issues as end users in a Web-based survey when evaluating a commercial Web-based health risk assessment (HRA) with tailored feedback. Seven Dutch companies used the HRA as part of their corporate health management strategy. Employees using the HRA (N=2289) and 10 independent industrial designers were invited to participate in the study. The HRA consisted of four components: (1) an electronic health questionnaire, (2) biometric measurements, (3) laboratory evaluation, and (4) individually tailored feedback generated by decision support software. After participating in the HRA as end users, both end users and designers evaluated the program. End users completed an evaluation questionnaire that included a free-text field. Designers participated in a focus group discussion. Constructs from user satisfaction and technology acceptance theories were used to categorize and compare the remarks from both evaluations. We assessed and qualitatively analyzed 294 remarks of 189 end users and 337 remarks of 6 industrial designers, pertaining to 295 issues in total. Of those, 137 issues were addressed in the end-user survey and 148 issues in the designer focus group. Only 7.3% (10/137) of the issues addressed in the survey were also addressed in the focus group. End users made more remarks about the usefulness of the HRA and prior expectations that were not met. Designers made more remarks about how the information was presented to end users, quality of the feedback provided by the HRA, recommendations on the marketing and on how to create more unity in the design of the HRA, and on how to improve the HRA based on these issues. End-user surveys should not be substituted for expert focus groups. Issues identified by end users in the survey and designers in the focus group differed considerably, and the focus group produced a lot of new issues. The issues addressed in the focus group often focused on different aspects of user satisfaction and technology acceptance than those addressed by the survey participants; when they did focus on the same aspects, then the nature of issues differed considerably in content.

Website Quality, Expectation, Confirmation, and End User Satisfaction: The Knowledge-Intensive Website of the Korean National Cancer Information Center

PubMed Central

Koo, Chulmo; Wati, Yulia; Park, Keeho

2011-01-01

Background The fact that patient satisfaction with primary care clinical practices and physician-patient communications has decreased gradually has brought a new opportunity to the online channel as a supplementary service to provide additional information. Objective In this study, our objectives were to examine the process of cognitive knowledge expectation-confirmation from eHealth users and to recommend the attributes of a “knowledge-intensive website.”. Knowledge expectation can be defined as users’ existing attitudes or beliefs regarding expected levels of knowledge they may gain by accessing the website. Knowledge confirmation is the extent to which user’s knowledge expectation of information systems use is realized during actual use. In our hypothesized research model, perceived information quality, presentation and attractiveness as well as knowledge expectation influence knowledge confirmation, which in turn influences perceived usefulness and end user satisfaction, which feeds back to knowledge expectation. Methods An empirical study was conducted at the National Cancer Center (NCC), Republic of Korea (South Korea), by evaluating its official website. A user survey was administered containing items to measure subjectively perceived website quality and expectation-confirmation attributes. A study sample of 198 usable responses was used for further analysis. We used the structural equation model to test the proposed research model. Results Knowledge expectation exhibited a positive effect on knowledge confirmation (beta = .27, P < .001). The paths from information quality, information presentation, and website attractiveness to knowledge confirmation were also positive and significant (beta = .24, P < .001; beta = .29, P < .001; beta = .18, P < .001, respectively). Moreover, the effect of knowledge confirmation on perceived usefulness was also positively significant (beta = .64, P < .001). Knowledge expectation together with knowledge confirmation and perceived usefulness also significantly affected end user satisfaction (beta = .22 P < .001; beta = .39, P < .001; beta = .25, P < .001, respectively). Conclusions Theoretically, this study has (1) identified knowledge-intensive website attributes, (2) enhanced the theoretical foundation of eHealth from the information systems (IS) perspective by adopting the expectation-confirmation theory (ECT), and (3) examined the importance of information and knowledge attributes and explained their impact on user satisfaction. Practically, our empirical results suggest that perceived website quality (ie, information quality, information presentation, and website attractiveness) is a core requirement for knowledge building. In addition, our study has also shown that knowledge confirmation has a greater effect on satisfaction than both knowledge expectation and perceived usefulness. PMID:22047810

Seeing the System through the End Users' Eyes: Shadow Expert Technique for Evaluating the Consistency of a Learning Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzinger, Andreas; Stickel, Christian; Fassold, Markus; Ebner, Martin

Interface consistency is an important basic concept in web design and has an effect on performance and satisfaction of end users. Consistency also has significant effects on the learning performance of both expert and novice end users. Consequently, the evaluation of consistency within a e-learning system and the ensuing eradication of irritating discrepancies in the user interface redesign is a big issue. In this paper, we report of our experiences with the Shadow Expert Technique (SET) during the evaluation of the consistency of the user interface of a large university learning management system. The main objective of this new usability evaluation method is to understand the interaction processes of end users with a specific system interface. Two teams of usability experts worked independently from each other in order to maximize the objectivity of the results. The outcome of this SET method is a list of recommended changes to improve the user interaction processes, hence to facilitate high consistency.

The virtual asthma guideline e-learning program: learning effectiveness and user satisfaction.

PubMed

Kang, Sung-Yoon; Kim, Sae-Hoon; Kwon, Yong-Eun; Kim, Tae-Bum; Park, Hye-Kyung; Park, Heung-Woo; Chang, Yoon-Seok; Jee, Young-Koo; Moon, Hee-Bom; Min, Kyung-Up; Cho, Sang-Heon

2018-05-01

Effective educational tools are important for increasing adherence to asthma guidelines and clinical improvement of asthma patients. We developed a computer-based interactive education program for asthma guideline named the Virtual Learning Center for Asthma Management (VLCAM). We evaluated the usefulness of program in terms of its effects on user awareness of asthma guideline and level of satisfaction. Physicians-in-training at tertiary hospitals in Korea were enrolled in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The e-learning program on asthma guideline was conducted over a 2-week period. We investigated changes in the awareness of asthma guideline using 35-item self-administered questionnaire aiming at assessing physicians' knowledge, attitude, and practice. Satisfaction with the program was scored on 4-point Likert scales. A total of 158 physicians-in-training at six tertiary hospitals completed the survey. Compared with baseline, the overall awareness obtained from the scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice was improved significantly. Participants were satisfied with the VLCAM program in the following aspects: helpfulness, convenience, motivation, effectiveness, physicians' confidence, improvement of asthma management, and willingness to recommend. All items in user satisfaction questionnaires received high scores over 3 points. Moreover, the problem-based learning with a virtual patient received the highest user satisfaction among all parts of the program. Our computer-based e-learning program is useful for improving awareness of asthma management. It could improve adherence to asthma guidelines and enhance the quality of asthma care.

A data mining technique for discovering distinct patterns of hand signs: implications in user training and computer interface design.

PubMed

Ye, Nong; Li, Xiangyang; Farley, Toni

2003-01-15

Hand signs are considered as one of the important ways to enter information into computers for certain tasks. Computers receive sensor data of hand signs for recognition. When using hand signs as computer inputs, we need to (1) train computer users in the sign language so that their hand signs can be easily recognized by computers, and (2) design the computer interface to avoid the use of confusing signs for improving user input performance and user satisfaction. For user training and computer interface design, it is important to have a knowledge of which signs can be easily recognized by computers and which signs are not distinguishable by computers. This paper presents a data mining technique to discover distinct patterns of hand signs from sensor data. Based on these patterns, we derive a group of indistinguishable signs by computers. Such information can in turn assist in user training and computer interface design.

Content, Social, and Metacognitive Statements: An Empirical Study Comparing Human-Human and Human-Computer Tutorial Dialogue

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

for each participant using the formula gain = ( posttest − pretest )/(1− pretest ). 6.2 Content-Learning Correlations The summary of language statistics...differences also affect which factors are correlated with learning gain and user satisfaction. We argue that ITS designers should pay particular...factors are correlated with learning gain and user satisfaction. We argue that ITS designers should pay particular attention to strategies for dealing

Task-specific usability requirements of electronic medical records systems: Lessons learned from a national survey of end-users.

PubMed

Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Meidani, Zahra; Riazi, Hossein; Sadeqi Jabali, Monireh

2018-09-01

There are various approaches to evaluating the usability of electronic medical record (EMR) systems. User perspectives are an integral part of evaluation. Usability evaluations efficiently and effectively contribute to user-centered design and supports tasks and increase user satisfaction. This study determined the main usability requirements for EMRs by means of an end-user survey. A mixed-method strategy was conducted in three phases. A qualitative approach was employed to collect and formulate EMR usability requirements using the focus group method and the modified Delphi technique. Classic Delphi technique was used to evaluate the proposed requirements among 380 end-users in Iran. The final list of EMR usability requirements was verified and included 163 requirements divided into nine groups. The highest rates of end-user agreement relate to EMR visual clarity (3.65 ± 0.61), fault tolerance (3.58 ± 0.56), and suitability for learning (3.55 ± 0.54). The lowest end-user agreement was for auditory presentation (3.18 ± 0.69). The highest and lowest agreement among end-users was for visual clarity and auditory presentation by EMRs, respectively. This suggests that user priorities in determination of EMR usability and their understanding of the importance of the types of individual tasks and context characteristics differ.

Aesthetics, Usefulness and Performance in User--Search-Engine Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Adi

2010-01-01

Issues of visual appeal have become an integral part of designing interactive systems. Interface aesthetics may form users' attitudes towards computer applications and information technology. Aesthetics can affect user satisfaction, and influence their willingness to buy or adopt a system. This study follows previous studies that found that users…

Usability evaluation with mental health professionals and young people to develop an Internet-based cognitive-behaviour therapy program for adolescents with anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Wozney, Lori; Baxter, Pamela; Newton, Amanda S

2015-12-16

Use of the Internet to deliver cognitive behavioural therapy, a frontline treatment for anxiety disorders, is emerging as an option to increase access to treatment among adolescents with anxiety disorders. This study examined the usability of the Internet-based component of Breathe, a CBT program designed for adolescents with mild to moderate anxiety and impairments. A mixed-method usability testing design with semi-structured interviews, task completion, and survey by trained usability moderators was undertaken with two interactive cycles to determine the usability (ease of use, efficiency, errors, and user satisfaction) of the user interface and content areas of the program. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit mental health clinicians with expertise in treating adolescent anxiety disorders and young people aged 15 to 24 years involved. Testing involved using Web-conferencing software that allowed remote participation through personal computers. Two testing cycles involved participants completing structured 'think aloud' and 'cognitive walkthrough' tasks within the program. At the end of each cycle participants completed a 15-item global usability evaluation survey and were asked a series of open-ended questions. Descriptive and simple content analyses were used to identify and score usability issues for frequency and severity. Five clinicians and four young people (all < 20 years of age) participated. Most participants described their computer skills as 'good' (60% clinicians, 50% young people), and attitudes toward Internet-based health care ranged from negative (75% young people) to positive (60% clinicians, 25% young people). Scores from the global usability evaluation after both testing cycles ranged from 3.5 to 5 out of 5 in strong agreement/support of the program in terms of user performance indicators (i.e., learnability, efficiency and number of errors) and user satisfaction. Participants were able to complete all critical tasks with minimal errors. Errors and issues identified during testing were predominantly around enhancements to the visual design and navigational support. Opinions across usability elements did not differ between young people and clinician participants. A multi-method remote usability approach provided the opportunity to improve the technical interface, therapeutic messaging and user experience of an Internet-based treatment program for adolescent anxiety disorders.

Information system end-user satisfaction and continuance intention: A unified modeling approach.

PubMed

Hadji, Brahim; Degoulet, Patrice

2016-06-01

Permanent evaluation of end-user satisfaction and continuance intention is a critical issue at each phase of a clinical information system (CIS) project, but most validation studies are concerned with the pre- or early post-adoption phases. The purpose of this study was twofold: to validate at the Pompidou University Hospital (HEGP) an information technology late post-adoption model built from four validated models and to propose a unified metamodel of evaluation that could be adapted to each context or deployment phase of a CIS project. Five dimensions, i.e., CIS quality (CISQ), perceived usefulness (PU), confirmation of expectations (CE), user satisfaction (SAT), and continuance intention (CI) were selected to constitute the CI evaluation model. The validity of the model was tested using the combined answers to four surveys performed between 2011 and 2015, i.e., more than ten years after the opening of HEGP in July 2000. Structural equation modeling was used to test the eight model-associated hypotheses. The multi-professional study group of 571 responders consisted of 158 doctors, 282 nurses, and 131 secretaries. The evaluation model accounted for 84% of variance of satisfaction and 53% of CI variance for the period 2011-2015 and for 92% and 69% for the period 2014-2015. In very late post adoption, CISQ appears to be the major determinant of satisfaction and CI. Combining the results obtained at various phases of CIS deployment, a Unified Model of Information System Continuance (UMISC) is proposed. In a meaningful CIS use situation at HEGP, this study confirms the importance of CISQ in explaining satisfaction and CI. The proposed UMISC model that can be adapted to each phase of CIS deployment could facilitate the necessary efforts of permanent CIS acceptance and continuance evaluation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effective color design for displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, Lindsay W.

2002-06-01

Visual communication is a key aspect of human-computer interaction, which contributes to the satisfaction of user and application needs. For effective design of presentations on computer displays, color should be used in conjunction with the other visual variables. The general needs of graphic user interfaces are discussed, followed by five specific tasks with differing criteria for display color specification - advertising, text, information, visualization and imaging.

Quality in End User Documentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Ronald

1994-01-01

Discusses quality in end-user documentation for computer applications and explains four approaches to improving quality in end-user documents. Highlights include online help, usability testing, technical writing elements, statistical approaches, and concepts relating to software quality that are also applicable to user manuals. (LRW)

Context-aware recommender system based on ontology for recommending tourist destinations at Bandung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizaldy Hafid Arigi, L.; Abdurahman Baizal, Z. K.; Herdiani, Anisa

2018-03-01

Recommender System is software that is able to provide personalized recommendation suits users’ needs. Recommender System has been widely implemented in various domains, including tourism. One approach that can be done for more personalized recommendations is the use of contextual information. This paper proposes a context aware recommender based ontology system in the tourism domain. The system is capable of recommending tourist destinations by using user preferences of the categories of tourism and contextual information such as user locations, weather around tourist destinations and close time of destination. Based on the evaluation, the system has accuracy of of 0.94 (item recommendation precision evaluated by expert) and 0.58 (implicitly from system-end user interaction). Based on the evaluation of user satisfaction, the system provides a satisfaction level of more than 0.7 (scale 0 to 1) for speed factors for providing liked recommendations (PE), informative description of recommendations (INF) and user trust (TR).

A Usability Study of Users' Perceptions toward a Multimedia Computer-Assisted Learning Tool for Neuroanatomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gould, Douglas J.; Terrell, Mark A.; Fleming, Jo

2008-01-01

This usability study evaluated users' perceptions of a multimedia prototype for a new e-learning tool: Anatomy of the Central Nervous System: A Multimedia Course. Usability testing is a collection of formative evaluation methods that inform the developmental design of e-learning tools to maximize user acceptance, satisfaction, and adoption.…

Online Catalogs and Their Users.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broadus, Robert N.

1983-01-01

Review of research on online public access catalogs sponsored by Council on Library Resources notes the scope and method (questionnaires administered to catalog users and nonusers in 29 participating institutions) and findings and applications (including organizational setting and computer system, catalog use and satisfaction, and implications).…

An electronic dashboard to improve nursing care.

PubMed

Tan, Yung-Ming; Hii, Joshua; Chan, Katherine; Sardual, Robert; Mah, Benjamin

2013-01-01

With the introduction of CPOE systems, nurses in a Singapore hospital were facing difficulties monitoring key patient information such as critical tasks and alerts. Issues include unfriendly user interfaces of clinical systems, information overload, and the loss of visual cues for action due to paperless workflows. The hospital decided to implement an interactive electronic dashboard on top of their CPOE system to improve visibility of vital patient data. A post-implementation survey was performed to gather end-user feedback and evaluate factors that influence user satisfaction of the dashboard. Questionnaires were sent to all nurses of five pilot wards. 106 valid responses were received. User adoption was good with 86% of nurses using the dashboard every shift. Mean satisfaction score was 3.6 out of 5. User satisfaction was strongly and positively correlated to the system's perceived impact on work efficiency and care quality. From qualitative feedback, nurses generally agreed that the dashboard had improved their awareness of critical patient issues without the hassle of navigating a CPOE system. This study shows that an interactive clinical dashboard when properly integrated with a CPOE system could be a useful tool to improve daily patient care.

Recommended Computer End-User Skills for Business Students by Inc. 500 Executives and Office Systems Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Jensen J.; Ray, Charles M.; Dye, Lee J.; Davis, Rodney

1998-01-01

Executives (n=63) and office-systems educators (n=88) recommended for workers the following categories of computer end-user skills: hardware, operating systems, word processing, spreadsheets, database, desktop publishing, and presentation. (SK)

SMART Grid Evaluation Using Fuzzy Numbers and TOPSIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Alaoui, Mohammed

2018-05-01

In recent advent of smart grids, the end-users aims to satisfy simultaneously low electricity bills, with a reasonable level of comfort. While cost evaluation appears to be an easy task, capturing human preferences seems to be more challenging. Here we propose the use of fuzzy logic and a modified version of the TOPSIS method, to quantify end-users’ preferences in a smart grid. While classical smart grid focus only on the technological side, it is proven that smart grid effectiveness is hugely linked to end-users’ behaviours. The main objective here, is to involve smart grid users in order to get maximum satisfaction, preserving classical smart grid objectives.

Evaluation of a decision support system for pressure ulcer prevention and management: preliminary findings.

PubMed

Zielstorff, R D; Estey, G; Vickery, A; Hamilton, G; Fitzmaurice, J B; Barnett, G O

1997-01-01

A decision support system for prevention and management of pressure ulcers was developed based on AHCPR guidelines and other sources. The system was implemented for 21 weeks on a 20-bed clinical care unit. Fifteen nurses on that unit volunteered as subjects of the intervention to see whether use of the system would have a positive effect on their knowledge about pressure ulcers and on their decision-making skills related to this topic. A similar care unit was used as a control. In addition, the system was evaluated by experts for its instructional adequacy, and by end users for their satisfaction with the system. Preliminary results show no effect on knowledge about pressure ulcers and no effect on clinical decision making skills. The system was rated positively for instructional adequacy, and positively for user satisfaction. User interviews related to satisfaction supplemented the quantitative findings. A discussion of the issues of conducting experiments like this in today's clinical environment is included.

End User Computing at a South African Technikon: Enabling Disadvantaged Students To Meet Employers' Requirements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Cecille

A two-phase study examined the skills required of competent end-users of computers in the workplace and assessed the computing awareness and technological environment of first-year students entering historically disadvantaged technikons in South Africa. First, a DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) panel of nine representatives of local business and…

Service user satisfaction with cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: Associations with therapy outcomes and perceptions of the therapist.

PubMed

Lawlor, Caroline; Sharma, Bina; Khondoker, Mizanur; Peters, Emmanuelle; Kuipers, Elizabeth; Johns, Louise

2017-03-01

Few studies have investigated service user satisfaction with cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp). This study explored its associations with clinical presentation and outcomes, retrospective expectations of progress, perceptions of the therapist, and demographic variables. One hundred and sixty-five service users completed self-report questionnaires pre- and post-CBTp in relation to the constructs of interest. Regression analyses explored associations with (1) overall satisfaction with therapy and (2) perceived progress, skills, and knowledge gained. Ninety-six per cent of service users reported satisfaction with therapy. Higher levels of overall satisfaction with, and perceived benefit from, therapy were associated with positive therapy expectations, positive ratings of therapist's personal qualities, competence and trustworthiness, lower pre-therapy depression, and improvements in quality of life. Symptom improvements were not related to overall satisfaction with therapy; however, with the exception of voices, better clinical outcomes were associated with subjective ratings of having made more progress and gained more CBT skills and knowledge. Demographic factors were not associated with satisfaction or perceived progress. In multiple regression analyses, expectations of progress showed the strongest associations with both satisfaction and perceived benefits. Other remaining significant associations consisted of perceptions of the therapist for satisfaction, and both pre-therapy levels of, and changes in, depression for perceived benefits. Qualitative feedback emphasized the importance of the therapeutic relationship and developing new coping strategies. The findings provide preliminary evidence that high levels of satisfaction with therapy are not contingent on good clinical outcomes and are instead associated with positive therapy expectations and perceptions of the therapist. Therapy expectations represent a neglected area of research and may have implications for levels of satisfaction with therapy and perceived benefit. The findings reinforce the importance of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) therapists demonstrating that they are supportive, competent, and trustworthy. The findings suggest that positive experiences of therapy do not require changes in psychosis symptoms and are instead related to changes in quality of life. Depressive symptoms at the start of therapy may adversely influence the extent to which CBT skills and knowledge are gained and levels of perceived progress at the end of therapy. The present sample was restricted to service users who completed therapy. Satisfaction levels were high. Further research is needed to explore factors associated with dissatisfaction with therapy. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Evaluation of End-User Satisfaction Among Employees Participating in a Web-based Health Risk Assessment With Tailored Feedback

PubMed Central

Colkesen, Ersen B; Niessen, Maurice AJ; Kraaijenhagen, Roderik A; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise; Peek, Niels

2012-01-01

Background Web technology is increasingly being used to provide individuals with health risk assessments (HRAs) with tailored feedback. End-user satisfaction is an important determinant of the potential impact of HRAs, as this influences program attrition and adherence to behavioral advice. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate end-user satisfaction with a web-based HRA with tailored feedback applied in worksite settings, using mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods. Methods Employees of seven companies in the Netherlands participated in a commercial, web-based, HRA with tailored feedback. The HRA consisted of four components: 1) a health and lifestyle assessment questionnaire, 2) a biometric evaluation, 3) a laboratory evaluation, and 4) tailored feedback consisting of a personal health risk profile and lifestyle behavior advice communicated through a web portal. HRA respondents received an evaluation questionnaire after six weeks. Satisfaction with different parts of the HRA was measured on 5-point Likert scales. A free-text field provided the opportunity to make additional comments. Results In total, 2289 employees participated in the HRA program, of which 637 (27.8%) completed the evaluation questionnaire. Quantitative analysis showed that 85.6% of the respondents evaluated the overall HRA positively. The free-text field was filled in by 29.7 % of the respondents (189 out of 637), who made 315 separate remarks. Qualitative evaluation of these data showed that these respondents made critical remarks. Respondents felt restricted by the answer categories of the health and lifestyle assessment questionnaire, which resulted in the feeling that the corresponding feedback could be inadequate. Some respondents perceived the personal risk profile as unnecessarily alarming or suggested providing more explanations, reference values, and a justification of the behavioral advice given. Respondents also requested the opportunity to discuss the feedback with a health professional. Conclusions Most people were satisfied with the web-based HRA with tailored feedback. Sources of dissatisfaction were limited opportunities for providing additional health information outside of the predefined health and lifestyle assessment questionnaire and insufficient transparency on the generation of the feedback. Information regarding the aim and content of the HRA should be clear and accurate to prevent unrealistic expectations among end-users. Involving trusted health professionals in the implementation of web-based HRAs may enhance the use of and confidence in the HRA. PMID:23111097

Evaluation of end-user satisfaction among employees participating in a web-based health risk assessment with tailored feedback.

PubMed

Vosbergen, Sandra; Laan, Eva K; Colkesen, Ersen B; Niessen, Maurice A J; Kraaijenhagen, Roderik A; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise; Peek, Niels

2012-10-30

Web technology is increasingly being used to provide individuals with health risk assessments (HRAs) with tailored feedback. End-user satisfaction is an important determinant of the potential impact of HRAs, as this influences program attrition and adherence to behavioral advice. The aim of this study was to evaluate end-user satisfaction with a web-based HRA with tailored feedback applied in worksite settings, using mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods. Employees of seven companies in the Netherlands participated in a commercial, web-based, HRA with tailored feedback. The HRA consisted of four components: 1) a health and lifestyle assessment questionnaire, 2) a biometric evaluation, 3) a laboratory evaluation, and 4) tailored feedback consisting of a personal health risk profile and lifestyle behavior advice communicated through a web portal. HRA respondents received an evaluation questionnaire after six weeks. Satisfaction with different parts of the HRA was measured on 5-point Likert scales. A free-text field provided the opportunity to make additional comments. In total, 2289 employees participated in the HRA program, of which 637 (27.8%) completed the evaluation questionnaire. Quantitative analysis showed that 85.6% of the respondents evaluated the overall HRA positively. The free-text field was filled in by 29.7 % of the respondents (189 out of 637), who made 315 separate remarks. Qualitative evaluation of these data showed that these respondents made critical remarks. Respondents felt restricted by the answer categories of the health and lifestyle assessment questionnaire, which resulted in the feeling that the corresponding feedback could be inadequate. Some respondents perceived the personal risk profile as unnecessarily alarming or suggested providing more explanations, reference values, and a justification of the behavioral advice given. Respondents also requested the opportunity to discuss the feedback with a health professional. Most people were satisfied with the web-based HRA with tailored feedback. Sources of dissatisfaction were limited opportunities for providing additional health information outside of the predefined health and lifestyle assessment questionnaire and insufficient transparency on the generation of the feedback. Information regarding the aim and content of the HRA should be clear and accurate to prevent unrealistic expectations among end-users. Involving trusted health professionals in the implementation of web-based HRAs may enhance the use of and confidence in the HRA.

End-user satisfaction analysis on library management system unnes using technology acceptance model towards national standard of integrated library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardyanto, W.; Purwinarko, A.; Adhi, M. A.

2018-03-01

The library which is the gate of the University should be supported by the existence of an adequate information system, to provide excellent service and optimal to every user. Library management system that has been in existence since 2009 needs to be re-evaluated so that the system can meet the needs of both operator and Unnes user in particular, and users from outside Unnes in general. This study aims to evaluate and improve the existing library management system to produce a system that is accountable and able to meet the needs of end users, as well as produce a library management system that is integrated Unnes. Research is directed to produce evaluation report with Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach and library management system integrated with the national standard.

A multicentre, open-label, randomised phase III study comparing a new levonorgestrel intrauterine contraceptive system (LNG-IUS 8) with combined oral contraception in young women of reproductive age.

PubMed

Borgatta, Lynn; Buhling, Kai J; Rybowski, Sarah; Roth, Katrin; Rosen, Kimberly

2016-10-01

To compare user satisfaction and adverse events (AEs) with a levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS 8; average levonorgestrel release rate approximately 8 μg/24 h over the first year [total content 13.5 mg]) and a 30 μg ethinyl estradiol/3 mg drospirenone (EE/DRSP) combined oral contraceptive (COC) in a population of young women. Nulliparous and parous women (aged 18-29 years) with regular menstrual cycles (21-35 days) were randomised to LNG-IUS 8 or EE/DRSP for 18 months. The primary endpoint was the overall user satisfaction rate at month 18/end of study visit. Overall, 279 women were randomised to LNG-IUS 8 with attempted placement and 281 women were randomised to EE/DRSP and took ≥1 pill; the mean age was 23.7 and 23.9 years, and 77.4% and 73.3% were nulliparous, respectively. At month 18/end of study, 82.1% and 81.9% of women, respectively, reported being 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with their treatment; however, significantly more LNG-IUS 8 users reported a preference to continue their treatment post-study (66.2% vs 48.8%; p = 0.0001). There were two pregnancies (one ectopic pregnancy, one spontaneous abortion) reported in the LNG-IUS 8 group and six (three live births, two spontaneous abortions, one induced abortion) in the EE/DRSP group. LNG-IUS 8 and EE/DRSP were associated with similarly high user satisfaction rates. However, LNG-IUS 8 users were significantly more likely to prefer to continue their contraceptive method post-study, indicating that a levonorgestrel intrauterine system is an appealing contraceptive option for young women.

Refining an Asynchronous Telerehabilitation Platform for Speech-Language Pathology: Engaging End-Users in the Process

PubMed Central

Hill, Annie J.; Breslin, Hugh M.

2016-01-01

Asynchronous telerehabilitation in which computer-based interventions are remotely monitored and adapted offline is an emerging service delivery model in the rehabilitation of communication disorders. The asynchronous nature of this model may hold a benefit over its synchronous counterpart by eliminating scheduling issues and thus improving efficiency in a healthcare landscape of constrained resource allocation. The design of asynchronous telerehabilitation platforms should therefore ensure efficiency and flexibility. The authors have been engaged in a program of research to develop and evaluate an asynchronous telerehabilitation platform for use in speech-language pathology. eSALT is a novel asynchronous telerehabilitation platform in which clinicians design and individualize therapy tasks for transfer to a client's mobile device. An inbuilt telerehabilitation module allows for remote monitoring and updating of tasks. This paper introduces eSALT and reports outcomes from an usability study that considered the needs of two end-user groups, people with aphasia and clinicians, in the on-going refinement of eSALT. In the study participants with aphasia were paired with clinicians who used eSALT to design and customize therapy tasks. After training on the mobile device the participants engaged in therapy at home for a period of 3 weeks, while clinicians remotely monitored and updated tasks. Following the home trial, participants, and clinicians engaged in semi-structured interviews and completed surveys on the usability of eSALT and their satisfaction with the platform. Content analysis of data involving five participants and three clinicians revealed a number of usability themes including ease of use, user support, satisfaction, limitations, and potential improvements. These findings were translated into a number of refinements of the eSALT platform including the development of a client interface for use on the Apple iPad®, greater variety in feedback options to both the participant and clinician, automatic transfer of results to the clinician, and expansion of the task template list. This research highlights the importance of including end-users in the process of technology refinement, in order to ensure effective and efficient use of the technology. Future directions for research are discussed including clinical trials in which the effectiveness of and adherence to intervention protocols using asynchronous telerehabilitation are examined. PMID:28066211

Keeping Disability in Mind: A Case Study in Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Research.

PubMed

Sullivan, Laura Specker; Klein, Eran; Brown, Tim; Sample, Matthew; Pham, Michelle; Tubig, Paul; Folland, Raney; Truitt, Anjali; Goering, Sara

2018-04-01

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) research is an interdisciplinary area of study within Neural Engineering. Recent interest in end-user perspectives has led to an intersection with user-centered design (UCD). The goal of user-centered design is to reduce the translational gap between researchers and potential end users. However, while qualitative studies have been conducted with end users of BCI technology, little is known about individual BCI researchers' experience with and attitudes towards UCD. Given the scientific, financial, and ethical imperatives of UCD, we sought to gain a better understanding of practical and principled considerations for researchers who engage with end users. We conducted a qualitative interview case study with neural engineering researchers at a center dedicated to the creation of BCIs. Our analysis generated five themes common across interviews. The thematic analysis shows that participants identify multiple beneficiaries of their work, including other researchers, clinicians working with devices, device end users, and families and caregivers of device users. Participants value experience with device end users, and personal experience is the most meaningful type of interaction. They welcome (or even encourage) end-user input, but are skeptical of limited focus groups and case studies. They also recognize a tension between creating sophisticated devices and developing technology that will meet user needs. Finally, interviewees espouse functional, assistive goals for their technology, but describe uncertainty in what degree of function is "good enough" for individual end users. Based on these results, we offer preliminary recommendations for conducting future UCD studies in BCI and neural engineering.

SEMTAP (Serpentine End Match TApe program): The Easy Way to Program Your Numerically Controlled Router for the Production of SEM Joints

Treesearch

Ronald E. Coleman

1977-01-01

SEMTAP (Serpentine End Match TApe Program) is an easy and inexpensive method of programing a numerically controlled router for the manufacture of SEM (Serpentine End Matching) joints. The SEMTAP computer program allows the user to issue commands that will accurately direct a numerically controlled router along any SEM path. The user need not be a computer programer to...

14 Years longitudinal evaluation of clinical information systems acceptance: The HEGP case.

PubMed

Hadji, Brahim; Martin, Guillaume; Dupuis, Isabelle; Campoy, Eric; Degoulet, Patrice

2016-02-01

Meaningful use and end-user satisfaction are two major components of the success of a clinical information system (CIS). The purpose of this study was to longitudinally measure and analyze the CIS use and satisfaction determinants in a multi-professional group at the Georges Pompidou university hospital (HEGP) in Paris. From the different evaluation surveys performed at HEGP, three periods were considered corresponding to 4, 8 and over 10 years after the first CIS deployment in 2000, respectively. Six acceptance dimensions were considered: CIS quality (CISQ), facilitating conditions (FC), perceived usefulness (PU), confirmation of expectations (CE), use, and global satisfaction (GS). Relationships between these constructs were tested through multiple regressions analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). Responses were obtained from 298, 332, and 448 users for the three periods considered. CIS acceptance dimensions progressively and significantly increased over time. Significant differences between professions were observed with an initial low PU among medical staff. In the early deployment phase, GS appeared to be determined by CIS use, CISQ and PU (R(2)=.53 in SEM). In the very late post-adoption phase, GS was strongly determined by CISQ, CE, and PU (R(2)=.86 in SEM) and was no longer associated with CIS use. Acceptance models should be adapted to the phase of deployment of a CIS and integrate end-users' individual characteristics. Progressive reduction over time of the positive relationships between CIS use and satisfaction could possibly be considered as a maturity indicator of CIS deployment. These observations validate the introduction in post-adoption models of a continuance intention dimension. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 69.152 - End user common line for price cap local exchange carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false End user common line for price cap local...) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges for Price Cap Local Exchange Carriers § 69.152 End user common line for price cap local exchange carriers. (a) A charge that is...

Geospatial Data as a Service: The GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity Map Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, B. J. K.; Antony, J.; Guerschman, J. P.; Larraondo, P. R.; Richards, C. J.

2017-12-01

Empowering end-users like pastoralists, land management specialists and land policy makers in the use of earth observation data for both day-to-day and seasonal planning needs both interactive delivery of multiple geospatial datasets and the capability of supporting on-the-fly dynamic queries while simultaneously fostering a community around the effort. The use of and wide adoption of large data archives, like those produced by earth observation missions, are often limited by compute and storage capabilities of the remote user. We demonstrate that wide-scale use of large data archives can be facilitated by end-users dynamically requesting value-added products using open standards (WCS, WMS, WPS), with compute running in the cloud or dedicated data-centres and visualizing outputs on web-front ends. As an example, we will demonstrate how a tool called GSKY can empower a remote end-user by providing the data delivery and analytics capabilities for the GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity (RAPP) Map tool. The GEOGLAM RAPP initiative from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and its Agricultural Monitoring subgroup aims at providing practical tools to end-users focusing on the important role of rangelands and pasture systems in providing food production security from both agricultural crops and animal protein. Figure 1, is a screen capture from the RAPP Map interface for an important pasture area in the Namibian rangelands. The RAPP Map has been in production for six months and has garnered significant interest from groups and users all over the world. GSKY, being formulated around the theme of Open Geospatial Data-as-a-Service capabilities uses distributed computing and storage to facilitate this. It works behind the scenes, accepting OGC standard requests in WCS, WMS and WPS. Results from these requests are rendered on a web-front end. In this way, the complexities of data locality and compute execution are masked from an end user. On-the-fly computation of products such as NDVI, Leaf Area Index, vegetation cover and others from original source data including MODIS are achived, with Landsat and Sentinel-2 on the horizon. Innovative use of cloud computing and storage along with flexible front-ends, allow the democratization of data dissemination and we hope better outcomes for the planet.

User Metrics in NASA Earth Science Data Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Chris

2018-01-01

This presentation the collection and use of user metrics in NASA's Earth Science data systems. A variety of collection methods is discussed, with particular emphasis given to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). User sentiment on potential use of cloud computing is presented, with generally positive responses. The presentation also discusses various forms of automatically collected metrics, including an example of the relative usage of different functions within the Giovanni analysis system.

The role of information technology usage in physician practice satisfaction.

PubMed

Menachemi, Nir; Powers, Thomas L; Brooks, Robert G

2009-01-01

Despite the growing use of information technology (IT) in medical practices, little is known about the relationship between IT and physician satisfaction. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between physician IT adoption (of various applications) and overall practice satisfaction, as well as satisfaction with the level of computerization at the practice. Data from a Florida survey examining physicians' use of IT and satisfaction were analyzed. Odds ratios (ORs), adjusted for physician demographics and practice characteristics, were computed utilizing logistic regressions to study the independent relationship of electronic health record (EHR) usage, PDA usage, use of e-mail with patients, and the use of disease management software with satisfaction. In addition, we examined the relationship between satisfaction with IT and overall satisfaction with the current medical practice. In multivariate analysis, EHR users were 5 times more likely to be satisfied with the level of computerization in their practice (OR = 4.93, 95% CI = 3.68-6.61) and 1.8 times more likely to be satisfied with their overall medical practice (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.35-2.32). PDA use was also associated with an increase in satisfaction with the level of computerization (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.02-1.47) and with the overall medical practice (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.07-1.57). E-mail use with patients was negatively related to satisfaction with the level of computerization in the practice (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.54-0.90). Last, physicians who were satisfied with IT were 4 times more likely to be satisfied with the current state of their medical practice (OR = 3.97, 95% CI = 3.29-4.81). Physician users of IT applications, especially EHRs, are generally satisfied with these technologies. Potential adopters and/or policy makers interested in influencing IT adoption should consider the positive impact that computer automation can have on medical practice.

Predictors of patients' satisfaction with health care services in three balkan countries (macedonia, bulgaria and serbia): a cross country survey.

PubMed

Lazarevik, Vladimir; Kasapinov, Blasko

2015-02-01

Patients' satisfaction with provided healthcare services is one of the factors to measure the overall quality of the delivered health care. Main objective of our study was to determine the common predictors associated with patients 'satisfaction in three Balkan countries. We conducted web based survey among population in Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria using paid campaign over the social network Facebook. A questionnaire consisted of 31 questions was developed following studies on patients' satisfaction conducted elsewhere. Descriptive analysis was performed to assess the predictors associated with patients' satisfaction. In addition we performed content analysis to all open-ended responses. In total 4118 respondents participated in the survey. Main predictors associated with low users satisfaction with the health care services in three surveyed countries are waiting time to appointments, huge administrative procedures, and attitudes of the medical personnel towards the patients. The analysis showed that there are many similarities in user experiences in three countries, but also there are some differences. The health care systems in these three counties are organized around centralized and monopolistic position of one health insurance fund that serves as main purchaser of health care services. Top three indicators of patients' satisfaction across three countries are trust and overall satisfaction with the attention of the doctors, as well as satisfaction with the outcome of the treatment. Long waiting time and huge administrative procedures are determined as common predictor for lower patients' satisfaction across these Balkan countries. Patients' privacy protection is issue for concern in all three countries.

Experimental realization of an entanglement access network and secure multi-party computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, X.-Y.; Deng, D.-L.; Yuan, X.-X.; Hou, P.-Y.; Huang, Y.-Y.; Duan, L.-M.

2016-07-01

To construct a quantum network with many end users, it is critical to have a cost-efficient way to distribute entanglement over different network ends. We demonstrate an entanglement access network, where the expensive resource, the entangled photon source at the telecom wavelength and the core communication channel, is shared by many end users. Using this cost-efficient entanglement access network, we report experimental demonstration of a secure multiparty computation protocol, the privacy-preserving secure sum problem, based on the network quantum cryptography.

Experimental realization of an entanglement access network and secure multi-party computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Xiuying; Deng, Donglin; Yuan, Xinxing; Hou, Panyu; Huang, Yuanyuan; Duan, Luming; Department of Physics, University of Michigan Collaboration; CenterQuantum Information in Tsinghua University Team

2017-04-01

To construct a quantum network with many end users, it is critical to have a cost-efficient way to distribute entanglement over different network ends. We demonstrate an entanglement access network, where the expensive resource, the entangled photon source at the telecom wavelength and the core communication channel, is shared by many end users. Using this cost-efficient entanglement access network, we report experimental demonstration of a secure multiparty computation protocol, the privacy-preserving secure sum problem, based on the network quantum cryptography.

Computer Decision Support to Improve Autism Screening and Care in Community Pediatric Clinics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, Nerissa S.; Sturm, Lynne A.; Carroll, Aaron E.; Downs, Stephen M.

2013-01-01

An autism module was added to an existing computer decision support system (CDSS) to facilitate adherence to recommended guidelines for screening for autism spectrum disorders in primary care pediatric clinics. User satisfaction was assessed by survey and informal feedback at monthly meetings between clinical staff and the software team. To assess…

Use of Simulation-Based Training to Aid in Implementing Complex Health Technology.

PubMed

Devers, Veffa

2018-01-01

Clinicians are adult learners in a complex environment that historically does not invest in training in a way that is conducive to these types of learners. Adult learners are independent, self-directed, and goal oriented. In today's fast-paced clinical setting, a practical need exists for nurses and clinicians to master the technology they use on a daily basis, especially as medical devices have become more interconnected and complex. As hospitals look to embrace new technologies, medical device companies must provide clinical end-user training. This should be a required part of the selection process when considering the purchase of any complex medical technology. However, training busy clinicians in a traditional classroom setting can be difficult and costly. A simple, less expensive solution is online simulation training. This interactive training provides a virtual, "hands-on" end-user experience in advance of implementing new equipment. Online simulation training ensures knowledge retention and comprehension and, most importantly, that the training leads to end-user satisfaction and the ability to confidently operate new equipment. A review of the literature revealed that online simulation, coupled with the use of adult learning principles and experiential learning, may enhance the experience of clinical end users.

Satisfaction Formation Processes in Library Users: Understanding Multisource Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, Xi; Holahan, Patricia J.; Jurkat, M. Peter

2004-01-01

This study explores whether disconfirmation theory can explain satisfaction formation processes in library users. Both library users' needs and expectations are investigated as disconfirmation standards. Overall library user satisfaction is predicted to be a function of two independent sources--satisfaction with the information product received…

Perspectives on User Satisfaction Surveys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Rowena

2001-01-01

Discusses academic libraries, digital environments, increasing competition, the relationship between service quality and user satisfaction, and user surveys. Describes the SERVQUAL model that measures service quality and user satisfaction in academic libraries; considers gaps between user expectations and managers' perceptions of user…

Implementing Model-Check for Employee and Management Satisfaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Corey; LaPha, Steven

2013-01-01

This presentation will discuss methods to which ModelCheck can be implemented to not only improve model quality, but also satisfy both employees and management through different sets of quality checks. This approach allows a standard set of modeling practices to be upheld throughout a company, with minimal interaction required by the end user. The presenter will demonstrate how to create multiple ModelCheck standards, preventing users from evading the system, and how it can improve the quality of drawings and models.

Self-Assessment and Student Improvement in an Introductory Computer Course at the Community College Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spicer-Sutton, Jama; Lampley, James; Good, Donald W.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine a student's computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students' improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post-test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class. This…

Self-Assessment and Student Improvement in an Introductory Computer Course at the Community College-Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spicer-Sutton, Jama

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine a student's computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students' improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and posttest scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college-level introductory computing class. This…

Infrastructure issues.

PubMed

Hagland, Mark

2010-03-01

CIOs must ensure the creation of a technology foundation underlying the implementation of new applications, in order to guarantee continuous computing and other essential characteristics of IT service for end-users, going forward. Focusing on the needs of end-users will be essential to creating that foundation. End-user expectations are already outstripping technological capabilities, putting pressure on CIOs to carefully balance the offering of highly desired applications with the creation of a strong tech foundation to undergird those apps.

Computer Viruses and Related Threats: A Management Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wack, John P.; Carnahan, Lisa J.

This document contains guidance for managing the threats of computer viruses, Trojan horses, network worms, etc. and related software along with unauthorized use. It is geared towards managers of end-user groups, managers dealing with multi-user systems, personal computers, and networks. The guidance is general and addresses the vulnerabilities…

Exploring the requirements for multimodal interaction for mobile devices in an end-to-end journey context.

PubMed

Krehl, Claudia; Sharples, Sarah

2012-01-01

The paper investigates the requirements for multimodal interaction on mobile devices in an end-to-end journey context. Traditional interfaces are deemed cumbersome and inefficient for exchanging information with the user. Multimodal interaction provides a different user-centred approach allowing for more natural and intuitive interaction between humans and computers. It is especially suitable for mobile interaction as it can overcome additional constraints including small screens, awkward keypads, and continuously changing settings - an inherent property of mobility. This paper is based on end-to-end journeys where users encounter several contexts during their journeys. Interviews and focus groups explore the requirements for multimodal interaction design for mobile devices by examining journey stages and identifying the users' information needs and sources. Findings suggest that multimodal communication is crucial when users multitask. Choosing suitable modalities depend on user context, characteristics and tasks.

Experimental realization of an entanglement access network and secure multi-party computation

PubMed Central

Chang, X.-Y.; Deng, D.-L.; Yuan, X.-X.; Hou, P.-Y.; Huang, Y.-Y.; Duan, L.-M.

2016-01-01

To construct a quantum network with many end users, it is critical to have a cost-efficient way to distribute entanglement over different network ends. We demonstrate an entanglement access network, where the expensive resource, the entangled photon source at the telecom wavelength and the core communication channel, is shared by many end users. Using this cost-efficient entanglement access network, we report experimental demonstration of a secure multiparty computation protocol, the privacy-preserving secure sum problem, based on the network quantum cryptography. PMID:27404561

A Smartphone App to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Young Adults in Australian Remote Indigenous Communities: Design, Formative Evaluation and User-Testing

PubMed Central

Jeffs, Lauren; Wycherley, Thomas Philip; Maher, Carol; Smith, Ross; Hart, Jonathon; Cubillo, Beau; Brimblecombe, Julie

2017-01-01

Background The disproportionate burden of noncommunicable disease among Indigenous Australians living in remote Indigenous communities (RICs) is a complex and persistent problem. Smartphones are increasingly being used by young Indigenous adults and therefore represent a promising method to engage them in programs seeking to improve nutritional intake. Objective This study aimed to consult RIC members to inform the content of a smartphone app that can be used to monitor and reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake in RICs. Methods The study was conducted in two phases. The formative phase involved a simulated grocery selection activity with think aloud (“think aloud shop”), a semistructured interview, a questionnaire outlining current smartphone and app use, and a paper prototyping activity. A preliminary end-user testing phase involved a think aloud prototype test and a semistructured interview regarding user satisfaction. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 20 18- to 35-year-old smartphone users for each phase from two RICs in the Northern Territory, Australia. Thematic analysis of transcribed audio recordings was used to identify determinants of food choice from the think aloud shop; themes related to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) from the eating behaviors interview; and usability, comprehension, and satisfaction with the app from the preliminary end-user testing. Results Smartphone use in RICs is currently different to that found in urban environments; in particular, extremely low use of Facebook, restricted variety of phone types, and limited Internet access. Findings regarding promoting app engagement indicate that utilizing an opt-in approach to social features such as leader boards and team challenges is essential. The inclusion of games was also shown to be important for satisfaction, as were the use of audio features, contextually embedded dissemination, and streamlined app design for comprehension in this target group. Conclusions This research provides critical insights and concrete recommendations for the development of lifestyle improvement apps targeted toward disadvantaged young adults in nonurban settings, specifically RICs. It serves as a framework for future app development projects using a consultative user-centered design approach, supporting calls for the increased use of this strategy in app development. PMID:29233803

Comparison of combined hormonal vaginal ring and low dose combined oral hormonal pill for the treatment of idiopathic chronic pelvic pain: a randomised trial.

PubMed

Priya, Khushboo; Rajaram, Shalini; Goel, Neerja

2016-12-01

To compare the efficacy and acceptability of combined hormonal vaginal ring with combined oral hormonal pill in women with idiopathic chronic pelvic pain. Randomised prospective interventional trial conducted in 60 women with idiopathic chronic pelvic pain. Women were randomised into two groups of 30 each. In each group, treatment was given for 84 days using either combined vaginal ring or combined oral hormonal pill. Hormonal vaginal ring releases 15mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 120mcg of the etonogestrel per day while the hormonal pill contained 30mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 150mcg of levonorgestrel. There was no ring or pill free week. After every 28 days, pain relief was measured using visual analogue scale (VAS), and verbal rating score (VRS) calculated by summing dysmenorrhea, non-cyclic pelvic pain (NCCP) and deep dyspareunia scores. Side effects, compliance, satisfaction, and user acceptability were also measured. Data was analyzed using various parametric and non-parametric tests. Reduction in mean VAS score at end of treatment in ring group was 6.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.45-7.01; p<0.001) as compared to 5.53 in pill group (95% CI, 4.83-6.23; p<0.001). Reduction in mean VRS score was 5.63 in ring users (95% CI, 4.84-6.42; p<0.001) versus 4.36 in pill users (95% CI, 3.63-5.10; p<0.001). A significantly higher persistent relief in NCPP score was observed in vaginal ring group as compared to oral pill group at end of one month after stopping treatment. Compliance, satisfaction, and user acceptability were higher in ring users (80%) than pill users (70%) and a higher incidence of nausea was seen in pill group. Present study demonstrates for first time that both vaginal and oral hormonal therapy are effective in treatment of idiopathic chronic pelvic pain and vaginal ring may be a better choice with higher satisfaction rate and fewer side effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does this range suit me? Range satisfaction of battery electric vehicle users.

PubMed

Franke, Thomas; Günther, Madlen; Trantow, Maria; Krems, Josef F

2017-11-01

User satisfaction is a vital design criterion for sustainable systems. The present research aimed to understand factors relating to individually perceived range satisfaction of battery electric vehicle (BEV) users. Data from a large-scale BEV field trial (N = 72) were analyzed. Apart from an initial drop in range satisfaction, increasing practical experience was related to increased range satisfaction. Classical indicators of users' mobility profiles (daily travel distances) were only weakly related to lower range satisfaction (not significant), after controlling for practical experience and preferred coverage of mobility needs. The regularity/predictability of users' mobility patterns, the percentage of journeys not coverable because of range issues, and users' individual comfortable range accounted for variance in range satisfaction. Finally, range satisfaction was related to key indicators of general BEV acceptance (e.g., purchase intentions). These results underline the complex dynamics involved in individual range satisfaction, as well as its central role for BEV acceptance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The STEP database through the end-users eyes--USABILITY STUDY.

PubMed

Salunke, Smita; Tuleu, Catherine

2015-08-15

The user-designed database of Safety and Toxicity of Excipients for Paediatrics ("STEP") is created to address the shared need of drug development community to access the relevant information of excipients effortlessly. Usability testing was performed to validate if the database satisfies the need of the end-users. Evaluation framework was developed to assess the usability. The participants performed scenario based tasks and provided feedback and post-session usability ratings. Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) was performed to prioritize the problems and improvements to the STEP database design and functionalities. The study revealed several design vulnerabilities. Tasks such as limiting the results, running complex queries, location of data and registering to access the database were challenging. The three critical attributes identified to have impact on the usability of the STEP database included (1) content and presentation (2) the navigation and search features (3) potential end-users. Evaluation framework proved to be an effective method for evaluating database effectiveness and user satisfaction. This study provides strong initial support for the usability of the STEP database. Recommendations would be incorporated into the refinement of the database to improve its usability and increase user participation towards the advancement of the database. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pre-post evaluation of physicians' satisfaction with a redesigned electronic medical record system.

PubMed

Jaspers, Monique W M; Peute, Linda W P; Lauteslager, Arnaud; Bakker, Piet J M

2008-01-01

Physicians' acceptance of Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMRs) is closely related to their usability. Knowledge about end-users' opinions on usability of an EMR system may contribute to planning for the next phase of the usability cycle of the system. A demand for integration of new functionalities, such as computerized order entry and an electronic patient status led to redesign of our EMR system, which had been in use for over 8 years at the Academic Medical Center of Amsterdam. The aim of this study was to understand whether the redesigned EMR system was an improvement of the earlier EMR and which system aspects accounted for user satisfaction and which did not. We conducted a formative pre- and post usability evaluation of our former and redesigned EMR system. For the assessment of both system versions' usability, we distributed two standardized usability questionnaires among 150 clinicians who routinely had used the older EMR system and had been working with its newer version for 6 weeks. Though overall user satisfaction was relatively high for both EMR systems, screen layout and interaction structure proved less easy to work with in the newer EMR system. The new EMR system however was more appreciated because of its enhanced functionality, capabilities and likeable user-interface. The results point to a number of actions that might be useful in future usability improvement efforts of our EMR system and other EMRs.

Harnessing Scientific Literature Reports for Pharmacovigilance

PubMed Central

Ripple, Anna; Tonning, Joseph; Munoz, Monica; Hasan, Rashedul; Ly, Thomas; Francis, Henry; Bodenreider, Olivier

2017-01-01

Summary Objectives We seek to develop a prototype software analytical tool to augment FDA regulatory reviewers’ capacity to harness scientific literature reports in PubMed/MEDLINE for pharmacovigilance and adverse drug event (ADE) safety signal detection. We also aim to gather feedback through usability testing to assess design, performance, and user satisfaction with the tool. Methods A prototype, open source, web-based, software analytical tool generated statistical disproportionality data mining signal scores and dynamic visual analytics for ADE safety signal detection and management. We leveraged Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) indexing terms assigned to published citations in PubMed/MEDLINE to generate candidate drug-adverse event pairs for quantitative data mining. Six FDA regulatory reviewers participated in usability testing by employing the tool as part of their ongoing real-life pharmacovigilance activities to provide subjective feedback on its practical impact, added value, and fitness for use. Results All usability test participants cited the tool’s ease of learning, ease of use, and generation of quantitative ADE safety signals, some of which corresponded to known established adverse drug reactions. Potential concerns included the comparability of the tool’s automated literature search relative to a manual ‘all fields’ PubMed search, missing drugs and adverse event terms, interpretation of signal scores, and integration with existing computer-based analytical tools. Conclusions Usability testing demonstrated that this novel tool can automate the detection of ADE safety signals from published literature reports. Various mitigation strategies are described to foster improvements in design, productivity, and end user satisfaction. PMID:28326432

Harnessing scientific literature reports for pharmacovigilance. Prototype software analytical tool development and usability testing.

PubMed

Sorbello, Alfred; Ripple, Anna; Tonning, Joseph; Munoz, Monica; Hasan, Rashedul; Ly, Thomas; Francis, Henry; Bodenreider, Olivier

2017-03-22

We seek to develop a prototype software analytical tool to augment FDA regulatory reviewers' capacity to harness scientific literature reports in PubMed/MEDLINE for pharmacovigilance and adverse drug event (ADE) safety signal detection. We also aim to gather feedback through usability testing to assess design, performance, and user satisfaction with the tool. A prototype, open source, web-based, software analytical tool generated statistical disproportionality data mining signal scores and dynamic visual analytics for ADE safety signal detection and management. We leveraged Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) indexing terms assigned to published citations in PubMed/MEDLINE to generate candidate drug-adverse event pairs for quantitative data mining. Six FDA regulatory reviewers participated in usability testing by employing the tool as part of their ongoing real-life pharmacovigilance activities to provide subjective feedback on its practical impact, added value, and fitness for use. All usability test participants cited the tool's ease of learning, ease of use, and generation of quantitative ADE safety signals, some of which corresponded to known established adverse drug reactions. Potential concerns included the comparability of the tool's automated literature search relative to a manual 'all fields' PubMed search, missing drugs and adverse event terms, interpretation of signal scores, and integration with existing computer-based analytical tools. Usability testing demonstrated that this novel tool can automate the detection of ADE safety signals from published literature reports. Various mitigation strategies are described to foster improvements in design, productivity, and end user satisfaction.

Front End Software for Online Database Searching Part 1: Definitions, System Features, and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Donald T.; Levy, Louise R.

1985-01-01

This initial article in series of three discusses barriers inhibiting use of current online retrieval systems by novice users and notes reasons for front end and gateway online retrieval systems. Definitions, front end features, user interface, location (personal computer, host mainframe), evaluation, and strengths and weaknesses are covered. (16…

Introducing a "Means-End" Approach to Human-Computer Interaction: Why Users Choose Particular Web Sites Over Others.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramony, Deepak Prem

Gutman's means-end theory, widely used in market research, identifies three levels of abstraction: attributes, consequences, and values--associated with the use of products, representing the process by which physical attributes of products gain personal meaning for users. The primary methodological manifestation of means-end theory is the…

47 CFR 54.709 - Computations of required contributions to universal service support mechanisms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contributors' interstate and international revenues derived from domestic end users for telecommunications or... will be contributors' projected collected interstate and international revenues derived from domestic... mechanisms to the total end-user interstate and international telecommunications revenues, net of prior...

User-Customizing HIS Interface by Light Programming Tool: the Case of Redesigning the Nursing Kardex with InfoPath 2003

PubMed Central

Chang, Tsuei-Rung; Chang, Polun

2006-01-01

Due to lack of IT resources, the End-User Computing strategy seems useful for the front-end users to develop and customize their own information application. We taught the nurses to use the InfoPath 2003 to design their own card-filing Kardex system and observed promising results. PMID:17238497

The Use of Computers and Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices by Children and Young with Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Thais Pousada; Loureiro, Javier Pereira; Gonzalez, Betania Groba; Riveiro, Laura Nieto; Sierra, Alejandro Pazos

2011-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the use of computers and assistive devices amongst children with cerebral palsy (CP) and establish the satisfaction level of both users and educational staff. The study was carried out with 30 children with cerebral palsy. A questionnaire was designed to characterize the use of new technologies and…

Incorporating User Preferences Within an Optimal Traffic Flow Management Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rios, Joseph Lucio; Sheth, Kapil S.; Guiterrez-Nolasco, Sebastian Armardo

2010-01-01

The effectiveness of future decision support tools for Traffic Flow Management in the National Airspace System will depend on two major factors: computational burden and collaboration. Previous research has focused separately on these two aspects without consideration of their interaction. In this paper, their explicit combination is examined. It is shown that when user preferences are incorporated with an optimal approach to scheduling, runtime is not adversely affected. A benefit-cost ratio is used to measure the influence of user preferences on an optimal solution. This metric shows user preferences can be accommodated without inordinately, negatively affecting the overall system delay. Specifically, incorporating user preferences will increase delays proportionally to increased user satisfaction.

Storyboard method of end-user programming with natural language configuration

DOEpatents

Bouchard, Ann M; Osbourn, Gordon C

2013-11-19

A technique for end-user programming includes populating a template with graphically illustrated actions and then invoking a command to generate a screen element based on the template. The screen element is rendered within a computing environment and provides a mechanism for triggering execution of a sequence of user actions. The sequence of user actions is based at least in part on the graphically illustrated actions populated into the template.

Validating MEDIQUAL Constructs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang-Gun; Min, Jae H.

In this paper, we validate MEDIQUAL constructs through the different media users in help desk service. In previous research, only two end-users' constructs were used: assurance and responsiveness. In this paper, we extend MEDIQUAL constructs to include reliability, empathy, assurance, tangibles, and responsiveness, which are based on the SERVQUAL theory. The results suggest that: 1) five MEDIQUAL constructs are validated through the factor analysis. That is, importance of the constructs have relatively high correlations between measures of the same construct using different methods and low correlations between measures of the constructs that are expected to differ; and 2) five MEDIQUAL constructs are statistically significant on media users' satisfaction in help desk service by regression analysis.

SPEAR Trial: Smartphone Pediatric ElectrocARdiogram Trial

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Hoang H.; Van Hare, George F.; Rudokas, Michael; Bowman, Tammy; Silva, Jennifer N. A.

2015-01-01

Objectives Smartphone-enabled ECG devices have the potential to improve patient care by enabling remote ECG assessment of patients with potential and diagnosed arrhythmias. This prospective study aimed to assess the usefulness of pediatric ECG tracings generated by the AliveCor device (Oklahoma City, OK) and to assess user satisfaction. Study Design Enrolled pediatric patients with documented paroxysmal arrhythmia used the AliveCor device over a yearlong study period. Pediatric electrophysiologists reviewed all transmitted ECG tracings. Patient completed surveys were analyzed to assess user satisfaction. Results 35 patients were enrolled with the following diagnoses: supraventricular tachycardia (SVT, 57%), atrial fibrillation (AF, 11%), ectopic atrial tachycardia (EAT, 6%), atrial tachycardia (AT, 3%), and ventricular tachycardia (VT, 23%). A total of 238 tracings were received from 20 patients, 96% of which were of diagnostic quality for sinus rhythm, sinus tachycardia, SVT, and AF. 126 patient satisfaction surveys (64% from parents) were completed. 98% of the survey responses indicated that it was easy to obtain tracings, 93% found it easy to transmit the tracings, 98% showed added comfort in managing arrhythmia by having the device, and 93% showed interest in continued use of the device after the study period ended. Conclusions Smartphone-enabled ECG devices can generate tracings of diagnostic quality in children. User satisfaction was extremely positive. Use of the device to manage certain patients with AF and SVT showcases the future role of remote ECGs in the successful outpatient management of arrhythmias in children by potentially reducing Emergency Department visits and healthcare costs. PMID:26295569

The EU-project United4Health: User-centred design of an information system for a Norwegian telemedicine service.

PubMed

Smaradottir, Berglind; Gerdes, Martin; Martinez, Santiago; Fensli, Rune

2016-10-01

Organizational changes of health care services in Norway brought to light a need for new clinical pathways. This study presents the design and evaluation of an information system for a new telemedicine service for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients after hospital discharge. A user-centred design approach was employed composed of a workshop with end-users, two user tests and a field trial. For data collection, qualitative methods such as observations, semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were used. User workshop's outcome informed the implementation of the system initial prototype, evaluated by end-users in a usability laboratory. Several usability and functionality issues were identified and solved, such as the interface between the initial colour scheme and the triage colours. Iterative refinements were made and a second user evaluation showed that the main issues were solved. The responses to a questionnaire presented a high score of user satisfaction. In the final phase, a field trial showed satisfactory use of the system. This study showed how the target end-users groups were actively involved in identifying the needs, suggestions and preferences. These aspects were addressed in the development of an information system through a user-centred design process. The process efficiently enabled users to give feedback about design and functionality. Continuous refinement of the system was the key to full development and suitability for the telemedicine service. This research was a result of the international cooperation between partners within the project United4Health, a part of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research of the European Union. © The Author(s) 2015.

Integration of end-user Cloud storage for CMS analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riahi, Hassen; Aimar, Alberto; Ayllon, Alejandro Alvarez

End-user Cloud storage is increasing rapidly in popularity in research communities thanks to the collaboration capabilities it offers, namely synchronisation and sharing. CERN IT has implemented a model of such storage named, CERNBox, integrated with the CERN AuthN and AuthZ services. To exploit the use of the end-user Cloud storage for the distributed data analysis activity, the CMS experiment has started the integration of CERNBox as a Grid resource. This will allow CMS users to make use of their own storage in the Cloud for their analysis activities as well as to benefit from synchronisation and sharing capabilities to achievemore » results faster and more effectively. It will provide an integration model of Cloud storages in the Grid, which is implemented and commissioned over the world’s largest computing Grid infrastructure, Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). In this paper, we present the integration strategy and infrastructure changes needed in order to transparently integrate end-user Cloud storage with the CMS distributed computing model. We describe the new challenges faced in data management between Grid and Cloud and how they were addressed, along with details of the support for Cloud storage recently introduced into the WLCG data movement middleware, FTS3. Finally, the commissioning experience of CERNBox for the distributed data analysis activity is also presented.« less

Integration of end-user Cloud storage for CMS analysis

DOE PAGES

Riahi, Hassen; Aimar, Alberto; Ayllon, Alejandro Alvarez; ...

2017-05-19

End-user Cloud storage is increasing rapidly in popularity in research communities thanks to the collaboration capabilities it offers, namely synchronisation and sharing. CERN IT has implemented a model of such storage named, CERNBox, integrated with the CERN AuthN and AuthZ services. To exploit the use of the end-user Cloud storage for the distributed data analysis activity, the CMS experiment has started the integration of CERNBox as a Grid resource. This will allow CMS users to make use of their own storage in the Cloud for their analysis activities as well as to benefit from synchronisation and sharing capabilities to achievemore » results faster and more effectively. It will provide an integration model of Cloud storages in the Grid, which is implemented and commissioned over the world’s largest computing Grid infrastructure, Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). In this paper, we present the integration strategy and infrastructure changes needed in order to transparently integrate end-user Cloud storage with the CMS distributed computing model. We describe the new challenges faced in data management between Grid and Cloud and how they were addressed, along with details of the support for Cloud storage recently introduced into the WLCG data movement middleware, FTS3. Finally, the commissioning experience of CERNBox for the distributed data analysis activity is also presented.« less

End-User Use of Data Base Query Language: Pros and Cons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholes, Walter

1988-01-01

Man-machine interface, the concept of a computer "query," a review of database technology, and a description of the use of query languages at Brigham Young University are discussed. The pros and cons of end-user use of database query languages are explored. (Author/MLW)

Measuring Website Quality: Asymmetric Effect of User Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kincl, Tomas; Strach, Pavel

2012-01-01

Website quality measurement tools have been largely static and have struggled to determine relevant attributes of user satisfaction. This study compares and contrasts attributes of user satisfaction based on usability guidelines seeking to identify practical easy-to-administer measurement tools. The website users assessed business school homepages…

Protecting the patient by promoting end-user competence in health informatics systems-moves towards a generic health computer user "driving license".

PubMed

Rigby, Michael

2004-03-18

The effectiveness and quality of health informatics systems' support to healthcare delivery are largely determined by two factors-the suitability of the system installed, and the competence of the users. However, the profile of users of large-scale clinical health systems is significantly different from the profile of end-users in other enterprises such as the finance sector, insurance, travel or retail sales. Work with a mental health provider in Ireland, who was introducing a customized electronic patient record (EPR) system, identified the strong legal and ethical importance of adequately skills for the health professionals and others, who would be the system users. The experience identified the need for a clear and comprehensive generic user qualification at a basic but robust level. The European computer driving license (ECDL) has gained wide recognition as a basic generic qualification for users of computer systems. However, health systems and data have a series of characteristics that differentiate them from other data systems. The logical conclusion was the recognition of a need for an additional domain-specific qualification-an "ECDL Health Supplement". Development of this is now being progressed.

Cables.

PubMed

Cushing, M

1994-01-01

If you want to control your own computer installation, get the satisfaction of doing your own maintenance, and compensate for an inept or uninformed vendor, the information in this article will help you achieve these ends. Good luck and good cabling!

A survey of recipient client physician satisfaction with teleoncology services originating from thunder bay regional health sciences centre.

PubMed

Brigden, Malcolm; Minty, Alana; Pilatzke, Susan; Della Vidova, Lori; Sherrington, Laurie; McPhail, Karen

2008-04-01

The objective of this work was to investigate end user satisfaction and perceived efficacy on the part of client physicians for teleoncology services in Northwestern Ontario. A survey of 98 referring physicians from 17 remote communities in Northwestern Ontario was undertaken primarily to determine overall client physician satisfaction with the teleoncology process. The survey also investigated perceived problems and explored potential solutions. Overall client physician satisfaction was high for the majority of response fields. However, more than 50% of surveyed physicians felt that some aspects of the teleoncology process could be improved with an emphasis on more timely communication of interview results, continuity of care, and improving patients comfort level with the technologies involved. The success of this service is evidenced by its exponential growth since the original introduction in 2001. Ninety-eight percent of referring physicians would continue to use the teleoncology service process.

Increased User Satisfaction Through an Improved Message System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weissert, C. L.

1997-01-01

With all of the enhancements in software methodology and testing, there is no guarantee that software can be delivered such that no user errors occur, How to handle these errors when they occur has become a major research topic within human-computer interaction (HCI). Users of the Multimission Spacecraft Analysis Subsystem(MSAS) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a system of X and motif graphical user interfaces for analyzing spacecraft data, complained about the lack of information about the error cause and have suggested that recovery actions be included in the system error messages...The system was evaluated through usability surveys and was shown to be successful.

Analysis of Student Satisfaction Toward Quality of Service Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Napitupulu, D.; Rahim, R.; Abdullah, D.; Setiawan, MI; Abdillah, LA; Ahmar, AS; Simarmata, J.; Hidayat, R.; Nurdiyanto, H.; Pranolo, A.

2018-01-01

The development of higher education is very rapid rise to the tight competition both public universities and private colleges. XYZ University realized to win the competition, required continuous quality improvement, including the quality of existing service facilities. Amenities quality services is believed to support the success of the learning activities and improve user satisfaction. This study aims to determine the extent to which the quality of the services effect on user satisfaction. The research method used is survey-based questionnaire that measure perception and expectation. The results showed a gap between perception and expectations of the respondents have a negative value for each item. This means XYZ service facility at the university is not currently meet the expectations of society members. Three service facility that has the lowest index is based on the perception of respondents is a laboratory (2.56), computer and multimedia (2.63) as well as wifi network (2.99). The magnitude of the correlation between satisfaction with the quality of service facilities is 0.725 which means a strong and positive relationship. The influence of the quality of service facilities to the satisfaction of the students is 0.525 meaning that the variable quality of the services facility can explain 52.5% of the variable satisfaction. The study provided recommendations for improvements to enhance the quality of services facility at the XYZ university facilities.

Evaluation of a User Information Satisfaction Short-Form Instrument.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

from the bottom roots [34]. SAS has the capability of computing the Kaiser - Meyer - Olkin (MSA option) measure of sampling adequacy [33]. The MSA is a...msa /* Kaiser Measure of Sampling Adequacy - Sphericity */ scree heywood n=l rotate=varimax reorder; title3 "Maximum Likeliness Factor Analysis with One

Satisfaction with nursing care in drug users: the evolution of a scale.

PubMed

Seabra, Paulo Rosário Carvalho; Sá, Luis Octávio; Amendoeira, José Joaquim Penedos; Ribeiro, Ana Leonor

2017-07-13

To identify the degree of satisfaction with nursing care, the significant variables and contribute to the evolution of the scale. Descriptive, correlational, cross study, with 180 drug users. Data collected using the scale called "Satisfaction of users with the Nursing Health Center26", between February and December 2012 in three treatment units in the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, Portugal. Users indicated 83.3% satisfaction. The dimension "Information individualization" was the most marked (98.5%). The more stability in the programs, abstinence from stimulants and benzodiazepines and more nursing interventions, the greater the satisfaction. Better working conditions, specializing in mental health, younger ages and less experience of nurses also contributed to satisfaction. Four items of the scale were extracted, assuming new SUCECS22 designation. Satisfaction was high, influenced by structural variables of users, nurses and working conditions. The scale has proved suitable for assessment in this population.

The role of satisfaction and emotional response in the choice mechanisms of suburban natural-areas users.

PubMed

Lopez-Mosquera, Natalia; Sanchez, Mercedes

2012-01-01

The unique observations and experiences of users of suburban natural areas lead them to perceive their surroundings in a manner associated with their personal values. It follows that every individual has a unique cognitive decision-making structure. This paper examines users' affective and cognitive evaluation of a particular suburban natural area by applying the means-end chain method to reveal the cognitive mechanism by which users link the attributes and benefits of an environmental public good with their own personal values. Analysis of a survey conducted of visitors to a Spanish suburban natural area (park) reveals the main attributes to be the opportunity to practice sports and proximity of the park and the main potential benefits to be the improvement of physical and psychological well-being. The desired personal values include fun, quality of life and self-fulfillment at the individual level and improved social relationships at the collective level. The paper also tests for cross-group, cognitive-structure differences in visitor groups, segmented by level of satisfaction and reported range of emotions, and finds that perceived physical and psychological health improvements and individual and social awareness increase with higher levels of satisfaction and emotional response. Therefore, the recommendations for natural area management suggested by these findings include enhancing the scenic beauty and peacefulness of suburban natural areas in order to improve the affective state of visitors because this could contribute to reducing social costs (including health care) within the area of influence of the natural area.

The Role of Satisfaction and Emotional Response in the Choice Mechanisms of Suburban Natural-Areas Users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Mosquera, Natalia; Sanchez, Mercedes

2012-01-01

The unique observations and experiences of users of suburban natural areas lead them to perceive their surroundings in a manner associated with their personal values. It follows that every individual has a unique cognitive decision-making structure. This paper examines users' affective and cognitive evaluation of a particular suburban natural area by applying the means-end chain method to reveal the cognitive mechanism by which users link the attributes and benefits of an environmental public good with their own personal values. Analysis of a survey conducted of visitors to a Spanish suburban natural area (park) reveals the main attributes to be the opportunity to practice sports and proximity of the park and the main potential benefits to be the improvement of physical and psychological well-being. The desired personal values include fun, quality of life and self-fulfillment at the individual level and improved social relationships at the collective level. The paper also tests for cross-group, cognitive-structure differences in visitor groups, segmented by level of satisfaction and reported range of emotions, and finds that perceived physical and psychological health improvements and individual and social awareness increase with higher levels of satisfaction and emotional response. Therefore, the recommendations for natural area management suggested by these findings include enhancing the scenic beauty and peacefulness of suburban natural areas in order to improve the affective state of visitors because this could contribute to reducing social costs (including health care) within the area of influence of the natural area.

Experiences with establishing and implementing learning management system and computer-based test system in medical college.

PubMed

Park, Joo Hyun; Son, Ji Young; Kim, Sun

2012-09-01

The purpose of this study was to establish an e-learning system to support learning in medical education and identify solutions for improving the system. A learning management system (LMS) and computer-based test (CBT) system were established to support e-learning for medical students. A survey of 219 first- and second-grade medical students was administered. The questionnaire included 9 forced choice questions about the usability of system and 2 open-ended questions about necessary improvements to the system. The LMS consisted of a class management, class evaluation, and class attendance system. CBT consisted of a test management, item bank, and authoring tool system. The results of the survey showed a high level of satisfaction in all system usability items except for stability. Further, the advantages of the e-learning system were ensuring information accessibility, providing constant feedback, and designing an intuitive interface. Necessary improvements to the system were stability, user control, readability, and diverse device usage. Based on the findings, suggestions for developing an e-learning system to improve usability by medical students and support learning effectively are recommended.

Clinical impact and value of workstation single sign-on.

PubMed

Gellert, George A; Crouch, John F; Gibson, Lynn A; Conklin, George S; Webster, S Luke; Gillean, John A

2017-05-01

CHRISTUS Health began implementation of computer workstation single sign-on (SSO) in 2015. SSO technology utilizes a badge reader placed at each workstation where clinicians swipe or "tap" their identification badges. To assess the impact of SSO implementation in reducing clinician time logging in to various clinical software programs, and in financial savings from migrating to a thin client that enabled replacement of traditional hard drive computer workstations. Following implementation of SSO, a total of 65,202 logins were sampled systematically during a 7day period among 2256 active clinical end users for time saved in 6 facilities when compared to pre-implementation. Dollar values were assigned to the time saved by 3 groups of clinical end users: physicians, nurses and ancillary service providers. The reduction of total clinician login time over the 7day period showed a net gain of 168.3h per week of clinician time - 28.1h (2.3 shifts) per facility per week. Annualized, 1461.2h of mixed physician and nursing time is liberated per facility per annum (121.8 shifts of 12h per year). The annual dollar cost savings of this reduction of time expended logging in is $92,146 per hospital per annum and $1,658,745 per annum in the first phase implementation of 18 hospitals. Computer hardware equipment savings due to desktop virtualization increases annual savings to $2,333,745. Qualitative value contributions to clinician satisfaction, reduction in staff turnover, facilitation of adoption of EHR applications, and other benefits of SSO are discussed. SSO had a positive impact on clinician efficiency and productivity in the 6 hospitals evaluated, and is an effective and cost-effective method to liberate clinician time from repetitive and time consuming logins to clinical software applications. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

User satisfaction with primary health care by region in Brazil: 1st cycle of external evaluation from PMAQ-AB.

PubMed

Protasio, Ane Polline Lacerda; Gomes, Luciano Bezerra; Machado, Liliane Dos Santos; Valença, Ana Maria Gondim

2017-06-01

The National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care (Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica, PMAQ-AB) aimed to improve healthcare public service quality and satisfaction of health service users. This study's objective was to identify the main factors influencing user satisfaction with primary care (PC) services by region in Brazil. Using secondary data from the 1st Cycle of PMAQ-AB, logistic regression models were developed by region, with user satisfaction as the dependent variable, as defined by cluster analysis. Based on the obtained models, the health unit's ability to solve users' problems and feeling respected by the health providers were the most important factors for user satisfaction in all regions in Brazil. However, other important factors by region included the following: the health unit's hours of operation meeting the user's needs (Northeast); providers asking about family members (North); providers asking about other health needs (Midwest); users being seen without an appointment (South); and users asking questions after the appointment (Southeast). In conclusion, the factors influencing user satisfaction with PC vary according to region and are mainly associated with access quality, meeting users' needs, and work process organization.

Understanding the relationship between Kano model's customer satisfaction scores and self-stated requirements importance.

PubMed

Mkpojiogu, Emmanuel O C; Hashim, Nor Laily

2016-01-01

Customer satisfaction is the result of product quality and viability. The place of the perceived satisfaction of users/customers for a software product cannot be neglected especially in today competitive market environment as it drives the loyalty of customers and promotes high profitability and return on investment. Therefore understanding the importance of requirements as it is associated with the satisfaction of users/customers when their requirements are met is worth the pain considering. It is necessary to know the relationship between customer satisfactions when their requirements are met (or their dissatisfaction when their requirements are unmet) and the importance of such requirement. So many works have been carried out on customer satisfaction in connection with the importance of requirements but the relationship between customer satisfaction scores (coefficients) of the Kano model and users/customers self-stated requirements importance have not been sufficiently explored. In this study, an attempt is made to unravel the underlying relationship existing between Kano model's customer satisfaction indexes and users/customers self reported requirements importance. The results of the study indicate some interesting associations between these considered variables. These bivariate associations reveal that customer satisfaction index (SI), and average satisfaction coefficient (ASC) and customer dissatisfaction index (DI) and average satisfaction coefficient (ASC) are highly correlated (r = 96 %) and thus ASC can be used in place of either SI or DI in representing customer satisfaction scores. Also, these Kano model's customer satisfaction variables (SI, DI, and ASC) are each associated with self-stated requirements importance (IMP). Further analysis indicates that the value customers or users place on requirements that are met or on features that are incorporated into a product influences the level of satisfaction such customers derive from the product. The worth of a product feature is indicated by the perceived satisfaction customers get from the inclusion of such feature in the product design and development. The satisfaction users/customers derive when a requirement is fulfilled or when a feature is placed in the product (SI or ASC) is strongly influenced by the value the users/customers place on such requirements/features when met (IMP). However, the dissatisfaction users/customers received when a requirement is not met or when a feature is not incorporated into the product (DI), even though related to self-stated requirements importance (IMP), does not have a strong effect on the importance/worth (IMP) of that given requirement/feature as perceived by the users or customers. Therefore, since customer satisfaction is proportionally related to the perceived requirements importance (worth), it is then necessary to give adequate attention to user/customer satisfying requirements (features) from elicitation to design and to the final implementation of the design. Incorporating user or customer satisfying requirements in product design is of great worth or value to the future users or customers of the product.

Practicability of hygienic wrapping of touchscreen operated mobile devices in a clinical setting.

PubMed

Hammon, Matthias; Kunz, Bernd; Dinzl, Veronika; Kammerer, Ferdinand J; Schwab, Siegfried A; Bogdan, Christian; Uder, Michael; Schlechtweg, Philipp M

2014-01-01

To prove effectiveness of wrapping tablet computers in order to reduce microbiological contamination and to evaluate whether a plastic bag-covered tablet leads to impaired user satisfaction or touchscreen functionality. Within a period of 11 days 115 patients were provided with a tablet computer while waiting for their magnetic resonance imaging examination. Every day the contamination of the surface of the tablet was determined before the first and after the final use. Before the device was handed over to a patient, it was enclosed in a customized single-use plastic bag, which was analyzed for bacterial contamination after each use. A questionnaire was applied to determine whether the plastic bag impairs the user satisfaction and the functionality of the touchscreen. Following the use by patients the outside of the plastic bags was found to be contaminated with various bacteria (657.5 ± 368.5 colony forming units/day); some of them were potentially pathogenic. In contrast, the plastic bag covered surface of the tablet was significantly less contaminated (1.7 ± 1.9 colony forming units/day). Likewise, unused plastic bags did not show any contamination. 11% of the patients reported problems with the functionality of the touchscreen. These patients admitted that they had never used a tablet or a smartphone before. Tablets get severely contaminated during usage in a clinical setting. Wrapping with a customized single-use plastic bag significantly reduces microbiological contamination of the device, protects patients from the acquisition of potentially pathogenic bacteria and hardly impairs the user satisfaction and the functionality of the touchscreen.

Practicability of Hygienic Wrapping of Touchscreen Operated Mobile Devices in a Clinical Setting

PubMed Central

Hammon, Matthias; Kunz, Bernd; Dinzl, Veronika; Kammerer, Ferdinand J.; Schwab, Siegfried A.; Bogdan, Christian; Uder, Michael; Schlechtweg, Philipp M.

2014-01-01

Background To prove effectiveness of wrapping tablet computers in order to reduce microbiological contamination and to evaluate whether a plastic bag-covered tablet leads to impaired user satisfaction or touchscreen functionality. Materials and Methods Within a period of 11 days 115 patients were provided with a tablet computer while waiting for their magnetic resonance imaging examination. Every day the contamination of the surface of the tablet was determined before the first and after the final use. Before the device was handed over to a patient, it was enclosed in a customized single-use plastic bag, which was analyzed for bacterial contamination after each use. A questionnaire was applied to determine whether the plastic bag impairs the user satisfaction and the functionality of the touchscreen. Results Following the use by patients the outside of the plastic bags was found to be contaminated with various bacteria (657.5 ± 368.5 colony forming units/day); some of them were potentially pathogenic. In contrast, the plastic bag covered surface of the tablet was significantly less contaminated (1.7 ± 1.9 colony forming units/day). Likewise, unused plastic bags did not show any contamination. 11% of the patients reported problems with the functionality of the touchscreen. These patients admitted that they had never used a tablet or a smartphone before. Conclusions Tablets get severely contaminated during usage in a clinical setting. Wrapping with a customized single-use plastic bag significantly reduces microbiological contamination of the device, protects patients from the acquisition of potentially pathogenic bacteria and hardly impairs the user satisfaction and the functionality of the touchscreen. PMID:25180580

A Comparative Analysis of Computer End-User Support in the Air Force and Civilian Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

This explanation implies a further stratification of end users based on the specific tasks they perform, a new model of application combinations, and a...its support efforts to meet the needs of its end-uiser clientele iore closely. 79 INTEGRATED .9 VERBAL ANALYTIC Figure 14. Test Model of Applications ...The IC Model : IEM, Canada. ...............19 Proliferation of ICs ... ............... 20 Services ... ..................... 21 IC States

77 FR 71171 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-29

... DHSS/DHIMS Information Systems User Satisfaction Survey, 0720-TBD. Needs and Uses: The information... (DHIMS) in a repeatable process for continued monitoring of user satisfaction using established... will determine user satisfaction with overall ease of use, access to information needed to perform...

Usability test of a hand exoskeleton for activities of daily living: an example of user-centered design.

PubMed

Almenara, Maria; Cempini, Marco; Gómez, Cristina; Cortese, Mario; Martín, Cristina; Medina, Josep; Vitiello, Nicola; Opisso, Eloy

2017-01-01

(1) To assess a robotic device (Handexos) during the design process with regard to usability, end user satisfaction and safety, (2) to determine whether Handexos can improve the activities of daily living (ADLs) of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients and stroke patients with upper-limb dysfunction. During a 2-year development stage of the device, a total of 37 participants (aged 22-68), 28 clinicians (experts) and nine patients with SCI or stroke (end users) were included in a user-centered design process featuring usability tests. They performed five grasps wearing the device. The assessments were obtained at the end of the session by filling out a questionnaire and making suggestions. The experts' opinion was that the modified device was an improvement over the preliminary version, although this was not reflected in the scores. Whereas end user scores for comfort, grasp, performance and safety were above the sufficiency threshold, the scores for year 2 were lower than those for year 1. The findings demonstrate that although Handexos meets the initial functional requirements and underlines the potential for assisting SCI and post-stroke subjects in ADLs, several aspects such as mechanical complexity and low adaptability to different hand sizes need to be further addressed. Implications for Rehabilitation Wearable robotics devices could improve the activities of daily living in patients with spinal cord injury or stroke. They could be a tool for rehabilitation of the upper limb. Further usability tests to improve this type of tools are recommended.

Measures of wilderness trip satisfaction and user perceptions of crowding

Treesearch

Chad P. Dawson; Alan E. Watson

2000-01-01

The inverse relationship between user perceptions of crowding and satisfaction with the wilderness experience was studied in three national wilderness areas in Oregon (1991) and in four state wilderness areas in the Adirondack Park of New York State (1997). User perceptions of crowding were correlated (low negative coefficients) with user satisfaction on the wilderness...

Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shneiderman, B.

1998-03-01

In revising this popular book, Ben Shneiderman again provides a complete, current and authoritative introduction to user-interface design. The user interface is the part of every computer system that determines how people control and operate that system. When the interface is well designed, it is comprehensible, predictable, and controllable; users feel competent, satisfied, and responsible for their actions. Shneiderman discusses the principles and practices needed to design such effective interaction. Based on 20 years experience, Shneiderman offers readers practical techniques and guidelines for interface design. He also takes great care to discuss underlying issues and to support conclusions with empirical results. Interface designers, software engineers, and product managers will all find this book an invaluable resource for creating systems that facilitate rapid learning and performance, yield low error rates, and generate high user satisfaction. Coverage includes the human factors of interactive software (with a new discussion of diverse user communities), tested methods to develop and assess interfaces, interaction styles such as direct manipulation for graphical user interfaces, and design considerations such as effective messages, consistent screen design, and appropriate color.

The effect of user's perceived presence and promotion focus on usability for interacting in virtual environments.

PubMed

Sun, Huey-Min; Li, Shang-Phone; Zhu, Yu-Qian; Hsiao, Bo

2015-09-01

Technological advance in human-computer interaction has attracted increasing research attention, especially in the field of virtual reality (VR). Prior research has focused on examining the effects of VR on various outcomes, for example, learning and health. However, which factors affect the final outcomes? That is, what kind of VR system design will achieve higher usability? This question remains largely. Furthermore, when we look at VR system deployment from a human-computer interaction (HCI) lens, does user's attitude play a role in achieving the final outcome? This study aims to understand the effect of immersion and involvement, as well as users' regulatory focus on usability for a somatosensory VR learning system. This study hypothesized that regulatory focus and presence can effectively enhance user's perceived usability. Survey data from 78 students in Taiwan indicated that promotion focus is positively related to user's perceived efficiency, whereas involvement and promotion focus are positively related to user's perceived effectiveness. Promotion focus also predicts user satisfaction and overall usability perception. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

A Smartphone App to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Young Adults in Australian Remote Indigenous Communities: Design, Formative Evaluation and User-Testing.

PubMed

Tonkin, Emma; Jeffs, Lauren; Wycherley, Thomas Philip; Maher, Carol; Smith, Ross; Hart, Jonathon; Cubillo, Beau; Brimblecombe, Julie

2017-12-12

The disproportionate burden of noncommunicable disease among Indigenous Australians living in remote Indigenous communities (RICs) is a complex and persistent problem. Smartphones are increasingly being used by young Indigenous adults and therefore represent a promising method to engage them in programs seeking to improve nutritional intake. This study aimed to consult RIC members to inform the content of a smartphone app that can be used to monitor and reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake in RICs. The study was conducted in two phases. The formative phase involved a simulated grocery selection activity with think aloud ("think aloud shop"), a semistructured interview, a questionnaire outlining current smartphone and app use, and a paper prototyping activity. A preliminary end-user testing phase involved a think aloud prototype test and a semistructured interview regarding user satisfaction. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 20 18- to 35-year-old smartphone users for each phase from two RICs in the Northern Territory, Australia. Thematic analysis of transcribed audio recordings was used to identify determinants of food choice from the think aloud shop; themes related to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) from the eating behaviors interview; and usability, comprehension, and satisfaction with the app from the preliminary end-user testing. Smartphone use in RICs is currently different to that found in urban environments; in particular, extremely low use of Facebook, restricted variety of phone types, and limited Internet access. Findings regarding promoting app engagement indicate that utilizing an opt-in approach to social features such as leader boards and team challenges is essential. The inclusion of games was also shown to be important for satisfaction, as were the use of audio features, contextually embedded dissemination, and streamlined app design for comprehension in this target group. This research provides critical insights and concrete recommendations for the development of lifestyle improvement apps targeted toward disadvantaged young adults in nonurban settings, specifically RICs. It serves as a framework for future app development projects using a consultative user-centered design approach, supporting calls for the increased use of this strategy in app development. ©Emma Tonkin, Lauren Jeffs, Thomas Philip Wycherley, Carol Maher, Ross Smith, Jonathon Hart, Beau Cubillo, Julie Brimblecombe. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 12.12.2017.

Image-Processing Software For A Hypercube Computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Meemong; Mazer, Alan S.; Groom, Steven L.; Williams, Winifred I.

1992-01-01

Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE) is software system intended to develop and use image-processing application programs on concurrent computing environment. Designed to shield programmer from complexities of concurrent-system architecture, it provides interactive image-processing environment for end user. CIPE utilizes architectural characteristics of particular concurrent system to maximize efficiency while preserving architectural independence from user and programmer. CIPE runs on Mark-IIIfp 8-node hypercube computer and associated SUN-4 host computer.

Multicenter User Evaluation of ACCU-CHEK® Combo, an Integrated System for Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion

PubMed Central

Kerr, David; Hoogma, Roel P.L.M; Buhr, Andreas; Petersen, Bettina; Storms, Fred E.M.G

2010-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate a newly developed system for insulin delivery incorporating a multifunctional blood glucose meter and a remotely controlled insulin pump (ACCU-CHEK® Combo system) in established pump users with type 1 diabetes. The technology was assessed both from device performance and subject usability perspectives. Method A multicenter, prospective, single group study was carried out in five centers in the Netherlands and four centers in the United Kingdom for more than 6 months. The study was divided into two phases: Phase 1 (4 weeks) for device validation purposes and phase 2 (22 weeks) to observe the impact of the system on metabolic control, patient satisfaction [using the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ)] and device safety. Results Eighty subjects completed the planned study period. There were no unexpected device errors. Treatment satisfaction was high at baseline and further increased to study end (DTSQ change version: sum score, 10.6 ± 7.2; scale score range, -18 to +18, p < 0.0001). Hemoglobin A1c improved continuously over time, from 7.9% (±0.9%) to 7.7% (±0.8%) at month 3 (p < 0.001) and 7.6% (±0.8%) at month 6 (p < 0.0001). The frequency of severe hypoglycemia was 0.08 per patient years. There was no case of ketoacidosis. Conclusions The new system was evaluated by experienced continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion users as safe in daily practice and associated with favorable treatment satisfaction and a modest improvement in glycemic control. PMID:21129336

Computer Security Issues in Online Banking: An Assessment from the Context of Usable Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmadi, FN; Zaaba, ZF; Osman, A.

2016-11-01

Today's online banking is a convenient mode of finance management. Despite the ease of doing online banking, there are people that still sceptical in utilizing it due to perception and its security. This paper highlights the subject of online banking security in Malaysia, especially from the perspective of the end-users. The study is done by assessing human computer interaction, usability and security. An online survey utilising 137 participants was previously conducted to gain preliminary insights on security issues of online banking in Malaysia. Following from those results, 37 participants were interviewed to gauge deeper understanding about end-users perception on online banking within the context of usable security. The results suggested that most of the end-users are continuingly experiencing significant difficulties especially in relation to the technical terminologies, security features and other technical issues. Although the security features are provided to provide a shield or protection, users are still incapable to cope with the technical aspects of such implementation.

Interfacing HTCondor-CE with OpenStack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bockelman, B.; Caballero Bejar, J.; Hover, J.

2017-10-01

Over the past few years, Grid Computing technologies have reached a high level of maturity. One key aspect of this success has been the development and adoption of newer Compute Elements to interface the external Grid users with local batch systems. These new Compute Elements allow for better handling of jobs requirements and a more precise management of diverse local resources. However, despite this level of maturity, the Grid Computing world is lacking diversity in local execution platforms. As Grid Computing technologies have historically been driven by the needs of the High Energy Physics community, most resource providers run the platform (operating system version and architecture) that best suits the needs of their particular users. In parallel, the development of virtualization and cloud technologies has accelerated recently, making available a variety of solutions, both commercial and academic, proprietary and open source. Virtualization facilitates performing computational tasks on platforms not available at most computing sites. This work attempts to join the technologies, allowing users to interact with computing sites through one of the standard Computing Elements, HTCondor-CE, but running their jobs within VMs on a local cloud platform, OpenStack, when needed. The system will re-route, in a transparent way, end user jobs into dynamically-launched VM worker nodes when they have requirements that cannot be satisfied by the static local batch system nodes. Also, once the automated mechanisms are in place, it becomes straightforward to allow an end user to invoke a custom Virtual Machine at the site. This will allow cloud resources to be used without requiring the user to establish a separate account. Both scenarios are described in this work.

Gender-Based Behavioral Analysis for End-User Development and the "RULES" Attributes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzafilkou, Katerina; Protogeros, Nicolaos; Karagiannidis, Charalampos; Koumpis, Adamantios

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the role of gender in End-User Development (EUD) environments and examines whether there are gender differences in performance and in correlations between performance and a set of behavioral attributes. Based on a review of the most prominent EUD-related behavioral Human Computer Interaction (HCI) theories, and the influence…

Evaluation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities : user satisfaction and perceptions on three shared use trails in Texas

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-05-01

The responses to the surveys were analyzed to determine consistent themes and trends in user satisfaction and perceptions. The study found that several trail attributes contribute significantly to user satisfaction and higher levels of trail use. Ade...

Public satisfaction as a measure of health system performance: a study of nine countries in the former Soviet Union.

PubMed

Footman, Katharine; Roberts, Bayard; Mills, Anne; Richardson, Erica; McKee, Martin

2013-09-01

Measurement of health system performance increasingly includes the views of healthcare users, yet little research has focussed on general population satisfaction with health systems. This study is the first to examine public satisfaction with health systems in the former Soviet Union (fSU). Data were derived from two related studies conducted in 2001 and 2010 in nine fSU countries, using nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. The prevalence of health system satisfaction in each country was compared for 2001 and 2010. Patterns of satisfaction were further examined by comparing satisfaction with the health system and other parts of the public sector, and the views of health care users and non-users. Potential determinants of population satisfaction were explored using logistic regression. For all countries combined, the level of satisfaction with health systems increased from 19.4% in 2001 to 40.6% in 2010, but varied considerably by country. Changes in satisfaction with the health system were similar to changes with the public sector, and non-users of healthcare were slightly more likely to report satisfaction than users. Characteristics associated with higher satisfaction include younger age, lower education, higher economic status, rural residency, better health status, and higher levels of political trust. Our results suggest that satisfaction can provide useful insight into public opinion on health system performance, particularly when used in conjunction with other subjective measures of satisfaction with government performance. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Clinical evaluation of BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perdikis, S.; Leeb, R.; Williamson, J.; Ramsay, A.; Tavella, M.; Desideri, L.; Hoogerwerf, E.-J.; Al-Khodairy, A.; Murray-Smith, R.; Millán, J. d. R.

2014-06-01

Objective. While brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for communication have reached considerable technical maturity, there is still a great need for state-of-the-art evaluation by the end-users outside laboratory environments. To achieve this primary objective, it is necessary to augment a BCI with a series of components that allow end-users to type text effectively. Approach. This work presents the clinical evaluation of a motor imagery (MI) BCI text-speller, called BrainTree, by six severely disabled end-users and ten able-bodied users. Additionally, we define a generic model of code-based BCI applications, which serves as an analytical tool for evaluation and design. Main results. We show that all users achieved remarkable usability and efficiency outcomes in spelling. Furthermore, our model-based analysis highlights the added value of human-computer interaction techniques and hybrid BCI error-handling mechanisms, and reveals the effects of BCI performances on usability and efficiency in code-based applications. Significance. This study demonstrates the usability potential of code-based MI spellers, with BrainTree being the first to be evaluated by a substantial number of end-users, establishing them as a viable, competitive alternative to other popular BCI spellers. Another major outcome of our model-based analysis is the derivation of a 80% minimum command accuracy requirement for successful code-based application control, revising upwards previous estimates attempted in the literature.

Clinical evaluation of BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller.

PubMed

Perdikis, S; Leeb, R; Williamson, J; Ramsay, A; Tavella, M; Desideri, L; Hoogerwerf, E-J; Al-Khodairy, A; Murray-Smith, R; Millán, J D R

2014-06-01

While brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for communication have reached considerable technical maturity, there is still a great need for state-of-the-art evaluation by the end-users outside laboratory environments. To achieve this primary objective, it is necessary to augment a BCI with a series of components that allow end-users to type text effectively. This work presents the clinical evaluation of a motor imagery (MI) BCI text-speller, called BrainTree, by six severely disabled end-users and ten able-bodied users. Additionally, we define a generic model of code-based BCI applications, which serves as an analytical tool for evaluation and design. We show that all users achieved remarkable usability and efficiency outcomes in spelling. Furthermore, our model-based analysis highlights the added value of human-computer interaction techniques and hybrid BCI error-handling mechanisms, and reveals the effects of BCI performances on usability and efficiency in code-based applications. This study demonstrates the usability potential of code-based MI spellers, with BrainTree being the first to be evaluated by a substantial number of end-users, establishing them as a viable, competitive alternative to other popular BCI spellers. Another major outcome of our model-based analysis is the derivation of a 80% minimum command accuracy requirement for successful code-based application control, revising upwards previous estimates attempted in the literature.

Does user satisfaction relate to adoption behavior?: an exploratory analysis using CPRS implementation.

PubMed Central

Weir, C. R.; Crockett, R.; Gohlinghorst, S.; McCarthy, C.

2000-01-01

User satisfaction is commonly assessed in evaluations of information systems as a proxy for user adoption. However few studies actually report directly assessing the relationship between the two constructs. In this study the relationship between four user satisfaction measures and five adoption behaviors were explored in the context of the implementation of the Veteran's Health Administration Computerized Patient Record System 1.0. Findings suggest that the relationship is modest and depends on the measurement system used. Specifically, direct reports of affect and judgements of specific task efficacy related to behavior more often than usability and a general user satisfaction instrument. PMID:11080017

Customer satisfaction at US Army Corps of Engineers-administered lakes: a compilation of two years of performance data

Treesearch

Robert C. Burns; Alan R. Graefe; John P. Titre

1998-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate the application of a model which can be used to predict the overall customer satisfaction levels of water-based recreationists. Data were collected from two distinctly different user groups; boat ramp users and campground users. Results indicated that each user group had different satisfaction attributes that impacted their...

Enhancing Evacuation Plans with a Situation Awareness System Based on End-User Knowledge Provision

PubMed Central

Morales, Augusto; Alcarria, Ramon; Martin, Diego; Robles, Tomas

2014-01-01

Recent disasters have shown that having clearly defined preventive procedures and decisions is a critical component that minimizes evacuation hazards and ensures a rapid and successful evolution of evacuation plans. In this context, we present our Situation-Aware System for enhancing Evacuation Plans (SASEP) system, which allows creating end-user business rules that technically support the specific events, conditions and actions related to evacuation plans. An experimental validation was carried out where 32 people faced a simulated emergency situation, 16 of them using SASEP and the other 16 using a legacy system based on static signs. From the results obtained, we compare both techniques and discuss in which situations SASEP offers a better evacuation route option, confirming that it is highly valuable when there is a threat in the evacuation route. In addition, a study about user satisfaction using both systems is presented showing in which cases the systems are assessed as satisfactory, relevant and not frustrating. PMID:24961212

Enhancing evacuation plans with a situation awareness system based on end-user knowledge provision.

PubMed

Morales, Augusto; Alcarria, Ramon; Martin, Diego; Robles, Tomas

2014-06-24

Recent disasters have shown that having clearly defined preventive procedures and decisions is a critical component that minimizes evacuation hazards and ensures a rapid and successful evolution of evacuation plans. In this context, we present our Situation-Aware System for enhancing Evacuation Plans (SASEP) system, which allows creating end-user business rules that technically support the specific events, conditions and actions related to evacuation plans. An experimental validation was carried out where 32 people faced a simulated emergency situation, 16 of them using SASEP and the other 16 using a legacy system based on static signs. From the results obtained, we compare both techniques and discuss in which situations SASEP offers a better evacuation route option, confirming that it is highly valuable when there is a threat in the evacuation route. In addition, a study about user satisfaction using both systems is presented showing in which cases the systems are assessed as satisfactory, relevant and not frustrating.

[Neurofeedback in Parkinson's disease: technologies in speech and language therapy.

PubMed

Lavermicocca, Valentina; Dellomonaco, Anna Rita; Tedesco, Angela; Notarnicola, Marilina; Di Fede, Roberta; Battaglini, Piero Paolo

2018-02-01

Neurofeedback (NF) is a form of biofeedback based on the self-modulation of brain activity; it aims to enhance mental and behavioral performances. The user modifies his brain functions thanks to EEG-mediated self-regulation and therapist's guidance. Recent advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) have provided new evidence on the effectiveness of NF in reinforcing cognitive functions expecially in children with ADHD. The applications on adults with cognitive deficits are still few. The study aims to investigate the possible effect of NF techniques on cognitive performance of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in terms of changes in scores at the neurocognitive assessment. Ten PD patients, staged according to Hoehn & Yahr scale and cognitively evaluated, were recruited. age 55-85, correct audio-visual functions, phase-on of dopaminergic therapy, Mild Cognitive Impairment. The rehabilitation program has been structured in 24 sessions. The NeuroSky MindWave headset and related software were used as BCI. At the end of the therapeutic path, the pre and post-treatment test's results were compared. Statistical analyzes were performed with SAS. Cognitive revaluation showed a significant increase in scores and satisfaction questionnaires reported high values. The application of NF techniques in PD patients was promising. The increase in satisfaction levels seems to be due to the perception of a direct control over one's cognitive performances.

CPE--A New Perspective: The Impact of the Technology Revolution. Proceedings of the Computer Performance Evaluation Users Group Meeting (19th, San Francisco, California, October 25-28, 1983). Final Report. Reports on Computer Science and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mobray, Deborah, Ed.

Papers on local area networks (LANs), modelling techniques, software improvement, capacity planning, software engineering, microcomputers and end user computing, cost accounting and chargeback, configuration and performance management, and benchmarking presented at this conference include: (1) "Theoretical Performance Analysis of Virtual…

The open black box: The role of the end-user in GIS integration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poore, B.S.

2003-01-01

Formalist theories of knowledge that underpin GIS scholarship on integration neglect the importance and creativity of end-users in knowledge construction. This has practical consequences for the success of large distributed databases that contribute to spatial-data infrastructures. Spatial-data infrastructures depend on participation at local levels, such as counties and watersheds, and they must be developed to support feedback from local users. Looking carefully at the work of scientists in a watershed in Puget Sound, Washington, USA during the salmon crisis reveals that the work of these end-users articulates different worlds of knowledge. This view of the user is consonant with recent work in science and technology studies and research into computer-supported cooperative work. GIS theory will be enhanced when it makes room for these users and supports their practical work. ?? / Canadian Association of Geographers.

Brief communication: patient satisfaction with the use of tablet computers: a pilot study in two outpatient home dialysis clinics.

PubMed

Schick-Makaroff, Kara; Molzahn, Anita

2014-01-01

Electronic capture of patients' reports of their health is significant in clinical nephrology research because health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with end-stage renal disease is compromised and assessment by patients of their HRQOL in practice is relatively uncommon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction with and time involved in administering HRQOL and symptom assessment measures using tablet computers in two outpatient home dialysis clinics. A cross-sectional observational study design was employed. The study was conducted in two home dialysis clinics. Fifty-six patients participated in the study; 35 males (63%) and 21 females (37%) with a mean age of 66 ± 12 (36-90 years old) were included. Forty-nine participants were on peritoneal dialysis (87%), 6 on home hemodialysis (11%), and 1 on nocturnal home hemodialysis (2%). Measures included the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36), the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Participant's Level of Satisfaction in Using a Tablet Computer. Using a tablet computer, participants completed the three measures. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were calculated. Participants' satisfaction with use of the tablet computer was high; 66% were "very satisfied", 7% "satisfied", 2% "slightly satisfied", and 18% "neutral". On the 7-point Likert-type scale, the mean satisfaction score was 5.11 (SD = 1.6). Mean time to complete the measures was: Level of Satisfaction 1.15 minutes (SD = 0.41), ESAS 2.55 minutes (SD = 1.04), and KDQOL 9.56 minutes (SD = 2.03); the mean time to complete all three instruments was 13.19 minutes (SD = 2.42). There were no significant correlations between level of satisfaction and age, gender, HRQOL, time taken to complete surveys, computer experience, or comfort with technology. Comfort with technology and computer experience were highly correlated, r = .7, p (one-tailed) < 0.01. Limitations include lack of generalizability because of a small self-selected sample of relatively healthy patients and a lack of psychometric testing on the measure of satisfaction. Participants were satisfied with the platform and the time involved for completion of instruments was modest. Routine use of HRQOL measures for clinical purposes may be facilitated through use of tablet computers.

Psychological Issues in Online Adaptive Task Allocation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, N. M.; Rouse, W. B.; Ward, S. L.; Frey, P. R.

1984-01-01

Adaptive aiding is an idea that offers potential for improvement over many current approaches to aiding in human-computer systems. The expected return of tailoring the system to fit the user could be in the form of improved system performance and/or increased user satisfaction. Issues such as the manner in which information is shared between human and computer, the appropriate division of labor between them, and the level of autonomy of the aid are explored. A simulated visual search task was developed. Subjects are required to identify targets in a moving display while performing a compensatory sub-critical tracking task. By manipulating characteristics of the situation such as imposed task-related workload and effort required to communicate with the computer, it is possible to create conditions in which interaction with the computer would be more or less desirable. The results of preliminary research using this experimental scenario are presented, and future directions for this research effort are discussed.

A critical analysis of user satisfaction surveys in addiction services: opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case study.

PubMed

Trujols, Joan; Iraurgi, Ioseba; Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia; Guàrdia-Olmos, Joan

2014-01-01

Satisfaction with services represents a key component of the user's perspective, and user satisfaction surveys are the most commonly used approach to evaluate the aforementioned perspective. The aim of this discursive paper is to provide a critical overview of user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, with a particular focus on opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case. We carried out a selective critical review and analysis of the literature on user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services. Most studies that have reported results of satisfaction surveys have found that the great majority of users (virtually all, in many cases) are highly satisfied with the services received. However, when these results are compared to the findings of studies that use different methodologies to explore the patient's perspective, the results are not as consistent as might be expected. It is not uncommon to find that "highly satisfied" patients report significant problems when mixed-methods studies are conducted. To understand this apparent contradiction, we explored two distinct (though not mutually exclusive) lines of reasoning, one of which concerns conceptual aspects and the other, methodological questions. User satisfaction surveys, as currently designed and carried out in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, do not significantly help to improve service quality. Therefore, most of the enthusiasm and naiveté with which satisfaction surveys are currently performed and interpreted - and rarely acted on in the case of nonoptimal results - should be avoided. A truly participatory approach to program evaluation is urgently needed to reshape and transform patient satisfaction surveys.

Full-mouth rehabilitation with immediate loading of implants inserted with computer-guided flap-less surgery: a 3-year multicenter clinical evaluation with oral health impact profile.

PubMed

Marra, Roberto; Acocella, Alessandro; Rispoli, Alessandra; Sacco, Roberto; Ganz, Scott D; Blasi, Andrea

2013-10-01

The purpose of this report is to present the clinical outcomes and patients' satisfaction of full-mouth rehabilitation using computer-aided flapless implant placement and immediate loading of a prefabricated prosthesis. The study included 30 consecutive fully edentulous patients who received 312 implants. Mandible and maxilla were treated in the same surgical session with computer-guided flapless approach using the NobelGuide protocol. Prefabricated screw-retained fixed prostheses were inserted at the end of surgery. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were assessed at 6, 12, and 36 months. At baseline and 6 months after surgery, patients answered Oral Health Impact Profile in Edentulous Adults questionnaire to assess satisfaction. The implant survival rate was 97.9%, whereas the average marginal bone loss was 1.9 ± 1.3 mm after 3 years. At 6 months, patients showed significantly greater satisfaction with their fixed rehabilitation when compared with conventional dentures. The results of this study confirm that rehabilitation with a prefabricated fixed prosthesis supported by implants placed with NobelGuide protocol is a viable and predictable treatment and increases patients' satisfaction and improves oral health-related quality of life.

Facilitating 3D Virtual World Learning Environments Creation by Non-Technical End Users through Template-Based Virtual World Instantiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chang; Zhong, Ying; Ozercan, Sertac; Zhu, Qing

2013-01-01

This paper presents a template-based solution to overcome technical barriers non-technical computer end users face when developing functional learning environments in three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). "iVirtualWorld," a prototype of a platform-independent 3DVW creation tool that implements the proposed solution, facilitates 3DVW…

15 CFR Supplement No. 7 to Part 748 - Authorization Validated End-User (VEU): List of Validated End-Users, Respective Items Eligible...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., RaycomInfotech, Park Tower C, No. 2 Science Institute South Rd., Zhong Guan Cun, Haidian District... C, No. 2 Science Institute South Rd., Zhong Guan Cun, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100190 75 FR...(limited to technology for computer products or components not exceeding an adjusted peak performance (APP...

Client satisfaction with reproductive health-care quality: integrating business approaches to modeling and measurement.

PubMed

Alden, Dana L; Do, Mai Hoa; Bhawuk, Dharm

2004-12-01

Health-care managers are increasingly interested in client perceptions of clinic service quality and satisfaction. While tremendous progress has occurred, additional perspectives on the conceptualization, modeling and measurement of these constructs may further assist health-care managers seeking to provide high-quality care. To that end, this study draws on theories from business and health to develop an integrated model featuring antecedents to and consequences of reproductive health-care client satisfaction. In addition to developing a new model, this study contributes by testing how well Western-based theories of client satisfaction hold in a developing, Asian country. Applied to urban, reproductive health clinic users in Hanoi, Vietnam, test results suggest that hypothesized antecedents such as pre-visit expectations, perceived clinic performance and how much performance exceeds expectations impact client satisfaction. However, the relative importance of these predictors appears to vary depending on a client's level of service-related experience. Finally, higher levels of client satisfaction are positively related to future clinic use intentions. This study demonstrates the value of: (1) incorporating theoretical perspectives from multiple disciplines to model processes underlying health-care satisfaction and (2) field testing those models before implementation. It also furthers research designed to provide health-care managers with actionable measures of the complex processes related to their clients' satisfaction.

A covert attention P300-based brain-computer interface: Geospell.

PubMed

Aloise, Fabio; Aricò, Pietro; Schettini, Francesca; Riccio, Angela; Salinari, Serenella; Mattia, Donatella; Babiloni, Fabio; Cincotti, Febo

2012-01-01

The Farwell and Donchin P300 speller interface is one of the most widely used brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms for writing text. Recent studies have shown that the recognition accuracy of the P300 speller decreases significantly when eye movement is impaired. This report introduces the GeoSpell interface (Geometric Speller), which implements a stimulation framework for a P300-based BCI that has been optimised for operation in covert visual attention. We compared the Geospell with the P300 speller interface under overt attention conditions with regard to effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction. Ten healthy subjects participated in the study. The performance of the GeoSpell interface in covert attention was comparable with that of the P300 speller in overt attention. As expected, the effectiveness of the spelling decreased with the new interface in covert attention. The NASA task load index (TLX) for workload assessment did not differ significantly between the two modalities. This study introduces and evaluates a gaze-independent, P300-based brain-computer interface, the efficacy and user satisfaction of which were comparable with those off the classical P300 speller. Despite a decrease in effectiveness due to the use of covert attention, the performance of the GeoSpell far exceeded the threshold of accuracy with regard to effective spelling.

User Satisfaction as a Measure of System Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Jillian R.; Johnson, Frances; Hartley, Richard J.

2007-01-01

It is evident from previous research that user satisfaction is a multidimensional, subjective variable which can be affected by many factors other than performance of the system or searcher. This article draws on information retrieval and information systems literature in an attempt to understand what user satisfaction is, how it is measured, what…

"Pretty Rad": Explorations in User Satisfaction with a Discovery Layer at Ryerson University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundrigan, Courtney; Manuel, Kevin; Yan, May

2015-01-01

Web-scale discovery systems are becoming prevalent in research libraries. Although a number of studies have explored various impacts of discovery systems, few studies exist on user satisfaction. The investigators of this study evaluated user satisfaction with the discovery service Summon at Ryerson University, using online questionnaires and…

Predictors of motivation for abstinence at the end of outpatient substance abuse treatment

PubMed Central

Laudet, Alexandre B.; Stanick, Virginia

2010-01-01

Commitment to abstinence, a motivational construct, is a strong predictor of reductions in drug and alcohol use. Level of commitment to abstinence at treatment end predicts sustained abstinence, a requirement for recovery. This study sought to identify predictors of commitment to abstinence at treatment end to guide clinical practice and to inform the conceptualization of motivational constructs. Polysubstance users (N = 250) recruited at the start of outpatient treatment were re-interviewed at the end of services. Based on the extant literature, potential predictors were during treatment measures of substance use and related cognitions, psychological functioning, recovery supports, stress, quality of life satisfaction, and treatment experiences. In multivariate analyses, perceived harm of future drug use, abstinence self-efficacy, quality of life satisfaction, and number of network members in 12-step recovery contributed 26.6% of the variance explained in the dependent variable, a total of 49.6% when combined with the control variables (demographics and baseline level of the outcome). Gender subgroup analyses yielded largely similar results. Clinical implications of findings for maximizing commitment to abstinence when clients leave treatment are discussed as are future research directions. PMID:20185267

Usability assessment of ASIBOT: a portable robot to aid patients with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Jardón, Alberto; Gil, Ángel M; de la Peña, Ana I; Monje, Concepción A; Balaguer, Carlos

2011-01-01

The usability concept refers to aspects related to the use of products that are closely linked to the user's degree of satisfaction. Our goal is to present a functional evaluation methodology for assessing the usability of sophisticated technical aids, such as a portable robot for helping disabled patients with severe spinal cord injuries. The specific manipulator used for this task is ASIBOT, a personal assistance robot totally developed by RoboticsLab at the University Carlos III of Madrid. Our purpose is also to improve some aspects of the manipulator according to the user's perception. For our case study, a population of six patients with spinal cord injury is considered. These patients have been suffering spinal cord injuries for a period of time longer than 1 year before the tests are carried out. The methodology followed for the information gathering is based on the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology (QUEST). Different daily functions, such as drinking, brushing one's teeth and washing one's face, are considered to assess the user's perception when using ASIBOT as a technical aid. The human factor in this procedure is the main base to establish the specific needs and tools to make the end product more suitable and usable.

The EU-project United4Health: User-Centred Design and Evaluation of a Collaborative Information System for a Norwegian Telehealth Service.

PubMed

Smaradottir, Berglind; Gerdes, Martin; Martinez, Santiago; Fensli, Rune

2015-01-01

This study presents the user-centred design and evaluation process of a Collaborative Information System (CIS), developed for a new telehealth service for remote monitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients after hospital discharge. The CIS was designed based on the information gathered in a workshop, where target end-users described the context of use, a telehealth workflow and their preferred ways of interaction with the solution. Evaluation of the iterative refinements were made through user tests, semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. A field trial reported results on the ease of use and user satisfaction during the interaction with the fully developed system. The implemented CIS was successfully deployed within the secured Norwegian Health Network. The research was a result of cooperation between international partners within the EU FP7 project United4Health.

Residential Consumer-Centric Demand-Side Management Based on Energy Disaggregation-Piloting Constrained Swarm Intelligence: Towards Edge Computing.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Hsiu; Hu, Yu-Chen

2018-04-27

The emergence of smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices has highly favored the realization of smart homes in a down-stream sector of a smart grid. The underlying objective of Demand Response (DR) schemes is to actively engage customers to modify their energy consumption on domestic appliances in response to pricing signals. Domestic appliance scheduling is widely accepted as an effective mechanism to manage domestic energy consumption intelligently. Besides, to residential customers for DR implementation, maintaining a balance between energy consumption cost and users’ comfort satisfaction is a challenge. Hence, in this paper, a constrained Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-based residential consumer-centric load-scheduling method is proposed. The method can be further featured with edge computing. In contrast with cloud computing, edge computing—a method of optimizing cloud computing technologies by driving computing capabilities at the IoT edge of the Internet as one of the emerging trends in engineering technology—addresses bandwidth-intensive contents and latency-sensitive applications required among sensors and central data centers through data analytics at or near the source of data. A non-intrusive load-monitoring technique proposed previously is utilized to automatic determination of physical characteristics of power-intensive home appliances from users’ life patterns. The swarm intelligence, constrained PSO, is used to minimize the energy consumption cost while considering users’ comfort satisfaction for DR implementation. The residential consumer-centric load-scheduling method proposed in this paper is evaluated under real-time pricing with inclining block rates and is demonstrated in a case study. The experimentation reported in this paper shows the proposed residential consumer-centric load-scheduling method can re-shape loads by home appliances in response to DR signals. Moreover, a phenomenal reduction in peak power consumption is achieved by 13.97%.

An Interactive, Web-based High Performance Modeling Environment for Computational Epidemiology.

PubMed

Deodhar, Suruchi; Bisset, Keith R; Chen, Jiangzhuo; Ma, Yifei; Marathe, Madhav V

2014-07-01

We present an integrated interactive modeling environment to support public health epidemiology. The environment combines a high resolution individual-based model with a user-friendly web-based interface that allows analysts to access the models and the analytics back-end remotely from a desktop or a mobile device. The environment is based on a loosely-coupled service-oriented-architecture that allows analysts to explore various counter factual scenarios. As the modeling tools for public health epidemiology are getting more sophisticated, it is becoming increasingly hard for non-computational scientists to effectively use the systems that incorporate such models. Thus an important design consideration for an integrated modeling environment is to improve ease of use such that experimental simulations can be driven by the users. This is achieved by designing intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that allow users to design and analyze a computational experiment and steer the experiment based on the state of the system. A key feature of a system that supports this design goal is the ability to start, stop, pause and roll-back the disease propagation and intervention application process interactively. An analyst can access the state of the system at any point in time and formulate dynamic interventions based on additional information obtained through state assessment. In addition, the environment provides automated services for experiment set-up and management, thus reducing the overall time for conducting end-to-end experimental studies. We illustrate the applicability of the system by describing computational experiments based on realistic pandemic planning scenarios. The experiments are designed to demonstrate the system's capability and enhanced user productivity.

An Interactive, Web-based High Performance Modeling Environment for Computational Epidemiology

PubMed Central

Deodhar, Suruchi; Bisset, Keith R.; Chen, Jiangzhuo; Ma, Yifei; Marathe, Madhav V.

2014-01-01

We present an integrated interactive modeling environment to support public health epidemiology. The environment combines a high resolution individual-based model with a user-friendly web-based interface that allows analysts to access the models and the analytics back-end remotely from a desktop or a mobile device. The environment is based on a loosely-coupled service-oriented-architecture that allows analysts to explore various counter factual scenarios. As the modeling tools for public health epidemiology are getting more sophisticated, it is becoming increasingly hard for non-computational scientists to effectively use the systems that incorporate such models. Thus an important design consideration for an integrated modeling environment is to improve ease of use such that experimental simulations can be driven by the users. This is achieved by designing intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that allow users to design and analyze a computational experiment and steer the experiment based on the state of the system. A key feature of a system that supports this design goal is the ability to start, stop, pause and roll-back the disease propagation and intervention application process interactively. An analyst can access the state of the system at any point in time and formulate dynamic interventions based on additional information obtained through state assessment. In addition, the environment provides automated services for experiment set-up and management, thus reducing the overall time for conducting end-to-end experimental studies. We illustrate the applicability of the system by describing computational experiments based on realistic pandemic planning scenarios. The experiments are designed to demonstrate the system's capability and enhanced user productivity. PMID:25530914

Web Monitoring of EOS Front-End Ground Operations, Science Downlinks and Level 0 Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordier, Guy R.; Wilkinson, Chris; McLemore, Bruce

2008-01-01

This paper addresses the efforts undertaken and the technology deployed to aggregate and distribute the metadata characterizing the real-time operations associated with NASA Earth Observing Systems (EOS) high-rate front-end systems and the science data collected at multiple ground stations and forwarded to the Goddard Space Flight Center for level 0 processing. Station operators, mission project management personnel, spacecraft flight operations personnel and data end-users for various EOS missions can retrieve the information at any time from any location having access to the internet. The users are distributed and the EOS systems are distributed but the centralized metadata accessed via an external web server provide an effective global and detailed view of the enterprise-wide events as they are happening. The data-driven architecture and the implementation of applied middleware technology, open source database, open source monitoring tools, and external web server converge nicely to fulfill the various needs of the enterprise. The timeliness and content of the information provided are key to making timely and correct decisions which reduce project risk and enhance overall customer satisfaction. The authors discuss security measures employed to limit access of data to authorized users only.

Allocation and User Account Policies | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Allocation and User Account Policies Allocation and User Account Policies For using NREL's high . When a project enters the Ended state: User access to project data is disabled. We reserve the right to agreements expire one (1) year after they become active or when the contractual arrangement between the

Oncologists' communication about end of life: the relationship among secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, and approach and avoidance communication.

PubMed

Granek, Leeat; Nakash, Ora; Cohen, Michal; Ben-David, Merav; Ariad, Samuel

2017-11-01

Oncologists must communicate effectively with patients and their families about end of life (EOL). Despite the importance of communicating on this topic, many oncologists avoid these conversations. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction and approach and avoidant communication about EOL with cancer patients. A convenience sample of 79 oncologists (n = 27 men, n = 52 women) participated in the study. Oncologists completed a survey that included a sociodemographic and clinical information questionnaire, the Professional Quality of Life Scale, and Communication about End of Life Survey. To examine the effect of secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction on approach and avoidant communication, while controlling for gender and age, 2 hierarchical linear regression analyses were computed. Oncologists reported high levels of secondary traumatic stress and high compassion satisfaction. Scores on the approach and avoidant communication scales were in the mid-range of the scale. Lower reports of secondary traumatic stress and higher compassion satisfaction were associated with higher approach communication strategies: however, only higher secondary traumatic stress was associated with higher avoidant communication strategies. Our findings indicate that there is an association between emotional factors and approach communication. The findings have clinical implications in designing effective communication skills training. Further research and training should take secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction into consideration to be able to ensure that terminal patients and their families receive the best quality EOL care. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Documentation of and satisfaction with the service delivery process of electric powered scooters among adult users in different national contexts.

PubMed

Sund, Terje; Iwarsson, Susanne; Andersen, Mette C; Brandt, Åse

2013-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how different service delivery systems for assistive devices were associated with the service delivery process (SDP) and user satisfaction in two national contexts when electric powered scooters were provided. The study had a follow-up design based on a consecutive inclusion of 50 Danish and 86 Norwegian adults as they were about to be provided a scooter. A study-specific structured questionnaire for documentation of the SDP was administered. The Satisfaction with Assistive Technology Services was used for documenting user satisfaction with the SDP. Besides descriptive statistics, regression analysis was used to identify contributors of variance and predictors of user satisfaction. The various steps of the SDP were carried out to a various degree. Significantly more total time was spent in the SDP in the Danish sample (p < 0.001). About 80% of the informants were satisfied/very satisfied with different aspects of the SDP. Time spent in the different steps was not associated with user satisfaction with the SDP. This study supports the assumption that structure of the service impacts on the SDP, but not that the process impacts on outcomes in terms of user satisfaction with the SDP. It may, however, be questioned whether this actually is an outcome.

From Users to Choosers: Central IT and the Challenge of Consumer Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanosky, Ronald

2010-01-01

Is the era of personal computing ending, or is it only just beginning? Certainly, cyberlife seems to have become more intensely personal over the last few years, partly because it has also become so much more social. The rise of the new consumer-oriented ubiquitous computing will reshape--and reduce--users' reliance on enterprise IT. Much of the…

Scholarly Communication and Information Technology: Exploring the Impact of Changes in the Research Process on Archives. Rand Reprints.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michelson, Avra; Rothenberg, Jeff

1993-01-01

The report considers the interaction of trends in information technology and trends in research practices and the policy implications for archives. The information is divided into 4 sections. The first section, an "Overview of Information Technology Trends," discusses end-user computing, which includes ubiquitous computing, end-user…

Satisfaction and perceptions of long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury upon completion of a locomotor training program with an overground robotic exoskeleton.

PubMed

Gagnon, Dany H; Vermette, Martin; Duclos, Cyril; Aubertin-Leheudre, Mylène; Ahmed, Sara; Kairy, Dahlia

2017-12-19

The main objectives of this study were to quantify clients' satisfaction and perception upon completion of a locomotor training program with an overground robotic exoskeleton. A group of 14 wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury, who finished a 6-8-week locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton (18 training sessions), were invited to complete a web-based electronic questionnaire. This questionnaire encompassed 41 statements organized around seven key domains: overall satisfaction related to the training program, satisfaction related to the overground robotic exoskeleton, satisfaction related to the program attributes, perceived learnability, perceived health benefits and risks and perceived motivation to engage in physical activity. Each statement was rated using a visual analogue scale ranging from "0 = totally disagree" to "100 = completely agree". Overall, respondents unanimously considered themselves satisfied with the locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton (95.7 ± 0.7%) and provided positive feedback about the robotic exoskeleton itself (82.3 ± 6.9%), the attributes of the locomotor training program (84.5 ± 6.9%) and their ability to learn to perform sit-stand transfers and walk with the robotic exoskeleton (79.6 ± 17%). Respondents perceived some health benefits (67.9 ± 16.7%) and have reported no fear of developing secondary complications or of potential risk for themselves linked to the use of the robotic exoskeleton (16.7 ± 8.2%). At the end of the program, respondents felt motivated to engage in a regular physical activity program (91.3 ± 0.1%). This study provides new insights on satisfaction and perceptions of wheelchair users while also confirming the relevance to continue to improve such technologies, and informing the development of future clinical trials. Implications for Rehabilitation All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study are unanimously satisfied upon completion of a 6-8-week locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton and would recommend the program to their peers. All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study offered positive feedback about the robotic exoskeleton itself and feel it is easy to learn to perform sit-stand transfers and walk with the robotic exoskeleton. All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study predominantly perceived improvements in their overall health status, upper limb strength and endurance as well as in their sleep and psychological well-being upon completion of a 6-8-week locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton. All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study unanimously felt motivated to engage in a regular physical activity program adapted to their condition and most of them do plan to continue to participate in moderate-to-strenuous physical exercise. Additional research on clients' perspectives, especially satisfaction with the overground exoskeleton and locomotor training program attributes, is needed.

Utilization and user satisfaction with alternating pressure air cushions: a pilot study of at-risk individuals with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Wu, Gary A; Garber, Susan L; Bogie, Kath M

2016-10-01

An appropriate wheelchair cushion is integral to pressure ulcer (PU) prevention for the wheelchair user with SCI. For users who find it difficult to remember or perform weight shifts, an alternating pressure air cushion (APAC) may off-load pressure to minimize PU risk. APACs are considered mobility assistive technology (AT). Effective AT delivery includes consideration of the AT consumer as a unique individual. The Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) is a structured and standardized method to measure user satisfaction with AT. Twelve full time wheelchair users with SCI were provided with an APAC six times for 2 weeks daily home use every 3 months. At the completion of the 18-month study period, the 8-variable QUEST 2.0b questionnaire was applied to evaluate satisfaction with APAC use. Users were generally quite satisfied with APAC weight (p < 0.01 relative to neutral). Durability was more likely to be an area of concern. Overall, 92% of participants considered themselves quite satisfied or very satisfied with APAC use (p < 0.001). Users with SCI were satisfied with the overall performance of the APAC tested after repeated periods of use. The majority of user's were very satisfied with APAC comfort overall. Implications for Rehabilitation Abandonment of AT may be reduced if user satisfaction is evaluated. The QUEST 2.0b is a useful and valid measure of user satisfaction with alternating pressure air cushions. In the current study cohort, users with SCI were satisfied with the performance and comfort of the APAC tested after repeated periods of use.

Patron Survey of User Satisfaction with Library Services: Relationship between Librarian Behaviors during the Reference Interview and User Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Mary Ellen

This study examined whether user satisfaction with library services is affected by certain objective and subjective librarian behaviors exhibited during the reference interview. A patron survey was conducted during July 1993 in three branches of Cuyahoga County Public Library, located in northeastern Ohio. The sample was determined by the patrons…

Users' Satisfaction with Library Information Resources and Services: A Case Study College of Health Sciences Library Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiemo, Pereware Aghwotu; Ateboh, Benedict Alaowei

2016-01-01

This study investigated users' satisfaction with library information resources and services at the College of Health Sciences (CHS) library Niger Delta University, Nigeria. The objective was to determine the level of users satisfaction with library information resources and services. 2 (two) research questions were formulated to guide the study.…

The relationship between therapeutic alliance and service user satisfaction in mental health inpatient wards and crisis house alternatives: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Sweeney, Angela; Fahmy, Sarah; Nolan, Fiona; Morant, Nicola; Fox, Zoe; Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Osborn, David; Burgess, Emma; Gilburt, Helen; McCabe, Rosemarie; Slade, Mike; Johnson, Sonia

2014-01-01

Poor service user experiences are often reported on mental health inpatient wards. Crisis houses are an alternative, but evidence is limited. This paper investigates therapeutic alliances in acute wards and crisis houses, exploring how far stronger therapeutic alliance may underlie greater client satisfaction in crisis houses. Mixed methods were used. In the quantitative component, 108 crisis house and 247 acute ward service users responded to measures of satisfaction, therapeutic relationships, informal peer support, recovery and negative events experienced during the admission. Linear regressions were conducted to estimate the association between service setting and measures, and to model the factors associated with satisfaction. Qualitative interviews exploring therapeutic alliances were conducted with service users and staff in each setting and analysed thematically. We found that therapeutic alliances, service user satisfaction and informal peer support were greater in crisis houses than on acute wards, whilst self-rated recovery and numbers of negative events were lower. Adjusted multivariable analyses suggest that therapeutic relationships, informal peer support and negative experiences related to staff may be important factors in accounting for greater satisfaction in crisis houses. Qualitative results suggest factors that influence therapeutic alliances include service user perceptions of basic human qualities such as kindness and empathy in staff and, at service level, the extent of loss of liberty and autonomy. We found that service users experience better therapeutic relationships and higher satisfaction in crisis houses compared to acute wards, although we cannot exclude the possibility that differences in service user characteristics contribute to this. This finding provides some support for the expansion of crisis house provision. Further research is needed to investigate why acute ward service users experience a lack of compassion and humanity from ward staff and how this could be changed.

Usability evaluation model for mobile e-book applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matraf, Munya Saleh Ba; Hussain, Azham

2017-10-01

Evaluation for mobile e-book applications are limited and did not address all the important usability measurements. Hence, this study aimed to identify the characteristics that affect user satisfaction on the usability of mobile e-book applications. Five characteristics that have a significant effect on the user satisfaction of mobile e-book applications have been identified namely readability, effectiveness, accessibility, efficiency, and navigation. A usability evaluation was conducted on three mobile e-book applications namely Adobe Acrobat Reader, Ebook Reader, and Amazon Kindle. 30 students from Universiti Utara Malaysia evaluated the mobile e-book applications and their satisfaction was measured using questionnaire. The outcomes discovered that the five characteristics have a significant positive relationship with user satisfaction. This provides insights into the main characteristics that increase user satisfaction.

Computer Program User’s Manual for FIREFINDER Digital Topographic Data Verification Library Dubbing System. Volume II. Dubbing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-29

N - Nw .VA COMPUTER PROGRAM USER’S MANUAL FOR . 0FIREFINDER DIGITAL TOPOGRAPHIC DATA VERIFICATION LIBRARY DUBBING SYSTEM VOLUME II DUBBING 29 JANUARY...Digital Topographic Data Verification Library Dubbing System, Volume II, Dubbing 6. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMER 7. AUTHOR(q) S. CONTRACT OR GRANT...Software Library FIREFINDER Dubbing 20. ABSTRACT (Continue an revWee *Ide II necessary end identify by leek mauber) PThis manual describes the computer

Human-centered sensor-based Bayesian control: Increased energy efficiency and user satisfaction in commercial lighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granderson, Jessica Ann

2007-12-01

The need for sustainable, efficient energy systems is the motivation that drove this research, which targeted the design of an intelligent commercial lighting system. Lighting in commercial buildings consumes approximately 13% of all the electricity generated in the US. Advanced lighting controls1 intended for use in commercial office spaces have proven to save up to 45% in electricity consumption. However, they currently comprise only a fraction of the market share, resulting in a missed opportunity to conserve energy. The research goals driving this dissertation relate directly to barriers hindering widespread adoption---increase user satisfaction, and provide increased energy savings through more sophisticated control. To satisfy these goals an influence diagram was developed to perform daylighting actuation. This algorithm was designed to balance the potentially conflicting lighting preferences of building occupants, with the efficiency desires of building facilities management. A supervisory control policy was designed to implement load shedding under a demand response tariff. Such tariffs offer incentives for customers to reduce their consumption during periods of peak demand, trough price reductions. In developing the value function occupant user testing was conducted to determine that computer and paper tasks require different illuminance levels, and that user preferences are sufficiently consistent to attain statistical significance. Approximately ten facilities managers were also interviewed and surveyed to isolate their lighting preferences with respect to measures of lighting quality and energy savings. Results from both simulation and physical implementation and user testing indicate that the intelligent controller can increase occupant satisfaction, efficiency, cost savings, and management satisfaction, with respect to existing commercial daylighting systems. Several important contributions were realized by satisfying the research goals. A general model of a daylighted environment was designed, and a practical means of user preference identification was defined. Further, a set of general procedures were identified for the design of human-centered sensor-based decision-analytic systems, and for the identification of the allowable uncertainty in nodes of interest. To confirm generality, a vehicle health monitoring problem was defined and solved using these two procedures. 1'Daylighting' systems use sensors to determine room occupancy and available sunlight, and automatically dim the lights in response.

Program For Generating Interactive Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costenbader, Jay; Moleski, Walt; Szczur, Martha; Howell, David; Engelberg, Norm; Li, Tin P.; Misra, Dharitri; Miller, Philip; Neve, Leif; Wolf, Karl;

Handheld vs. laptop computers for electronic data collection in clinical research: a crossover randomized trial.

PubMed

Haller, Guy; Haller, Dagmar M; Courvoisier, Delphine S; Lovis, Christian

2009-01-01

To compare users' speed, number of entry errors and satisfaction in using two current devices for electronic data collection in clinical research: handheld and laptop computers. The authors performed a randomized cross-over trial using 160 different paper-based questionnaires and representing altogether 45,440 variables. Four data coders were instructed to record, according to a random predefined and equally balanced sequence, the content of these questionnaires either on a laptop or on a handheld computer. Instructions on the kind of device to be used were provided to data-coders in individual sealed and opaque envelopes. Study conditions were controlled and the data entry process performed in a quiet environment. The authors compared the duration of the data recording process, the number of errors and users' satisfaction with the two devices. The authors divided errors into two separate categories, typing and missing data errors. The original paper-based questionnaire was used as a gold-standard. The overall duration of the recording process was significantly reduced (2.0 versus 3.3 min) when data were recorded on the laptop computer (p < 0.001). Data accuracy also improved. There were 5.8 typing errors per 1,000 entries with the laptop compared to 8.4 per 1,000 with the handheld computer (p < 0.001). The difference was even more important for missing data which decreased from 22.8 to 2.9 per 1,000 entries when a laptop was used (p < 0.001). Users found the laptop easier, faster and more satisfying to use than the handheld computer. Despite the increasing use of handheld computers for electronic data collection in clinical research, these devices should be used with caution. They double the duration of the data entry process and significantly increase the risk of typing errors and missing data. This may become a particularly crucial issue in studies where these devices are provided to patients or healthcare workers, unfamiliar with computer technologies, for self-reporting or research data collection processes.

Handheld vs. Laptop Computers for Electronic Data Collection in Clinical Research: A Crossover Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Haller, Guy; Haller, Dagmar M.; Courvoisier, Delphine S.; Lovis, Christian

2009-01-01

Objective To compare users' speed, number of entry errors and satisfaction in using two current devices for electronic data collection in clinical research: handheld and laptop computers. Design The authors performed a randomized cross-over trial using 160 different paper-based questionnaires and representing altogether 45,440 variables. Four data coders were instructed to record, according to a random predefined and equally balanced sequence, the content of these questionnaires either on a laptop or on a handheld computer. Instructions on the kind of device to be used were provided to data-coders in individual sealed and opaque envelopes. Study conditions were controlled and the data entry process performed in a quiet environment. Measurements The authors compared the duration of the data recording process, the number of errors and users' satisfaction with the two devices. The authors divided errors into two separate categories, typing and missing data errors. The original paper-based questionnaire was used as a gold-standard. Results The overall duration of the recording process was significantly reduced (2.0 versus 3.3 min) when data were recorded on the laptop computer (p < 0.001). Data accuracy also improved. There were 5.8 typing errors per 1,000 entries with the laptop compared to 8.4 per 1,000 with the handheld computer (p < 0.001). The difference was even more important for missing data which decreased from 22.8 to 2.9 per 1,000 entries when a laptop was used (p < 0.001). Users found the laptop easier, faster and more satisfying to use than the handheld computer. Conclusions Despite the increasing use of handheld computers for electronic data collection in clinical research, these devices should be used with caution. They double the duration of the data entry process and significantly increase the risk of typing errors and missing data. This may become a particularly crucial issue in studies where these devices are provided to patients or healthcare workers, unfamiliar with Computer Technologies, for self-reporting or research data collection processes. PMID:19567799

Usability study of a computer-based self-management system for older adults with chronic diseases.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Tao, Da

2012-11-08

Usability can influence patients' acceptance and adoption of a health information technology. However, little research has been conducted to study the usability of a self-management health care system, especially one geared toward elderly patients. This usability study evaluated a new computer-based self-management system interface for older adults with chronic diseases, using a paper prototype approach. Fifty older adults with different chronic diseases participated. Two usability evaluation methods were involved: (1) a heuristics evaluation and (2) end-user testing with a think-aloud testing method, audio recording, videotaping, and interviewing. A set of usability metrics was employed to determine the overall system usability, including task incompletion rate, task completion time, frequency of error, frequency of help, satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Interviews were used to elicit participants' comments on the system design. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed for content. The participants were able to perform the predesigned self-management tasks with the current system design and they expressed mostly positive responses about the perceived usability measures regarding the system interface. However, the heuristics evaluation, performance measures, and interviews revealed a number of usability problems related to system navigation, information search and interpretation, information presentation, and readability. Design recommendations for further system interface modifications were discussed. This study verified the usability of the self-management system developed for older adults with chronic diseases. Also, we demonstrated that our usability evaluation approach could be used to quickly and effectively identify usability problems in a health care information system at an early stage of the system development process using a paper prototype. Conducting a usability evaluation is an essential step in system development to ensure that the system features match the users' true needs, expectations, and characteristics, and also to minimize the likelihood of the users committing user errors and having difficulties using the system.

Can Robots and Humans Get Along?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scholtz, Jean

2007-06-01

Now that robots have moved into the mainstream—as vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, autonomous vehicles, tour guides, and even pets—it is important to consider how everyday people will interact with them. A robot is really just a computer, but many researchers are beginning to understand that human-robot interactions are much different than human-computer interactions. So while the metrics used to evaluate the human-computer interaction (usability of the software interface in terms of time, accuracy, and user satisfaction) may also be appropriate for human-robot interactions, we need to determine whether there are additional metrics that should be considered.

A new bio-inspired, population-level approach to the socioeconomic evolution of dynamic spectrum access services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horvath, Denis; Gazda, Juraj; Brutovsky, Branislav

Evolutionary species and quasispecies models provide the universal and flexible basis for a large-scale description of the dynamics of evolutionary systems, which can be built conceived as a constraint satisfaction dynamics. It represents a general framework to design and study many novel, technologically contemporary models and their variants. Here, we apply the classical quasispecies concept to model the emerging dynamic spectrum access (DSA) markets. The theory describes the mechanisms of mimetic transfer, competitive interactions between socioeconomic strata of the end-users, their perception of the utility and inter-operator switching in the variable technological environments of the operators offering the wireless spectrum services. The algorithmization and numerical modeling demonstrate the long-term evolutionary socioeconomic changes which reflect the end-user preferences and results of the majorization of their irrational decisions in the same manner as the prevailing tendencies which are embodied in the efficient market hypothesis.

[Patient satisfaction survey and the place of users in the Oran university hospital quality project].

PubMed

Chougrani, Saada; Ouhadj, Salah

2014-01-01

Quality of care is a strategic priority of any management approach in order to meet users' expectations of health care systems. This study tried to define the role of patient satisfaction surveys and the place of user in the quality of care project. The results of patient satisfaction surveys conducted between 2010 and 2012 and the draft quality of care project were analysed. Patient satisfaction surveys from 2010 to 2012 focused on logistic shortcomings. No comment was formulated about health care. Comments and suggestions did not provide any contribution in terms of patient involvement in the health care process. The multiple perspectives of quality of care include clinical care and other social objectives of respect for the individual and attention to the patient. User satisfaction as assessed by patient satisfaction surveys or patients' experiences only reflect the health professionals' representation. However, the objective is to measure what the user perceives and feels and his/her representation of the attention provided. These approaches, conducted outside of the quality of care strategic plan, only provide a basis for actions with limited or no effectiveness.

A Study of the Braille and Talking Book Program in Ohio. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wessells, Michael B.; And Others

This study evaluates user satisfaction and the cost effectiveness of the use of computer systems in the Braille and Talking Book Program of the Ohio Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and makes recommendations for patterns of service and funding. This report provides an executive summary as well as a 3-part presentation…

Examining the Usability of Touch Screen Gestures for Older and Younger Adults.

PubMed

Gao, Qin; Sun, Qiqi

2015-08-01

We examined the usability issues associated with four touch screen gestures (clicking, dragging, zooming, and rotating) among older and younger users. It is especially important to accommodate older users' characteristics to ensure the accessibility of information and services that are important to their quality of life. Forty older and 40 younger participants completed four experiments, each of which focused on one gesture. The effects of age, type of touch screen (surface acoustic wave vs. optical), inclination angle (30°, 45°, 60°, and 75°), and user interface factors (clicking: button size and spacing; dragging: dragging direction and distance; zooming: design of zooming gesture; rotating: design of rotating gesture) on user performance and satisfaction were examined. Button sizes that are larger than 15.9 × 9.0 mm led to better performance and higher satisfaction. The effect of spacing was significant only when the button size was notably small or large. Rightward and downward dragging were preferred to leftward and upward dragging, respectively. The younger participants favored direct manipulation gestures using multiple fingers, whereas the older participants preferred the click-to design. The older participants working with large inclination angles of 60° to 75° reported a higher level of satisfaction than the older participants working with smaller angles. We proposed a set of design guidelines for touch screen user interfaces and discussed implications for the selection of appropriate technology and the configuration of the workspace. The implications are useful for the design of large touch screen applications, such as desktop computers, information kiosks, and health care support systems. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Inpatient satisfaction and usage patterns of personalized smart bedside station system for patient-centered service at a tertiary university hospital.

PubMed

Ryu, Borim; Kim, Seok; Lee, Kee-Hyuck; Hwang, Hee; Yoo, Sooyoung

2016-11-01

Bedside stations, also known as bedside terminals, are in place to enhance the quality and experience of a hospital's healthcare service delivery. The purpose of this study was to identify information needs and overall satisfaction with the personalized patient bedside system, called Smart Bedside Station (SBS) system, embedded in a tertiary general university hospital. End-user responses on the satisfaction survey and system usage logs of the SBS system were collected and analyzed. For the user opinion survey, 156 nurses and 1914 patients, their family members, or caregivers participated during the evaluation period of 2013 to 2014 in this study. All working nurses in the SBS-installed ward were answered the paper-based evaluation, for complete enumeration survey. Inpatients were voluntary participated to deliver the online questionnaire on the SBS menu. We also explored system log data including page calls and usage time from December 2013 to 2015. Regarding the relationship of overall satisfaction of the SBS with patient's characteristics, patient's education status and degree of familiarity with the smart device were statistically significant. From the analysis of system logs, Personalized My Menu(28.0%) was the most frequently used menu item (except for TV and Internet entertainment service use of 62.7%),it provides individual health information, such as laboratory test results, hospital fee check, message logs, daily medication information, and meal information. Next frequently used menus were information support(4.9%) which deliver hospital guide and health information and convenience service ordering(4.4%) such as meal order, bed sheet change. Satisfaction survey results and log data results show that the personalized service enhances the user satisfaction during hospital admission. Our post-implementation experience and subsequent assessment of SBS system is capable of providing insights into improving the hospital information system and service contents for patient-centered services. Further research should be directed at developing sophisticated patient-centered services as a communication tool between the hospital and the patient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data Retention Policy | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

HPC Data Retention Policy. File storage areas on Peregrine and Gyrfalcon are either user-centric to reclaim storage. We can make special arrangements for permanent storage, if needed. User-Centric > is 3 months after the last project ends. During this retention period, the user may log in to

Older Adults Co-Creating Meaningful Individualized Social Activities Online for Healthy Ageing.

PubMed

Blusi, Madeleine; Nilsson, Ingeborg; Lindgren, Helena

2018-01-01

Social isolation and loneliness among older people is a growing problem with negative effects on physical and mental health. In co-creation with older adults individualized social activities were designed where older adults through computer mediated communication were able to participate in social activities without leaving their homes. Four types of activities were designed; outdoor activity, music event, visiting a friend and leisure activity. A participatory action research design was applied, where end users together with scientists from two research fields developed, tested and evaluated online participation in the activities. Usability and safety of the systems were major concerns among older adults. The evaluation pointed out that level of simplicity, usability and audio-video quality determined the level of satisfaction with the human interaction during the activity, thereby affecting the meaningfulness of the activity. The research presented in this paper constitutes the first step in a long-term research process aiming at developing a digital coaching system that gives older adults personalized support for increasing participation in meaningful social activities.

Earthdata Cloud Analytics Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Rahul; Lynnes, Chris

2018-01-01

This presentation describes a nascent project in NASA to develop a framework to support end-user analytics of NASA's Earth science data in the cloud. The chief benefit of migrating EOSDIS (Earth Observation System Data and Information Systems) data to the cloud is to position the data next to enormous computing capacity to allow end users to process data at scale. The Earthdata Cloud Analytics project will user a service-based approach to facilitate the infusion of evolving analytics technology and the integration with non-NASA analytics or other complementary functionality at other agencies and in other nations.

QoS support for end users of I/O-intensive applications using shared storage systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, Marion Kei; Zhang, Xuechen; Jiang, Song

2011-01-19

I/O-intensive applications are becoming increasingly common on today's high-performance computing systems. While performance of compute-bound applications can be effectively guaranteed with techniques such as space sharing or QoS-aware process scheduling, it remains a challenge to meet QoS requirements for end users of I/O-intensive applications using shared storage systems because it is difficult to differentiate I/O services for different applications with individual quality requirements. Furthermore, it is difficult for end users to accurately specify performance goals to the storage system using I/O-related metrics such as request latency or throughput. As access patterns, request rates, and the system workload change in time,more » a fixed I/O performance goal, such as bounds on throughput or latency, can be expensive to achieve and may not lead to a meaningful performance guarantees such as bounded program execution time. We propose a scheme supporting end-users QoS goals, specified in terms of program execution time, in shared storage environments. We automatically translate the users performance goals into instantaneous I/O throughput bounds using a machine learning technique, and use dynamically determined service time windows to efficiently meet the throughput bounds. We have implemented this scheme in the PVFS2 parallel file system and have conducted an extensive evaluation. Our results show that this scheme can satisfy realistic end-user QoS requirements by making highly efficient use of the I/O resources. The scheme seeks to balance programs attainment of QoS requirements, and saves as much of the remaining I/O capacity as possible for best-effort programs.« less

Method and apparatus for configuration control of redundant robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, Homayoun (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A method and apparatus to control a robot or manipulator configuration over the entire motion based on augmentation of the manipulator forward kinematics is disclosed. A set of kinematic functions is defined in Cartesian or joint space to reflect the desirable configuration that will be achieved in addition to the specified end-effector motion. The user-defined kinematic functions and the end-effector Cartesian coordinates are combined to form a set of task-related configuration variables as generalized coordinates for the manipulator. A task-based adaptive scheme is then utilized to directly control the configuration variables so as to achieve tracking of some desired reference trajectories throughout the robot motion. This accomplishes the basic task of desired end-effector motion, while utilizing the redundancy to achieve any additional task through the desired time variation of the kinematic functions. The present invention can also be used for optimization of any kinematic objective function, or for satisfaction of a set of kinematic inequality constraints, as in an obstacle avoidance problem. In contrast to pseudoinverse-based methods, the configuration control scheme ensures cyclic motion of the manipulator, which is an essential requirement for repetitive operations. The control law is simple and computationally very fast, and does not require either the complex manipulator dynamic model or the complicated inverse kinematic transformation. The configuration control scheme can alternatively be implemented in joint space.

Secure Data Access Control for Fog Computing Based on Multi-Authority Attribute-Based Signcryption with Computation Outsourcing and Attribute Revocation.

PubMed

Xu, Qian; Tan, Chengxiang; Fan, Zhijie; Zhu, Wenye; Xiao, Ya; Cheng, Fujia

2018-05-17

Nowadays, fog computing provides computation, storage, and application services to end users in the Internet of Things. One of the major concerns in fog computing systems is how fine-grained access control can be imposed. As a logical combination of attribute-based encryption and attribute-based signature, Attribute-based Signcryption (ABSC) can provide confidentiality and anonymous authentication for sensitive data and is more efficient than traditional "encrypt-then-sign" or "sign-then-encrypt" strategy. Thus, ABSC is suitable for fine-grained access control in a semi-trusted cloud environment and is gaining more and more attention recently. However, in many existing ABSC systems, the computation cost required for the end users in signcryption and designcryption is linear with the complexity of signing and encryption access policy. Moreover, only a single authority that is responsible for attribute management and key generation exists in the previous proposed ABSC schemes, whereas in reality, mostly, different authorities monitor different attributes of the user. In this paper, we propose OMDAC-ABSC, a novel data access control scheme based on Ciphertext-Policy ABSC, to provide data confidentiality, fine-grained control, and anonymous authentication in a multi-authority fog computing system. The signcryption and designcryption overhead for the user is significantly reduced by outsourcing the undesirable computation operations to fog nodes. The proposed scheme is proven to be secure in the standard model and can provide attribute revocation and public verifiability. The security analysis, asymptotic complexity comparison, and implementation results indicate that our construction can balance the security goals with practical efficiency in computation.

LightWAVE: Waveform and Annotation Viewing and Editing in a Web Browser.

PubMed

Moody, George B

2013-09-01

This paper describes LightWAVE, recently-developed open-source software for viewing ECGs and other physiologic waveforms and associated annotations (event markers). It supports efficient interactive creation and modification of annotations, capabilities that are essential for building new collections of physiologic signals and time series for research. LightWAVE is constructed of components that interact in simple ways, making it straightforward to enhance or replace any of them. The back end (server) is a common gateway interface (CGI) application written in C for speed and efficiency. It retrieves data from its data repository (PhysioNet's open-access PhysioBank archives by default, or any set of files or web pages structured as in PhysioBank) and delivers them in response to requests generated by the front end. The front end (client) is a web application written in JavaScript. It runs within any modern web browser and does not require installation on the user's computer, tablet, or phone. Finally, LightWAVE's scribe is a tiny CGI application written in Perl, which records the user's edits in annotation files. LightWAVE's data repository, back end, and front end can be located on the same computer or on separate computers. The data repository may be split across multiple computers. For compatibility with the standard browser security model, the front end and the scribe must be loaded from the same domain.

Daylighting Concepts for University Libraries and Their Influences on Users' Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilic, Didem Kan; Hasirci, Deniz

2011-01-01

Daylighting, a controlled architectural tool that influences users' perception and behavior, in university libraries and their influences on users' preference and satisfaction was examined in this study. The effects of daylighting in coordination with visual comfort, on university library users were measured in relation to four environmental…

A hospital-wide transition from paper to digital problem-oriented clinical notes. A descriptive history and cross-sectional survey of use, usability, and satisfaction.

PubMed

Cillessen, Felix H J M; de Vries Robbé, Pieter F; Biermans, Marion C J

2017-05-17

To evaluate the use, usability, and physician satisfaction of a locally developed problem-oriented clinical notes application that replaced paper-based records in a large Dutch university medical center. Using a clinical notes database and an application event log file and a cross-sectional survey of usability, authors retrospectively analyzed system usage for medical specialties, users, and patients over 4 years. A standardized questionnaire measured usability. Authors analyzed the effects of sex, age, professional experience, training hours, and medical specialty on user satisfaction via univariate analysis of variance. Authors also examined the correlation between user satisfaction in relation to users' intensity of use of the application. In total 1,793 physicians used the application to record progress notes for 219,755 patients. The overall satisfaction score was 3.2 on a scale from 1 (highly dissatisfied) to 5 (highly satisfied). A statistically significant difference occurred in satisfaction by medical specialty, but no statistically significant differences in satisfaction took place by sex, age, professional experience, or training hours. Intensity of system use did not correlate with physician satisfaction. By two years after the start of the implementation, all medical specialties utilized the clinical notes application. User satisfaction was neutral (3.2 on a 1-5 scale). Authors believe that the significant factors facilitating this transition mirrored success factors reported by other groups: a generic, consistent, and transparent design of the application; intensive collaboration; continuous monitoring; and an incremental rollout.

An assessesment of telephone assistance systems for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Garzón-Maldonado, F J; Gutiérrez-Bedmar, M; Serrano-Castro, V; Requena-Toro, M V; Padilla-Romero, L; García-Casares, N

Telephone assistance is a common practice in neurology, although there are only a few studies about this type of healthcare. We have evaluated a Telephone Assistance System (TAS) for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from 2 points of view: financially and according to the level of satisfaction of the caregiver. 97 patients with a diagnosis of AD according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria and their 97 informal caregivers were selected. We studied cost differences between on-site assistance and telephone assistance (TAS) for 12 months. We used a self-administered questionnaire to assess the level of satisfaction of caregivers at the end of the study period. TAS savings amounted to 80.05 ± 27.07 euros per user. 73.6% of the caregivers consider TAS a better or much better system than on-site assistance, while only 2.6% of the caregivers considered TAS a worse or much worse system than on-site assistance. Telephone assistance systems are an efficient healthcare resource for monitoring patients with AD in neurology departments. Furthermore, the level of user satisfaction was high. We therefore consider that telephone assistance service should be offered by healthcare services. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

User interface concerns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redhed, D. D.

1978-01-01

Three possible goals for the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Facility (NASF) are: (1) a computational fluid dynamics (as opposed to aerodynamics) algorithm development tool; (2) a specialized research laboratory facility for nearly intractable aerodynamics problems that industry encounters; and (3) a facility for industry to use in its normal aerodynamics design work that requires high computing rates. The central system issue for industry use of such a computer is the quality of the user interface as implemented in some kind of a front end to the vector processor.

A critical analysis of user satisfaction surveys in addiction services: opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case study

PubMed Central

Trujols, Joan; Iraurgi, Ioseba; Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia; Guàrdia-Olmos, Joan

2014-01-01

Background Satisfaction with services represents a key component of the user’s perspective, and user satisfaction surveys are the most commonly used approach to evaluate the aforementioned perspective. The aim of this discursive paper is to provide a critical overview of user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, with a particular focus on opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case. Methods We carried out a selective critical review and analysis of the literature on user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services. Results Most studies that have reported results of satisfaction surveys have found that the great majority of users (virtually all, in many cases) are highly satisfied with the services received. However, when these results are compared to the findings of studies that use different methodologies to explore the patient’s perspective, the results are not as consistent as might be expected. It is not uncommon to find that “highly satisfied” patients report significant problems when mixed-methods studies are conducted. To understand this apparent contradiction, we explored two distinct (though not mutually exclusive) lines of reasoning, one of which concerns conceptual aspects and the other, methodological questions. Conclusion User satisfaction surveys, as currently designed and carried out in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, do not significantly help to improve service quality. Therefore, most of the enthusiasm and naiveté with which satisfaction surveys are currently performed and interpreted – and rarely acted on in the case of nonoptimal results – should be avoided. A truly participatory approach to program evaluation is urgently needed to reshape and transform patient satisfaction surveys. PMID:24482571

Association of Short-term Bleeding and Cramping Patterns with Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Method Satisfaction

PubMed Central

Diedrich, Justin T.; Desai, Sanyukta; Zhao, Qiuhong; Secura, Gina; Madden, Tessa; Peipert, Jeffrey F.

2014-01-01

Objectives To examine the short-term (3 and 6-month), self-reported bleeding and cramping patterns with intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the contraceptive implant, and the association of these symptoms with method satisfaction. Study Design We analyzed 3 and 6-month survey data from IUD and implant users in the Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a prospective cohort study. Participants who received a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) method (levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), copper IUD, or the etonogestrel implant) and completed their 3- and 6-month surveys were included. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to examine the association of bleeding and cramping patterns with short-term satisfaction. Results Our analytic sample included 5,011 CHOICE participants: 3001 LNG-IUS users, 826 copper IUD users, and 1184 implant users. At 3 months, over 65% of LNG-IUS and implant users reported no change or decreased cramping, while 63% of copper IUD users reported increased menstrual cramping. Lighter bleeding was reported by 67% of LNG-IUS users, 58% of implant users, and 8% of copper IUD users. Satisfaction of all LARC methods was high (≥90%) and significantly higher than non-LARC methods (p<0.001). LARC users with increased menstrual cramping (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92 – 0.99), heavier bleeding (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.87 – 0.96), and increased bleeding frequency (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89 – 0.96) were less likely to report being very satisfied at 6 months. Conclusion Regardless of the LARC method, satisfaction at 3 and 6 months is very high. Changes in self-reported bleeding and cramping are associated with short-term LARC satisfaction. PMID:25046805

Association of short-term bleeding and cramping patterns with long-acting reversible contraceptive method satisfaction.

PubMed

Diedrich, Justin T; Desai, Sanyukta; Zhao, Qiuhong; Secura, Gina; Madden, Tessa; Peipert, Jeffrey F

2015-01-01

We sought to examine the short-term (3- and 6-month), self-reported bleeding and cramping patterns with intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the contraceptive implant, and the association of these symptoms with method satisfaction. We analyzed 3- and 6-month survey data from IUD and implant users in the Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a prospective cohort study. Participants who received a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) method (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system [LNG-IUS], copper IUD, or the etonogestrel implant) and completed their 3- and 6-month surveys were included. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to examine the association of bleeding and cramping patterns with short-term satisfaction. Our analytic sample included 5011 Contraceptive CHOICE Project participants: 3001 LNG-IUS users, 826 copper IUD users, and 1184 implant users. At 3 months, >65% of LNG-IUS and implant users reported no change or decreased cramping, while 63% of copper IUD users reported increased menstrual cramping. Lighter bleeding was reported by 67% of LNG-IUS users, 58% of implant users, and 8% of copper IUD users. Satisfaction of all LARC methods was high (≥90%). LARC users with increased menstrual cramping (relative risk adjusted [RRadj], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.85), heavier bleeding (RRadj, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76-0.92), and increased bleeding frequency (RRadj, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.67-0.80) were less likely to report being very satisfied at 6 months. Regardless of the LARC method, satisfaction at 3 and 6 months is very high. Changes in self-reported bleeding and cramping are associated with short-term LARC satisfaction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Where the Cloud Meets the Commons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ipri, Tom

2011-01-01

Changes presented by cloud computing--shared computing services, applications, and storage available to end users via the Internet--have the potential to seriously alter how libraries provide services, not only remotely, but also within the physical library, specifically concerning challenges facing the typical desktop computing experience.…

VO-KOREL: A Fourier Disentangling Service of the Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Škoda, Petr; Hadrava, Petr; Fuchs, Jan

2012-04-01

VO-KOREL is a web service exploiting the technology of the Virtual Observatory for providing astronomers with the intuitive graphical front-end and distributed computing back-end running the most recent version of the Fourier disentangling code KOREL. The system integrates the ideas of the e-shop basket, conserving the privacy of every user by transfer encryption and access authentication, with features of laboratory notebook, allowing the easy housekeeping of both input parameters and final results, as well as it explores a newly emerging technology of cloud computing. While the web-based front-end allows the user to submit data and parameter files, edit parameters, manage a job list, resubmit or cancel running jobs and mainly watching the text and graphical results of a disentangling process, the main part of the back-end is a simple job queue submission system executing in parallel multiple instances of the FORTRAN code KOREL. This may be easily extended for GRID-based deployment on massively parallel computing clusters. The short introduction into underlying technologies is given, briefly mentioning advantages as well as bottlenecks of the design used.

On-demand Simulation of Atmospheric Transport Processes on the AlpEnDAC Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hachinger, S.; Harsch, C.; Meyer-Arnek, J.; Frank, A.; Heller, H.; Giemsa, E.

2016-12-01

The "Alpine Environmental Data Analysis Centre" (AlpEnDAC) develops a data-analysis platform for high-altitude research facilities within the "Virtual Alpine Observatory" project (VAO). This platform, with its web portal, will support use cases going much beyond data management: On user request, the data are augmented with "on-demand" simulation results, such as air-parcel trajectories for tracing down the source of pollutants when they appear in high concentration. The respective back-end mechanism uses the Compute Cloud of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) to transparently calculate results requested by the user, as far as they have not yet been stored in AlpEnDAC. The queuing-system operation model common in supercomputing is replaced by a model in which Virtual Machines (VMs) on the cloud are automatically created/destroyed, providing the necessary computing power immediately on demand. From a security point of view, this allows to perform simulations in a sandbox defined by the VM configuration, without direct access to a computing cluster. Within few minutes, the user receives conveniently visualized results. The AlpEnDAC infrastructure is distributed among two participating institutes [front-end at German Aerospace Centre (DLR), simulation back-end at LRZ], requiring an efficient mechanism for synchronization of measured and augmented data. We discuss our iRODS-based solution for these data-management tasks as well as the general AlpEnDAC framework. Our cloud-based offerings aim at making scientific computing for our users much more convenient and flexible than it has been, and to allow scientists without a broad background in scientific computing to benefit from complex numerical simulations.

Transferring brain-computer interfaces beyond the laboratory: successful application control for motor-disabled users.

PubMed

Leeb, Robert; Perdikis, Serafeim; Tonin, Luca; Biasiucci, Andrea; Tavella, Michele; Creatura, Marco; Molina, Alberto; Al-Khodairy, Abdul; Carlson, Tom; Millán, José D R

2013-10-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are no longer only used by healthy participants under controlled conditions in laboratory environments, but also by patients and end-users, controlling applications in their homes or clinics, without the BCI experts around. But are the technology and the field mature enough for this? Especially the successful operation of applications - like text entry systems or assistive mobility devices such as tele-presence robots - requires a good level of BCI control. How much training is needed to achieve such a level? Is it possible to train naïve end-users in 10 days to successfully control such applications? In this work, we report our experiences of training 24 motor-disabled participants at rehabilitation clinics or at the end-users' homes, without BCI experts present. We also share the lessons that we have learned through transferring BCI technologies from the lab to the user's home or clinics. The most important outcome is that 50% of the participants achieved good BCI performance and could successfully control the applications (tele-presence robot and text-entry system). In the case of the tele-presence robot the participants achieved an average performance ratio of 0.87 (max. 0.97) and for the text entry application a mean of 0.93 (max. 1.0). The lessons learned and the gathered user feedback range from pure BCI problems (technical and handling), to common communication issues among the different people involved, and issues encountered while controlling the applications. The points raised in this paper are very widely applicable and we anticipate that they might be faced similarly by other groups, if they move on to bringing the BCI technology to the end-user, to home environments and towards application prototype control. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization Model for Web Based Multimodal Interactive Simulations.

PubMed

Halic, Tansel; Ahn, Woojin; De, Suvranu

2015-07-15

This paper presents a technique for optimizing the performance of web based multimodal interactive simulations. For such applications where visual quality and the performance of simulations directly influence user experience, overloading of hardware resources may result in unsatisfactory reduction in the quality of the simulation and user satisfaction. However, optimization of simulation performance on individual hardware platforms is not practical. Hence, we present a mixed integer programming model to optimize the performance of graphical rendering and simulation performance while satisfying application specific constraints. Our approach includes three distinct phases: identification, optimization and update . In the identification phase, the computing and rendering capabilities of the client device are evaluated using an exploratory proxy code. This data is utilized in conjunction with user specified design requirements in the optimization phase to ensure best possible computational resource allocation. The optimum solution is used for rendering (e.g. texture size, canvas resolution) and simulation parameters (e.g. simulation domain) in the update phase. Test results are presented on multiple hardware platforms with diverse computing and graphics capabilities to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.

Optimization Model for Web Based Multimodal Interactive Simulations

PubMed Central

Halic, Tansel; Ahn, Woojin; De, Suvranu

2015-01-01

This paper presents a technique for optimizing the performance of web based multimodal interactive simulations. For such applications where visual quality and the performance of simulations directly influence user experience, overloading of hardware resources may result in unsatisfactory reduction in the quality of the simulation and user satisfaction. However, optimization of simulation performance on individual hardware platforms is not practical. Hence, we present a mixed integer programming model to optimize the performance of graphical rendering and simulation performance while satisfying application specific constraints. Our approach includes three distinct phases: identification, optimization and update. In the identification phase, the computing and rendering capabilities of the client device are evaluated using an exploratory proxy code. This data is utilized in conjunction with user specified design requirements in the optimization phase to ensure best possible computational resource allocation. The optimum solution is used for rendering (e.g. texture size, canvas resolution) and simulation parameters (e.g. simulation domain) in the update phase. Test results are presented on multiple hardware platforms with diverse computing and graphics capabilities to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. PMID:26085713

Social-ecological interactions, management panaceas, and the future of wild fish populations

PubMed Central

van Poorten, Brett T.; Arlinghaus, Robert; Daedlow, Katrin; Haertel-Borer, Susanne S.

2011-01-01

We explored the social and ecological outcomes associated with emergence of a management panacea designed to govern a stochastic renewable natural resource. To that end, we constructed a model of a coupled social-ecological system of recreational fisheries in which a manager supports naturally fluctuating stocks by stocking fish in response to harvest-driven satisfaction of resource users. The realistic assumption of users remembering past harvest experiences when exploiting a stochastically fluctuating fish population facilitates the emergence of a stocking-based management panacea over time. The social benefits of panacea formation involve dampening natural population fluctuations and generating stability of user satisfaction. It also maintains the resource but promotes the eventual replacement of wild fish by hatchery-descended fish. Our analyses show this outcome is particularly likely when hatchery-descended fish are reasonably fit (e.g., characterized by similar survival relative to wild fish) and/or when natural recruitment of the wild population is low (e.g., attributable to habitat deterioration), which leaves the wild population with little buffer against competition by stocked fish. The potential for release-based panacea formation is particularly likely under user-based management regimes and should be common in a range of social-ecological systems (e.g., fisheries, forestry), whenever user groups are entitled to engage in release or replanting strategies. The net result will be the preservation of a renewable resource through user-based incentives, but the once natural populations are likely to be altered and to host nonnative genotypes. This risks other ecosystem services and the future of wild populations. PMID:21742983

Using CASE to Exploit Process Modeling in Technology Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renz-Olar, Cheryl

2003-01-01

A successful business will be one that has processes in place to run that business. Creating processes, reengineering processes, and continually improving processes can be accomplished through extensive modeling. Casewise(R) Corporate Modeler(TM) CASE is a computer aided software engineering tool that will enable the Technology Transfer Department (TT) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to capture these abilities. After successful implementation of CASE, it could then go on to be applied in other departments at MSFC and other centers at NASA. The success of a business process is dependent upon the players working as a team and continuously improving the process. A good process fosters customer satisfaction as well as internal satisfaction in the organizational infrastructure. CASE provides a method for business process success through functions consisting of systems and processes business models; specialized diagrams; matrix management; simulation; report generation and publishing; and, linking, importing, and exporting documents and files. The software has an underlying repository or database to support these functions. The Casewise. manual informs us that dynamics modeling is a technique used in business design and analysis. Feedback is used as a tool for the end users and generates different ways of dealing with the process. Feedback on this project resulted from collection of issues through a systems analyst interface approach of interviews with process coordinators and Technical Points of Contact (TPOCs).

CASE tools and UML: state of the ART.

PubMed

Agarwal, S

2001-05-01

With increasing need for automated tools to assist complex systems development, software design methods are becoming popular. This article analyzes the state of art in computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools and unified modeling language (UML), focusing on their evolution, merits, and industry usage. It identifies managerial issues for the tools' adoption and recommends an action plan to select and implement them. While CASE and UML offer inherent advantages like cheaper, shorter, and efficient development cycles, they suffer from poor user satisfaction. The critical success factors for their implementation include, among others, management and staff commitment, proper corporate infrastructure, and user training.

Interactive Voice/Web Response System in clinical research

PubMed Central

Ruikar, Vrishabhsagar

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies in computer and telecommunication industry has eased the access to computer through telephone. An Interactive Voice/Web Response System (IxRS) is one of the user friendly systems for end users, with complex and tailored programs at its backend. The backend programs are specially tailored for easy understanding of users. Clinical research industry has experienced revolution in methodologies of data capture with time. Different systems have evolved toward emerging modern technologies and tools in couple of decades from past, for example, Electronic Data Capture, IxRS, electronic patient reported outcomes, etc. PMID:26952178

Interactive Voice/Web Response System in clinical research.

PubMed

Ruikar, Vrishabhsagar

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies in computer and telecommunication industry has eased the access to computer through telephone. An Interactive Voice/Web Response System (IxRS) is one of the user friendly systems for end users, with complex and tailored programs at its backend. The backend programs are specially tailored for easy understanding of users. Clinical research industry has experienced revolution in methodologies of data capture with time. Different systems have evolved toward emerging modern technologies and tools in couple of decades from past, for example, Electronic Data Capture, IxRS, electronic patient reported outcomes, etc.

Pricing Resources in LTE Networks through Multiobjective Optimization

PubMed Central

Lai, Yung-Liang; Jiang, Jehn-Ruey

2014-01-01

The LTE technology offers versatile mobile services that use different numbers of resources. This enables operators to provide subscribers or users with differential quality of service (QoS) to boost their satisfaction. On one hand, LTE operators need to price the resources high for maximizing their profits. On the other hand, pricing also needs to consider user satisfaction with allocated resources and prices to avoid “user churn,” which means subscribers will unsubscribe services due to dissatisfaction with allocated resources or prices. In this paper, we study the pricing resources with profits and satisfaction optimization (PRPSO) problem in the LTE networks, considering the operator profit and subscribers' satisfaction at the same time. The problem is modelled as nonlinear multiobjective optimization with two optimal objectives: (1) maximizing operator profit and (2) maximizing user satisfaction. We propose to solve the problem based on the framework of the NSGA-II. Simulations are conducted for evaluating the proposed solution. PMID:24526889

Pricing resources in LTE networks through multiobjective optimization.

PubMed

Lai, Yung-Liang; Jiang, Jehn-Ruey

2014-01-01

The LTE technology offers versatile mobile services that use different numbers of resources. This enables operators to provide subscribers or users with differential quality of service (QoS) to boost their satisfaction. On one hand, LTE operators need to price the resources high for maximizing their profits. On the other hand, pricing also needs to consider user satisfaction with allocated resources and prices to avoid "user churn," which means subscribers will unsubscribe services due to dissatisfaction with allocated resources or prices. In this paper, we study the pricing resources with profits and satisfaction optimization (PRPSO) problem in the LTE networks, considering the operator profit and subscribers' satisfaction at the same time. The problem is modelled as nonlinear multiobjective optimization with two optimal objectives: (1) maximizing operator profit and (2) maximizing user satisfaction. We propose to solve the problem based on the framework of the NSGA-II. Simulations are conducted for evaluating the proposed solution.

Modeling the Evolution of a Science Project in Software-Reliant System Acquisition Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-24

might: • Limit worker burnout • Perform better regarding schedule 10 Software Technology Conference April 10, 2013 © 2013 Carnegie Mellon...University The Evolution of a Science Project Key Preliminary Findings -3 The tipping point contributes to the “90% Done” Syndrome Percentage...worker burnout - SP User Satisfaction SP increasing satisfaction indicated satisfaction + + B3 Moderating User Satisfaction overage switch demand switch

Minimizing Barriers in Learning for On-Call Radiology Residents-End-to-End Web-Based Resident Feedback System.

PubMed

Choi, Hailey H; Clark, Jennifer; Jay, Ann K; Filice, Ross W

2018-02-01

Feedback is an essential part of medical training, where trainees are provided with information regarding their performance and further directions for improvement. In diagnostic radiology, feedback entails a detailed review of the differences between the residents' preliminary interpretation and the attendings' final interpretation of imaging studies. While the on-call experience of independently interpreting complex cases is important to resident education, the more traditional synchronous "read-out" or joint review is impossible due to multiple constraints. Without an efficient method to compare reports, grade discrepancies, convey salient teaching points, and view images, valuable lessons in image interpretation and report construction are lost. We developed a streamlined web-based system, including report comparison and image viewing, to minimize barriers in asynchronous communication between attending radiologists and on-call residents. Our system provides real-time, end-to-end delivery of case-specific and user-specific feedback in a streamlined, easy-to-view format. We assessed quality improvement subjectively through surveys and objectively through participation metrics. Our web-based feedback system improved user satisfaction for both attending and resident radiologists, and increased attending participation, particularly with regards to cases where substantive discrepancies were identified.

Promoting Higher Order Thinking Skills via IPTEACES e-Learning Framework in the Learning of Information Systems Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaias, Pedro; Issa, Tomayess; Pena, Nuno

2014-01-01

When developing and working with various types of devices from a supercomputer to an iPod Mini, it is essential to consider the issues of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Usability. Developers and designers must incorporate HCI, Usability and user satisfaction in their design plans to ensure that systems are easy to learn, effective,…

Factors in Human-Computer Interface Design (A Pilot Study).

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-12-01

This study used a pretest - posttest control group experimental design to test the effect of consistency on speed, retention, and user satisfaction. Four...analysis. The overall methodology was a pretest - posttest control group experimental design using different prototypes to test the effects of...methodology used for this study was a pretest - posttest control group experimental design using different prototypes to test for features of the human

Migrating Educational Data and Services to Cloud Computing: Exploring Benefits and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lahiri, Minakshi; Moseley, James L.

2013-01-01

"Cloud computing" is currently the "buzzword" in the Information Technology field. Cloud computing facilitates convenient access to information and software resources as well as easy storage and sharing of files and data, without the end users being aware of the details of the computing technology behind the process. This…

The Relationship between Therapeutic Alliance and Service User Satisfaction in Mental Health Inpatient Wards and Crisis House Alternatives: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Sweeney, Angela; Fahmy, Sarah; Nolan, Fiona; Morant, Nicola; Fox, Zoe; Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Osborn, David; Burgess, Emma; Gilburt, Helen; McCabe, Rosemarie; Slade, Mike; Johnson, Sonia

2014-01-01

Background Poor service user experiences are often reported on mental health inpatient wards. Crisis houses are an alternative, but evidence is limited. This paper investigates therapeutic alliances in acute wards and crisis houses, exploring how far stronger therapeutic alliance may underlie greater client satisfaction in crisis houses. Methods and Findings Mixed methods were used. In the quantitative component, 108 crisis house and 247 acute ward service users responded to measures of satisfaction, therapeutic relationships, informal peer support, recovery and negative events experienced during the admission. Linear regressions were conducted to estimate the association between service setting and measures, and to model the factors associated with satisfaction. Qualitative interviews exploring therapeutic alliances were conducted with service users and staff in each setting and analysed thematically. Results We found that therapeutic alliances, service user satisfaction and informal peer support were greater in crisis houses than on acute wards, whilst self-rated recovery and numbers of negative events were lower. Adjusted multivariable analyses suggest that therapeutic relationships, informal peer support and negative experiences related to staff may be important factors in accounting for greater satisfaction in crisis houses. Qualitative results suggest factors that influence therapeutic alliances include service user perceptions of basic human qualities such as kindness and empathy in staff and, at service level, the extent of loss of liberty and autonomy. Conclusions and Implications We found that service users experience better therapeutic relationships and higher satisfaction in crisis houses compared to acute wards, although we cannot exclude the possibility that differences in service user characteristics contribute to this. This finding provides some support for the expansion of crisis house provision. Further research is needed to investigate why acute ward service users experience a lack of compassion and humanity from ward staff and how this could be changed. PMID:25010773

Electronic cigarette use among adult population: a cross-sectional study in Barcelona, Spain (2013–2014)

PubMed Central

Martínez-Sánchez, Jose M; Ballbè, Montse; Fu, Marcela; Martín-Sánchez, Juan Carlos; Saltó, Esteve; Gottlieb, Mark; Daynard, Richard; Connolly, Gregory N; Fernández, Esteve

2014-01-01

Objective This study seeks to analyse the prevalence and correlates of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, purchase location and satisfaction with its use in a sample of the general population of the city of Barcelona, Spain. Design, setting and participants We used participants from a longitudinal study of a representative sample of the adult (≥16 years old) population of Barcelona (336 men and 400 women). The field work was conducted between May 2013 and February 2014. We computed the prevalence, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The prevalence of ever e-cigarette use was 6.5% (95% CI 4.7% to 8.3%): 1.6% current use, 2.2% past use and 2.7% only e-cigarette experimentation. 75% (95% CI 62.8% to 87.3%) of ever e-cigarette users were current cigarette smokers at the moment of the interview. E-cigarette use was more likely among current smokers (OR=54.57; 95% CI 7.33 to 406.38) and highly dependent cigarette smokers (OR=3.96; 95% CI 1.60 to 9.82). 62.5% of the ever users charged their e-cigarettes with nicotine with 70% of them obtaining the liquids with nicotine in a specialised shop. 39.6% of ever e-cigarette users were not satisfied with their use, a similar percentage of not satisfied expressing the smokers (38.9%) and there were no statistically significant differences in the satisfaction between the users of e-cigarettes with and without nicotine. Conclusions E-cigarette use is strongly associated with current smoking (dual use) and most users continue to be addicted to nicotine. Six out of 10 e-cigarette users preferred devices that deliver nicotine. The satisfaction with e-cigarette use is very low. PMID:25157186

Patient-directed Internet-based Medical Image Exchange: Experience from an Initial Multicenter Implementation

PubMed Central

Greco, Giampaolo; Patel, Anand S.; Lewis, Sara C.; Shi, Wei; Rasul, Rehana; Torosyan, Mary; Erickson, Bradley J.; Hiremath, Atheeth; Moskowitz, Alan J.; Tellis, Wyatt M.; Siegel, Eliot L.; Arenson, Ronald L.; Mendelson, David S.

2015-01-01

Rationale and Objectives Inefficient transfer of personal health records among providers negatively impacts quality of health care and increases cost. This multicenter study evaluates the implementation of the first Internet-based image-sharing system that gives patients ownership and control of their imaging exams, including assessment of patient satisfaction. Materials and Methods Patients receiving any medical imaging exams in four academic centers were eligible to have images uploaded into an online, Internet-based personal health record. Satisfaction surveys were provided during recruitment with questions on ease of use, privacy and security, and timeliness of access to images. Responses were rated on a five-point scale and compared using logistic regression and McNemar's test. Results A total of 2562 patients enrolled from July 2012 to August 2013. The median number of imaging exams uploaded per patient was 5. Most commonly, exams were plain X-rays (34.7%), computed tomography (25.7%), and magnetic resonance imaging (16.1%). Of 502 (19.6%) patient surveys returned, 448 indicated the method of image sharing (Internet, compact discs [CDs], both, other). Nearly all patients (96.5%) responded favorably to having direct access to images, and 78% reported viewing their medical images independently. There was no difference between Internet and CD users in satisfaction with privacy and security and timeliness of access to medical images. A greater percentage of Internet users compared to CD users reported access without difficulty (88.3% vs. 77.5%, P < 0.0001). Conclusion A patient-directed, interoperable, Internet-based image-sharing system is feasible and surpasses the use of CDs with respect to accessibility of imaging exams while generating similar satisfaction with respect to privacy. PMID:26625706

Patient-directed Internet-based Medical Image Exchange: Experience from an Initial Multicenter Implementation.

PubMed

Greco, Giampaolo; Patel, Anand S; Lewis, Sara C; Shi, Wei; Rasul, Rehana; Torosyan, Mary; Erickson, Bradley J; Hiremath, Atheeth; Moskowitz, Alan J; Tellis, Wyatt M; Siegel, Eliot L; Arenson, Ronald L; Mendelson, David S

2016-02-01

Inefficient transfer of personal health records among providers negatively impacts quality of health care and increases cost. This multicenter study evaluates the implementation of the first Internet-based image-sharing system that gives patients ownership and control of their imaging exams, including assessment of patient satisfaction. Patients receiving any medical imaging exams in four academic centers were eligible to have images uploaded into an online, Internet-based personal health record. Satisfaction surveys were provided during recruitment with questions on ease of use, privacy and security, and timeliness of access to images. Responses were rated on a five-point scale and compared using logistic regression and McNemar's test. A total of 2562 patients enrolled from July 2012 to August 2013. The median number of imaging exams uploaded per patient was 5. Most commonly, exams were plain X-rays (34.7%), computed tomography (25.7%), and magnetic resonance imaging (16.1%). Of 502 (19.6%) patient surveys returned, 448 indicated the method of image sharing (Internet, compact discs [CDs], both, other). Nearly all patients (96.5%) responded favorably to having direct access to images, and 78% reported viewing their medical images independently. There was no difference between Internet and CD users in satisfaction with privacy and security and timeliness of access to medical images. A greater percentage of Internet users compared to CD users reported access without difficulty (88.3% vs. 77.5%, P < 0.0001). A patient-directed, interoperable, Internet-based image-sharing system is feasible and surpasses the use of CDs with respect to accessibility of imaging exams while generating similar satisfaction with respect to privacy. Copyright © 2015 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Comparison of level of satisfaction of users of home care: integrated model vs. dispensaries model].

PubMed

Gorina, Marta; Limonero, Joaquín T; Peñart, Xavier; Jiménez, Jordi; Gassó, Javier

2014-01-01

To determine the level of satisfaction of users that receive home health care through two different models of primary health care: integrated model and dispensaries model. cross-sectional, observational study. Two primary care centers in the province of Barcelona. The questionnaire was administered to 158 chronic patients over 65 years old, of whom 67 were receiving health care from the integrated model, and 91 from the dispensaries model. The Evaluation of Satisfaction with Home Health Care (SATISFAD12) questionnaire was, together with other complementary questions about service satisfaction of home health care, as well as social demographic questions (age, sex, disease, etc). The patients of the dispensaries model showed more satisfaction than the users receiving care from the integrated model. There was a greater healthcare continuity for those patients from the dispensaries model, and a lower percentage of hospitalizations during the last year. The satisfaction of the users from both models was not associated to gender, the health perception,or independence of the The user satisfaction rate of the home care by primary health care seems to depend of the typical characteristics of each organisational model. The dispensaries model shows a higher rate of satisfaction or perceived quality of care in all the aspects analysed. More studies are neede to extrapolate these results to other primary care centers belonging to other institutions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Impacts of mobile tablet computing on provider productivity, communications, and the process of care.

PubMed

Schooley, Benjamin; Walczak, Steven; Hikmet, Neset; Patel, Nitin

2016-04-01

Health information technology investments continue to increase while the value derived from their implementation and use is mixed. Mobile device adoption into practice is a recent trend that has increased dramatically and formal studies are needed to investigate consequent benefits and challenges. The objective of this study is to evaluate practitioner perceptions of improvements in productivity, provider-patient communications, care provision, technology usability and other outcomes following the adoption and use of a tablet computer connected to electronic health information resources. A pilot program was initiated in June 2013 to evaluate the effect of mobile tablet computers at one health provider organization in the southeast United States. Providers were asked to volunteer for the evaluation and were each given a mobile tablet computer. A total of 42 inpatient and outpatient providers were interviewed in 2015 using a survey style questionnaire that utilized yes/no, Likert-style, and open ended questions. Each had previously used an electronic health record (EHR) system a minimum of one year outside of residency, and were regular users of personal mobile devices. Each used a mobile tablet computer in the context of their practice connected to the health system EHR. The survey results indicate that more than half of providers perceive the use of the tablet device as having a positive effect on patient communications, patient education, patient's perception of the provider, time spent interacting with patients, provider productivity, process of care, satisfaction with EHR when used together with the device, and care provision. Providers also reported feeling comfortable using the device (82.9%), would recommend the device to colleagues (69.2%), did not experience increased information security and privacy concerns (95%), and noted significant reductions in EHR login times (64.1%). Less than 25% of participants reported negative impacts on any of these areas as well as on time spent on order submission, note completion time, overall workload, patient satisfaction with care experience and patient outcomes. Gender, number of years in practice, practice type (general practitioner vs. specialist), and service type (inpatient/outpatient) were found to have a significant effect on perceptions of patient satisfaction, care process, and provider productivity. Providers found positive gains from utilizing mobile devices in overall productivity, improved communications with their patients, the process of care, and technology efficiencies when used in combination with EHR and other health information resources. Demographic and health care work environment play a role in how mobile technologies are integrated into practice by providers. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Secure Data Access Control for Fog Computing Based on Multi-Authority Attribute-Based Signcryption with Computation Outsourcing and Attribute Revocation

PubMed Central

Xu, Qian; Tan, Chengxiang; Fan, Zhijie; Zhu, Wenye; Xiao, Ya; Cheng, Fujia

2018-01-01

Nowadays, fog computing provides computation, storage, and application services to end users in the Internet of Things. One of the major concerns in fog computing systems is how fine-grained access control can be imposed. As a logical combination of attribute-based encryption and attribute-based signature, Attribute-based Signcryption (ABSC) can provide confidentiality and anonymous authentication for sensitive data and is more efficient than traditional “encrypt-then-sign” or “sign-then-encrypt” strategy. Thus, ABSC is suitable for fine-grained access control in a semi-trusted cloud environment and is gaining more and more attention recently. However, in many existing ABSC systems, the computation cost required for the end users in signcryption and designcryption is linear with the complexity of signing and encryption access policy. Moreover, only a single authority that is responsible for attribute management and key generation exists in the previous proposed ABSC schemes, whereas in reality, mostly, different authorities monitor different attributes of the user. In this paper, we propose OMDAC-ABSC, a novel data access control scheme based on Ciphertext-Policy ABSC, to provide data confidentiality, fine-grained control, and anonymous authentication in a multi-authority fog computing system. The signcryption and designcryption overhead for the user is significantly reduced by outsourcing the undesirable computation operations to fog nodes. The proposed scheme is proven to be secure in the standard model and can provide attribute revocation and public verifiability. The security analysis, asymptotic complexity comparison, and implementation results indicate that our construction can balance the security goals with practical efficiency in computation. PMID:29772840

Web-based DAQ systems: connecting the user and electronics front-ends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenzi, Thomas

2016-12-01

Web technologies are quickly evolving and are gaining in computational power and flexibility, allowing for a paradigm shift in the field of Data Acquisition (DAQ) systems design. Modern web browsers offer the possibility to create intricate user interfaces and are able to process and render complex data. Furthermore, new web standards such as WebSockets allow for fast real-time communication between the server and the user with minimal overhead. Those improvements make it possible to move the control and monitoring operations from the back-end servers directly to the user and to the front-end electronics, thus reducing the complexity of the data acquisition chain. Moreover, web-based DAQ systems offer greater flexibility, accessibility, and maintainability on the user side than traditional applications which often lack portability and ease of use. As proof of concept, we implemented a simplified DAQ system on a mid-range Spartan6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development board coupled to a digital front-end readout chip. The system is connected to the Internet and can be accessed from any web browser. It is composed of custom code to control the front-end readout and of a dual soft-core Microblaze processor to communicate with the client.

Computational Participation: Understanding Coding as an Extension of Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Quinn; O'Byrne, W. Ian; Kafai, Yasmin B.

2016-01-01

Understanding the computational concepts on which countless digital applications run offers learners the opportunity to no longer simply read such media but also become more discerning end users and potentially innovative "writers" of new media themselves. To think computationally--to solve problems, to design systems, and to process and…

[Improving a hospital's supply chain through lean management].

PubMed

Aguilar-Escobar, V G; Garrido-Vega, P; Godino-Gallego, N

2013-01-01

Supply management is an area where hospitals have significant opportunities for improvement. The main objective of this paper has been to analyze how the application of Lean principles can improve logistics costs and user satisfaction. In connection with satisfaction, it also aimed to examine which aspects of the service define it and check for differences between different groups of users. The results of an experience to reorganize the hospital logistic system based on some Lean principles have been studied. This is therefore a case study, which combine different methods of data collection. The logistics cost calculation was carried out using the full costing method. To measure satisfaction of healthcare personnel, the internal logistics service users, an anonymous survey was conducted. Processing of the data obtained from the survey have included exploratory analysis, factor analysis and ANOVAs. The data have showed an improvement in logistics management after the implementation of Lean principles. Logistics costs were reduced and the satisfaction level of the internal users with the new logistics system was increased. Some differences in the degree of satisfaction by different groups of users were also detected, although they did not seem to distinguish between different aspects of logistic service. The analyzed experience shows the applicability and suitability of Lean principles to improve logistics operational costs and increase user satisfaction. Copyright © 2012 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Composing only by thought: Novel application of the P300 brain-computer interface.

PubMed

Pinegger, Andreas; Hiebel, Hannah; Wriessnegger, Selina C; Müller-Putz, Gernot R

2017-01-01

The P300 event-related potential is a well-known pattern in the electroencephalogram (EEG). This kind of brain signal is used for many different brain-computer interface (BCI) applications, e.g., spellers, environmental controllers, web browsers, or for painting. In recent times, BCI systems are mature enough to leave the laboratories to be used by the end-users, namely severely disabled people. Therefore, new challenges arise and the systems should be implemented and evaluated according to user-centered design (USD) guidelines. We developed and implemented a new system that utilizes the P300 pattern to compose music. Our Brain Composing system consists of three parts: the EEG acquisition device, the P300-based BCI, and the music composing software. Seventeen musical participants and one professional composer performed a copy-spelling, a copy-composing, and a free-composing task with the system. According to the USD guidelines, we investigated the efficiency, the effectiveness and subjective criteria in terms of satisfaction, enjoyment, frustration, and attractiveness. The musical participants group achieved high average accuracies: 88.24% (copy-spelling), 88.58% (copy-composing), and 76.51% (free-composing). The professional composer achieved also high accuracies: 100% (copy-spelling), 93.62% (copy-composing), and 98.20% (free-composing). General results regarding the subjective criteria evaluation were that the participants enjoyed the usage of the Brain Composing system and were highly satisfied with the system. Showing very positive results with healthy people in this study, this was the first step towards a music composing system for severely disabled people.

Composing only by thought: Novel application of the P300 brain-computer interface

PubMed Central

Hiebel, Hannah; Wriessnegger, Selina C.; Müller-Putz, Gernot R.

2017-01-01

The P300 event-related potential is a well-known pattern in the electroencephalogram (EEG). This kind of brain signal is used for many different brain-computer interface (BCI) applications, e.g., spellers, environmental controllers, web browsers, or for painting. In recent times, BCI systems are mature enough to leave the laboratories to be used by the end-users, namely severely disabled people. Therefore, new challenges arise and the systems should be implemented and evaluated according to user-centered design (USD) guidelines. We developed and implemented a new system that utilizes the P300 pattern to compose music. Our Brain Composing system consists of three parts: the EEG acquisition device, the P300-based BCI, and the music composing software. Seventeen musical participants and one professional composer performed a copy-spelling, a copy-composing, and a free-composing task with the system. According to the USD guidelines, we investigated the efficiency, the effectiveness and subjective criteria in terms of satisfaction, enjoyment, frustration, and attractiveness. The musical participants group achieved high average accuracies: 88.24% (copy-spelling), 88.58% (copy-composing), and 76.51% (free-composing). The professional composer achieved also high accuracies: 100% (copy-spelling), 93.62% (copy-composing), and 98.20% (free-composing). General results regarding the subjective criteria evaluation were that the participants enjoyed the usage of the Brain Composing system and were highly satisfied with the system. Showing very positive results with healthy people in this study, this was the first step towards a music composing system for severely disabled people. PMID:28877175

Web N.0, the New Development Trend of Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhiguo; Wang, Wensheng

This article analyzes the Internet basic theory, the network foundation environment and the user behavior change and so on, Which analyzes the development tendency of existing partial Internet products in the future Internet environment. The article also hot on the concept of cloud computing, Demonstrates the relation between Cloud Computing and Web 2.0 from the angle of Cloud-based end-user applications, The possibly killing application in the future was discussed.

Human errors and violations in computer and information security: the viewpoint of network administrators and security specialists.

PubMed

Kraemer, Sara; Carayon, Pascale

2007-03-01

This paper describes human errors and violations of end users and network administration in computer and information security. This information is summarized in a conceptual framework for examining the human and organizational factors contributing to computer and information security. This framework includes human error taxonomies to describe the work conditions that contribute adversely to computer and information security, i.e. to security vulnerabilities and breaches. The issue of human error and violation in computer and information security was explored through a series of 16 interviews with network administrators and security specialists. The interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed by coding specific themes in a node structure. The result is an expanded framework that classifies types of human error and identifies specific human and organizational factors that contribute to computer and information security. Network administrators tended to view errors created by end users as more intentional than unintentional, while errors created by network administrators as more unintentional than intentional. Organizational factors, such as communication, security culture, policy, and organizational structure, were the most frequently cited factors associated with computer and information security.

Predicting Flows of Rarefied Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LeBeau, Gerald J.; Wilmoth, Richard G.

2005-01-01

DSMC Analysis Code (DAC) is a flexible, highly automated, easy-to-use computer program for predicting flows of rarefied gases -- especially flows of upper-atmospheric, propulsion, and vented gases impinging on spacecraft surfaces. DAC implements the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, which is widely recognized as standard for simulating flows at densities so low that the continuum-based equations of computational fluid dynamics are invalid. DAC enables users to model complex surface shapes and boundary conditions quickly and easily. The discretization of a flow field into computational grids is automated, thereby relieving the user of a traditionally time-consuming task while ensuring (1) appropriate refinement of grids throughout the computational domain, (2) determination of optimal settings for temporal discretization and other simulation parameters, and (3) satisfaction of the fundamental constraints of the method. In so doing, DAC ensures an accurate and efficient simulation. In addition, DAC can utilize parallel processing to reduce computation time. The domain decomposition needed for parallel processing is completely automated, and the software employs a dynamic load-balancing mechanism to ensure optimal parallel efficiency throughout the simulation.

75 FR 39950 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU) Public Use Forms and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-13

... Request; Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU) Public Use Forms and Customer Satisfaction Surveys (NCI... of customer satisfaction for clinical site staff using the CTSU Help Desk and the CTSU web site. An ongoing user satisfaction survey is in place for the Oncology Patient Enrollment Network (OPEN). User...

Computer Use by School Teachers in Teaching-Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhalla, Jyoti

2013-01-01

Developing countries have a responsibility not merely to provide computers for schools, but also to foster a habit of infusing a variety of ways in which computers can be integrated in teaching-learning amongst the end users of these tools. Earlier researches lacked a systematic study of the manner and the extent of computer-use by teachers. The…

End-User Imaging DISKussions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Pamela Jean

1993-01-01

This third in a series of articles on EDIS (Electronic Document Imaging System) technology focuses on organizational issues. Highlights include computer platforms; management information systems; computer-based skills of staff; new technology and change; time factors; financial considerations; document conversion costs; the benefits of EDIS…

[Assessing user satisfaction, an objective for quality of care].

PubMed

Séné-Bourgeois, Martine; Mathieu-Chakroun, Isabelle; Margat, Aurore

The assessment of user satisfaction constitutes a key indicator of the quality of care. It can be envisaged either as part of an internal strategy which favours the improvement of practices, an external strategy whose focus is more commercial and/or an exploratory strategy to develop care models. User satisfaction is expressed in particular through complaint letters and discharge questionnaires. These regulated schemes enable quality to be approached on an individual and collective level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

User satisfaction level of parking space facility: a case of Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budiani, S. R.; Iffani, M.; Novianti, I.; Alfana, M. A. F.; Harini, R.; Rofi, A.

2018-04-01

Every vehicular trip starts and finishes at a parking lot. Therefore, the availability of parking space has to meet the demand of vehicle users so that their activities can be performed smoothly and in time. The needs for parking space in Faculty of Geography tend to increase from year to year due to the increasing use of private vehicles in the faculty. This research aimed to identify the user satisfaction level of the parking space in Faculty of geography and to understand the influence of the parking facility on user satisfaction level. It was survey research because it took samples from a population and used a list of questions as a data collection tool. The data was analyzed quantitatively with descriptive statistics. The satisfaction level was calculated according to an existing regulation, namely the Decree of the Indonesian Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform No. Kep/25/M.PAN/2004 about General Guidelines for the Assessment of Community Satisfaction Index of Public Service Unit. The results showed that the mean user satisfaction level of the parking facility and each of its elements were good. In other words, the parking facility was already good in each element. Therefore, the faculty should focus the improvement on making it better.

A Phase III, single-arm study of LNG-IUS 8, a low-dose levonorgestrel intrauterine contraceptive system (total content 13.5mg) in postmenarcheal adolescents.

PubMed

Gemzell-Danielsson, Kristina; Buhling, Kai J; Dermout, Sylvia M; Lukkari-Lax, Eeva; Montegriffo, Elaine; Apter, Dan

2016-06-01

To assess the safety profile of the low-dose levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) total content 13.5mg (average approximate release rate 8μg/24h over the first year; LNG-IUS 8; Jaydess®) in adolescents. In a Phase III study in 36 European centers, 304 healthy nulliparous or parous postmenarcheal adolescents (12-17years) received LNG-IUS 8 for 12months. The primary outcome was the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Secondary outcomes included: serious TEAEs, adverse events of special interest, overall user satisfaction, discontinuation rate at 12months, and Pearl Index. LNG-IUS 8 placement was successful in 303/304 participants (99.7%). Overall, 82.6% of participants reported TEAEs, and serious TEAEs and serious study drug-related TEAEs were reported by 7.6% and 1.0% of participants, respectively. No cases of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, or uterine perforation were reported. No pregnancies were reported during the 12-month study. At Month 12/study end, the overall user satisfaction rate was 83.9%. Overall, 51 participants (16.8%) prematurely discontinued the study before 12months; 13.8% of participants discontinued owing to TEAEs. No new or unexpected safety events were associated with the low-dose LNG-IUS 8. The safety profile of LNG-IUS 8 in adolescents was consistent with that previously reported in adults. The high overall user-satisfaction rate at study end and the low discontinuation rate over 12months demonstrate that LNG-IUS 8 is a highly acceptable contraceptive method among adolescents. This study is the first to assess the low-dose levonorgestrel intrauterine system LNG-IUS 8 (average approximate release rate 8μg/24h over the first year and total content 13.5mg) specifically in females<18years of age and confirms the safety and efficacy of LNG-IUS 8 in an adolescent population. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Embedded systems for supporting computer accessibility.

PubMed

Mulfari, Davide; Celesti, Antonio; Fazio, Maria; Villari, Massimo; Puliafito, Antonio

2015-01-01

Nowadays, customized AT software solutions allow their users to interact with various kinds of computer systems. Such tools are generally available on personal devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops and so on) commonly used by a person with a disability. In this paper, we investigate a way of using the aforementioned AT equipments in order to access many different devices without assistive preferences. The solution takes advantage of open source hardware and its core component consists of an affordable Linux embedded system: it grabs data coming from the assistive software, which runs on the user's personal device, then, after processing, it generates native keyboard and mouse HID commands for the target computing device controlled by the end user. This process supports any operating system available on the target machine and it requires no specialized software installation; therefore the user with a disability can rely on a single assistive tool to control a wide range of computing platforms, including conventional computers and many kinds of mobile devices, which receive input commands through the USB HID protocol.

Asynchronous P300-based brain-computer interface to control a virtual environment: initial tests on end users.

PubMed

Aloise, Fabio; Schettini, Francesca; Aricò, Pietro; Salinari, Serenella; Guger, Christoph; Rinsma, Johanna; Aiello, Marco; Mattia, Donatella; Cincotti, Febo

2011-10-01

Motor disability and/or ageing can prevent individuals from fully enjoying home facilities, thus worsening their quality of life. Advances in the field of accessible user interfaces for domotic appliances can represent a valuable way to improve the independence of these persons. An asynchronous P300-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system was recently validated with the participation of healthy young volunteers for environmental control. In this study, the asynchronous P300-based BCI for the interaction with a virtual home environment was tested with the participation of potential end-users (clients of a Frisian home care organization) with limited autonomy due to ageing and/or motor disabilities. System testing revealed that the minimum number of stimulation sequences needed to achieve correct classification had a higher intra-subject variability in potential end-users with respect to what was previously observed in young controls. Here we show that the asynchronous modality performed significantly better as compared to the synchronous mode in continuously adapting its speed to the users' state. Furthermore, the asynchronous system modality confirmed its reliability in avoiding misclassifications and false positives, as previously shown in young healthy subjects. The asynchronous modality may contribute to filling the usability gap between BCI systems and traditional input devices, representing an important step towards their use in the activities of daily living.

Adaptive hybrid brain-computer interaction: ask a trainer for assistance!

PubMed

Müller-Putz, Gernot R; Steyrl, David; Faller, Josef

2014-01-01

In applying mental imagery brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to end users, training is a key part for novice users to get control. In general learning situations, it is an established concept that a trainer assists a trainee to improve his/her aptitude in certain skills. In this work, we want to evaluate whether we can apply this concept in the context of event-related desynchronization (ERD) based, adaptive, hybrid BCIs. Hence, in a first session we merged the features of a high aptitude BCI user, a trainer, and a novice user, the trainee, in a closed-loop BCI feedback task and automatically adapted the classifier over time. In a second session the trainees operated the system unassisted. Twelve healthy participants ran through this protocol. Along with the trainer, the trainees achieved a very high overall peak accuracy of 95.3 %. In the second session, where users operated the BCI unassisted, they still achieved a high overall peak accuracy of 83.6%. Ten of twelve first time BCI users successfully achieved significantly better than chance accuracy. Concluding, we can say that this trainer-trainee approach is very promising. Future research should investigate, whether this approach is superior to conventional training approaches. This trainer-trainee concept could have potential for future application of BCIs to end users.

15 CFR 740.7 - Computers (APP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 4A003. (2) Technology and software. License Exception APP authorizes exports of technology and software... programmability. (ii) Technology and source code. Technology and source code eligible for License Exception APP..., reexports and transfers (in-country) for nuclear, chemical, biological, or missile end-users and end-uses...

Post-Positivist Research: Two Examples of Methodological Pluralism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildemuth, Barbara M.

1993-01-01

Discussion of positivist and interpretive approaches to research and postpositivism focuses on two studies that apply interpretive research in different ways: an exploratory study of user-developed computing applications conducted prior to a positivist study and a study of end-user searching behaviors conducted concurrently with a positivist…

[Satisfaction of Users with Spinal Cord Injury in relation to the Service of Promotion of Personal Autonomy of the Balearic Islands, Spain].

PubMed

Capó-Juan, Miguel Ángel; Fiol-Delgado, Rosa Mª; Alzamora-Perelló, Mª Magdalena; Bosch-Gutiérrez, Marta; Serna-López, Lucía; Bennasar-Veny, Miguel; Aguiló-Pons, Antonio; De Pedro-Gómez, Joan E

2016-11-10

Public Service Promotion of Personal Autonomy aims to provide care to users with severe physical and/or physical-mental disabilities, including people with spinal cord injury. These users are in a chronic phase and thus they require educational-therapeutic measures of physiotherapy. This study is meant to determine the satisfaction of people with spinal cord injury who attend this service. A descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study in the Public Service Promotion of Personal Autonomy after a sixteen-month therapeutic monitoring process was carried out, which began in March 2015. The final study sample was 25 people with spinal cord injury (17 men and 8 women). At the end of therapeutic intervention, users responded to the SERVQHOS questionnaire, which consists in nineteen questions that aim to measure the quality of the care services provided. A statistical analysis was conducted, calculating averages and standard deviations or frecuencies and percentages. The best valued external factor was the staff appearance with 4,5 on average and the worst scored external factor was the ease of access and / or signposting of the center with 2,6 on average. On the other hand, the best valued internal factor was the kindness of the staff with 4,8 on average and the worst scored factor was the speed in which the users receive what they requested with 4,2 on average. We concluded that the quality offered is determined by internal factors (kindness, trust, willingness to help) and weaknesses are related to structural factors of the center (external factors).

Transportable Applications Environment Plus, Version 5.1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Transportable Applications Environment Plus (TAE+) computer program providing integrated, portable programming environment for developing and running application programs based on interactive windows, text, and graphical objects. Enables both programmers and nonprogrammers to construct own custom application interfaces easily and to move interfaces and application programs to different computers. Used to define corporate user interface, with noticeable improvements in application developer's and end user's learning curves. Main components are; WorkBench, What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) software tool for design and layout of user interface; and WPT (Window Programming Tools) Package, set of callable subroutines controlling user interface of application program. WorkBench and WPT's written in C++, and remaining code written in C.

Analysis of Environmental Friendly Library Based on the Satisfaction and Service Quality: study at Library “X”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herdiansyah, Herdis; Satriya Utama, Andre; Safruddin; Hidayat, Heri; Gema Zuliana Irawan, Angga; Immanuel Tjandra Muliawan, R.; Mutia Pratiwi, Diana

2017-10-01

One of the factor that influenced the development of science is the existence of the library, which in this case is the college libraries. Library, which is located in the college environment, aims to supply collections of literatures to support research activities as well as educational for students of the college. Conceptually, every library now starts to practice environmental principles. For example, “X” library as a central library claims to be an environmental friendly library for practicing environmental friendly management, but the X library has not inserted the satisfaction and service aspect to the users, including whether it is true that environmental friendly process is perceived by library users. Satisfaction can be seen from the comparison between expectations and reality of library users. This paper analyzes the level of library user satisfaction with library services in the campus area and the gap between expectations and reality felt by the library users. The result of the research shows that there is a disparity between the hope of library management, which is sustainable and environmentally friendly with the reality in the management of the library, so that it has not given satisfaction to the users yet. The gap value of satisfaction that has the biggest difference is in the library collection with the value of 1.57; while for the smallest gap value is in the same service to all students with a value of 0.67.

Clinician perceptions of an electronic medical record during the first year of implementaton in emergency services.

PubMed

Chisolm, Deena J; Purnell, Tanjala S; Cohen, Daniel M; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

2010-02-01

The objectives of this study were to measure clinician perceptions of the recently implemented electronic medical record (EMR) system in a pediatric emergency department and off-site urgent care centers and to determine how user perceptions changed over time. Physicians and nurses from the emergency department/urgent care center were recruited to complete an online survey at 3 points in time: 30 to 89 days (wave 1), 90 to 179 days (wave 2), and 180 to 270 days after implementation (wave 3). Potential predictors of initial satisfaction studied included effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social support, and facilitating conditions, along with user demographics and general attitudes toward technology. Bivariate relationships with satisfaction were assessed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and correlation analysis. A final multivariate linear regression model was calculated. Change in satisfaction over time was tested using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. A total of 71 clinicians completed the surveys. Initial satisfaction was strongly associated with perceptions of training and support (facilitating conditions) and with perceived usefulness (performance expectancy). Satisfaction was not associated with user sex, age, or role (physician vs nurse). No significant change was found in any satisfaction measure at wave 2 or 3; however, satisfaction with functionality trended higher and satisfaction with reliability trended lower over the course of use. Satisfaction with an EMR at its launch generally persisted through the first year of use. Implementation plans must maximize the likelihood of achieving positive early impressions of training, support, and performance to engender high user satisfaction with the EMR.

Personal computer wallpaper user segmentation based on Sasang typology.

PubMed

Lee, Joung-Youn

2015-03-01

As human-computer interaction (HCI) is becoming a significant part of all human life, the user's emotional satisfaction is an important factor to consider. These changes have been pointed out by several researchers who claim that a user's personality may become the most important factor in the design. The objective of this study is to examine Sasang typology as a user segmentation method in the area of HCI design. To test HCI usage patterns in terms of the user's personality and temperament, this study focuses on personal computer (PC) or lap-top wallpaper settings. One hundred and four Facebook friends completed a QSCC II survey assessing Sasang typology type and sent a captured image of their personal PC or lap-top wallpaper. To classify the computer usage pattern, folder organization and wallpaper setting were investigated. The research showed that So-Yang type organized folders and icons in an orderly manner, whereas So-Eum type did not organize folders and icons at all. With regard to wallpaper settings, So-Yang type used the default wallpaper provided by the PC but So-Eum type used landscape images. Because So-Yang type was reported to be emotionally stable and extrovert, they tended to be highly concerned with online privacy compared with So-Eum type. So-Eum type use a lot of images of landscapes as the background image, which demonstrates So-Eum's low emotional stability, anxiety, and the desire to obtain analogy throughout the computer screen. Also, So-Yang's wallpapers display family or peripheral figures and this is due to the sociability that extrovert So-Yang types possess. By proposing the Sasang typology as a factor in influencing an HCI usage pattern in this study, it can be used to predict the user's HCI experience, or suggest a native design methodology that can actively cope with the user's psychological environment.

Determinants of user satisfaction with a Clinical Information System.

PubMed

Palm, Jean-Marc; Colombet, Isabelle; Sicotte, Claude; Degoulet, Patrice

2006-01-01

Clinical Information Systems (CIS) implementation has faced user resistance. Consequently, we aimed to assess the acceptability of an integrated CIS. We designed an electronic survey instrument from two theoretical models (Delone and McLean, and Technology Acceptance Model). Dimensions hypothesized to be determinant of user satisfaction were: user characteristics, CIS use, quality, usefulness, and service quality. The questionnaire was administered to physicians, nurses and medical secretaries of the Georges Pompidou university Hospital (HEGP) in Paris. Answers were obtained from 324 users (93 physicians, 174 nurses, and 57 secretaries). Cronbach's alpha coefficients showed a correct reliability within each dimension. Secretaries and nurses were more satisfied with the CIS than physicians. Except for CIS use, after adjustment for confounders, female gender, perceived CIS quality, usefulness, and service quality were strongly correlated with user satisfaction. This study reinforces the necessity of several models and dimensions to evaluate the acceptability of a complex CIS, with a specific approach for different user profiles.

Usability studies on e-learning platforms: Preliminary study in USM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emang, Devinna Win Anak Boniface; Lukman, Raja Nurul Izzati Raja; Kamarulzaman, Muhammad Izzat Syafiq; Zaaba, Zarul Fitri

2017-10-01

This paper explores the end-users' experienced in regards to the usability issues in E-learning platform. An online survey utilising 116 participants were conducted to investigate the end-users understanding and satisfaction on E-learning platform in the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The results indicates that mainly students still experiencing significant challenges in E-learning platform in regards to accessibility, technical terminologies and functionality. On the other hand, the 10 heuristic guideline is chosen to be a referral point to compare five E-learning platforms in order to assess each performance on regards to the usability criteria. Overall, USM E-learning platform can be considered in a good shape. However, there are more works to be done to improve the delivery system of the E-learning if it would like to sustain for a long period of time. Although the result is at the preliminary stage, it provides useful insights to improve the E-learning platform as one of the most popular education platform in Malaysia.

Library Automation Alternatives in 1996 and User Satisfaction Ratings of Library Users by Operating System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cibbarelli, Pamela

1996-01-01

Examines library automation product introductions and conversions to new operating systems. Compares user satisfaction ratings of the following library software packages: DOS/Windows, UNIX, Macintosh, and DEC VAX/VMS. Software is rated according to documentation, service/support, training, product reliability, product capabilities, ease of use,…

A Generalizable Methodology for Quantifying User Satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Te-Yuan; Chen, Kuan-Ta; Huang, Polly; Lei, Chin-Laung

Quantifying user satisfaction is essential, because the results can help service providers deliver better services. In this work, we propose a generalizable methodology, based on survival analysis, to quantify user satisfaction in terms of session times, i. e., the length of time users stay with an application. Unlike subjective human surveys, our methodology is based solely on passive measurement, which is more cost-efficient and better able to capture subconscious reactions. Furthermore, by using session times, rather than a specific performance indicator, such as the level of distortion of voice signals, the effects of other factors like loudness and sidetone, can also be captured by the developed models. Like survival analysis, our methodology is characterized by low complexity and a simple model-developing process. The feasibility of our methodology is demonstrated through case studies of ShenZhou Online, a commercial MMORPG in Taiwan, and the most prevalent VoIP application in the world, namely Skype. Through the model development process, we can also identify the most significant performance factors and their impacts on user satisfaction and discuss how they can be exploited to improve user experience and optimize resource allocation.

Extensible Computational Chemistry Environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2012-08-09

ECCE provides a sophisticated graphical user interface, scientific visualization tools, and the underlying data management framework enabling scientists to efficiently set up calculations and store, retrieve, and analyze the rapidly growing volumes of data produced by computational chemistry studies. ECCE was conceived as part of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory construction to solve the problem of researchers being able to effectively utilize complex computational chemistry codes and massively parallel high performance compute resources. Bringing the power of these codes and resources to the desktops of researcher and thus enabling world class research without users needing a detailed understanding of themore » inner workings of either the theoretical codes or the supercomputers needed to run them was a grand challenge problem in the original version of the EMSL. ECCE allows collaboration among researchers using a web-based data repository where the inputs and results for all calculations done within ECCE are organized. ECCE is a first of kind end-to-end problem solving environment for all phases of computational chemistry research: setting up calculations with sophisticated GUI and direct manipulation visualization tools, submitting and monitoring calculations on remote high performance supercomputers without having to be familiar with the details of using these compute resources, and performing results visualization and analysis including creating publication quality images. ECCE is a suite of tightly integrated applications that are employed as the user moves through the modeling process.« less

Blended learning approach improves teaching in a problem-based learning environment in orthopedics - a pilot study.

PubMed

Back, David A; Haberstroh, Nicole; Antolic, Andrea; Sostmann, Kai; Schmidmaier, Gerhard; Hoff, Eike

2014-01-27

While e-learning is enjoying increasing popularity as adjunct in modern teaching, studies on this topic should shift from mere evaluation of students' satisfaction towards assessing its benefits on enhancement of knowledge and skills. This pilot study aimed to detect the teaching effects of a blended learning program on students of orthopedics and traumatology in the context of a problem-based learning environment. The project NESTOR (network for students in traumatology and orthopedics) was offered to students in a problem-based learning course. Participants completed written tests before and directly after the course, followed by a final written test and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) as well as an evaluation questionnaire at the end of the semester. Results were compared within the group of NESTOR users and non-users and between these two groups. Participants (n = 53) rated their experiences very positively. An enhancement in knowledge was found directly after the course and at the final written test for both groups (p < 0.001). NESTOR users scored higher than non-users in the post-tests, while the OSCE revealed no differences between the groups. This pilot study showed a positive effect of the blended learning approach on knowledge enhancement and satisfaction of participating students. However, it will be an aim for the future to further explore the chances of this approach and internet-based technologies for possibilities to improve also practical examination skills.

Blended learning approach improves teaching in a problem-based learning environment in orthopedics - a pilot study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background While e-learning is enjoying increasing popularity as adjunct in modern teaching, studies on this topic should shift from mere evaluation of students’ satisfaction towards assessing its benefits on enhancement of knowledge and skills. This pilot study aimed to detect the teaching effects of a blended learning program on students of orthopedics and traumatology in the context of a problem-based learning environment. Methods The project NESTOR (network for students in traumatology and orthopedics) was offered to students in a problem-based learning course. Participants completed written tests before and directly after the course, followed by a final written test and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) as well as an evaluation questionnaire at the end of the semester. Results were compared within the group of NESTOR users and non-users and between these two groups. Results Participants (n = 53) rated their experiences very positively. An enhancement in knowledge was found directly after the course and at the final written test for both groups (p < 0.001). NESTOR users scored higher than non-users in the post-tests, while the OSCE revealed no differences between the groups. Conclusions This pilot study showed a positive effect of the blended learning approach on knowledge enhancement and satisfaction of participating students. However, it will be an aim for the future to further explore the chances of this approach and internet-based technologies for possibilities to improve also practical examination skills. PMID:24690365

Effects of job-related stress and burnout on asthenopia among high-tech workers.

PubMed

Ostrovsky, Anat; Ribak, Joseph; Pereg, Avihu; Gaton, Dan

2012-01-01

Eye- and vision-related symptoms are the most frequent health problems among computer users. The findings of eye strain, tired eyes, eye irritation, burning sensation, redness, blurred vision and double vision, when appearing together, have recently been termed 'computer vision syndrome', or asthenopia. To examine the frequency and intensity of asthenopia among individuals employed in research and development departments of high-tech firms and the effects of job stress and burnout on ocular complaints, this study included 106 subjects, 42 high-tech workers (study group) and 64 bank employees (control group). All participants completed self-report questionnaires covering demographics, asthenopia, satisfaction with work environmental conditions, job-related stress and burnout. There was a significant between-group difference in the intensity of asthenopia, but not in its frequency. Burnout appeared to be a significant contributing factor to the intensity and frequency of asthenopia. This study shows that burnout is a significant factor in asthenopic complaints in high-tech workers. This manuscript analyses the effects of psychological environmental factors, such as job stress and burnout, on ocular complaints at the workplace of computer users. The findings may have an ergonomic impact on how to improve health, safety and comfort of the working environment among computer users, for better perception of the job environment, efficacy and production.

Automated Computer Access Request System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snook, Bryan E.

2010-01-01

The Automated Computer Access Request (AutoCAR) system is a Web-based account provisioning application that replaces the time-consuming paper-based computer-access request process at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Auto- CAR combines rules-based and role-based functionality in one application to provide a centralized system that is easily and widely accessible. The system features a work-flow engine that facilitates request routing, a user registration directory containing contact information and user metadata, an access request submission and tracking process, and a system administrator account management component. This provides full, end-to-end disposition approval chain accountability from the moment a request is submitted. By blending both rules-based and rolebased functionality, AutoCAR has the flexibility to route requests based on a user s nationality, JSC affiliation status, and other export-control requirements, while ensuring a user s request is addressed by either a primary or backup approver. All user accounts that are tracked in AutoCAR are recorded and mapped to the native operating system schema on the target platform where user accounts reside. This allows for future extensibility for supporting creation, deletion, and account management directly on the target platforms by way of AutoCAR. The system s directory-based lookup and day-today change analysis of directory information determines personnel moves, deletions, and additions, and automatically notifies a user via e-mail to revalidate his/her account access as a result of such changes. AutoCAR is a Microsoft classic active server page (ASP) application hosted on a Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).

Exploring methodological frameworks for a mental task-based near-infrared spectroscopy brain-computer interface.

PubMed

Weyand, Sabine; Takehara-Nishiuchi, Kaori; Chau, Tom

2015-10-30

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable users to interact with their environment using only cognitive activities. This paper presents the results of a comparison of four methodological frameworks used to select a pair of tasks to control a binary NIRS-BCI; specifically, three novel personalized task paradigms and the state-of-the-art prescribed task framework were explored. Three types of personalized task selection approaches were compared, including: user-selected mental tasks using weighted slope scores (WS-scores), user-selected mental tasks using pair-wise accuracy rankings (PWAR), and researcher-selected mental tasks using PWAR. These paradigms, along with the state-of-the-art prescribed mental task framework, where mental tasks are selected based on the most commonly used tasks in literature, were tested by ten able-bodied participants who took part in five NIRS-BCI sessions. The frameworks were compared in terms of their accuracy, perceived ease-of-use, computational time, user preference, and length of training. Most notably, researcher-selected personalized tasks resulted in significantly higher accuracies, while user-selected personalized tasks resulted in significantly higher perceived ease-of-use. It was also concluded that PWAR minimized the amount of data that needed to be collected; while, WS-scores maximized user satisfaction and minimized computational time. In comparison to the state-of-the-art prescribed mental tasks, our findings show that overall, personalized tasks appear to be superior to prescribed tasks with respect to accuracy and perceived ease-of-use. The deployment of personalized rather than prescribed mental tasks ought to be considered and further investigated in future NIRS-BCI studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Space Communication Artificial Intelligence for Link Evaluation Terminal (SCAILET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shahidi, Anoosh K.; Schlegelmilch, Richard F.; Petrik, Edward J.; Walters, Jerry L.

1992-01-01

A software application to assist end-users of the high burst rate (HBR) link evaluation terminal (LET) for satellite communications is being developed. The HBR LET system developed at NASA Lewis Research Center is an element of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) Project. The HBR LET is divided into seven major subsystems, each with its own expert. Programming scripts, test procedures defined by design engineers, set up the HBR LET system. These programming scripts are cryptic, hard to maintain and require a steep learning curve. These scripts were developed by the system engineers who will not be available for the end-users of the system. To increase end-user productivity a friendly interface needs to be added to the system. One possible solution is to provide the user with adequate documentation to perform the needed tasks. With the complexity of this system the vast amount of documentation needed would be overwhelming and the information would be hard to retrieve. With limited resources, maintenance is another reason for not using this form of documentation. An advanced form of interaction is being explored using current computer techniques. This application, which incorporates a combination of multimedia and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to provided end-users with an intelligent interface to the HBR LET system, is comprised of an intelligent assistant, intelligent tutoring, and hypermedia documentation. The intelligent assistant and tutoring systems address the critical programming needs of the end-user.

State of the Art of Network Security Perspectives in Cloud Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Tae Hwan; Lim, Shinyoung; Choi, Young B.; Park, Kwang-Roh; Lee, Heejo; Choi, Hyunsang

Cloud computing is now regarded as one of social phenomenon that satisfy customers' needs. It is possible that the customers' needs and the primary principle of economy - gain maximum benefits from minimum investment - reflects realization of cloud computing. We are living in the connected society with flood of information and without connected computers to the Internet, our activities and work of daily living will be impossible. Cloud computing is able to provide customers with custom-tailored features of application software and user's environment based on the customer's needs by adopting on-demand outsourcing of computing resources through the Internet. It also provides cloud computing users with high-end computing power and expensive application software package, and accordingly the users will access their data and the application software where they are located at the remote system. As the cloud computing system is connected to the Internet, network security issues of cloud computing are considered as mandatory prior to real world service. In this paper, survey and issues on the network security in cloud computing are discussed from the perspective of real world service environments.

Evaluating Patient Usability of an Image-Based Mobile Health Platform for Postoperative Wound Monitoring

PubMed Central

Wiseman, Jason

2016-01-01

Background Surgical patients are increasingly using mobile health (mHealth) platforms to monitor recovery and communicate with their providers in the postdischarge period. Despite widespread enthusiasm for mHealth, few studies evaluate the usability or user experience of these platforms. Objective Our objectives were to (1) develop a novel image-based smartphone app for postdischarge surgical wound monitoring, and (2) rigorously user test it with a representative population of vascular and general surgery patients. Methods A total of 9 vascular and general surgery inpatients undertook usability testing of an internally developed smartphone app that allows patients to take digital images of their wound and answer a survey about their recovery. We followed the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 guidelines, focusing on effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction. An accompanying training module was developed by applying tenets of adult learning. Sessions were audio-recorded, and the smartphone screen was mirrored onto a study computer. Digital image quality was evaluated by a physician panel to determine usefulness for clinical decision making. Results The mean length of time spent was 4.7 (2.1-12.8) minutes on the training session and 5.0 (1.4-16.6) minutes on app completion. 55.5% (5/9) of patients were able to complete the app independently with the most difficulty experienced in taking digital images of surgical wounds. Novice patients who were older, obese, or had groin wounds had the most difficulty. 81.8% of images were sufficient for diagnostic purposes. User satisfaction was high, with an average usability score of 83.3 out of 100. Conclusion Surgical patients can learn to use a smartphone app for postoperative wound monitoring with high user satisfaction. We identified design features and training approaches that can facilitate ease of use. This protocol illustrates an important, often overlooked, aspect of mHealth development to improve surgical care. PMID:27683059

7 CFR 2.98 - Director, Management Services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... management services; information technology services related to end user office automation, desktop computers, enterprise networking support, handheld devices and voice telecommunications; with authority to take actions...

7 CFR 2.98 - Director, Management Services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... management services; information technology services related to end user office automation, desktop computers, enterprise networking support, handheld devices and voice telecommunications; with authority to take actions...

7 CFR 2.98 - Director, Management Services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... management services; information technology services related to end user office automation, desktop computers, enterprise networking support, handheld devices and voice telecommunications; with authority to take actions...

Rural providers' access to online resources: a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Hall, Laura J.; McElfresh, Karen R.; Warner, Teddy D.; Stromberg, Tiffany L.; Trost, Jaren; Jelinek, Devin A.

2016-01-01

Objective The research determined the usage and satisfaction levels with one of two point-of-care (PoC) resources among health care providers in a rural state. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, twenty-eight health care providers in rural areas were stratified by occupation and region, then randomized into either the DynaMed or the AccessMedicine study arm. Study participants were physicians, physician assistants, and nurses. A pre- and post-study survey measured participants' attitudes toward different information resources and their information-seeking activities. Medical student investigators provided training and technical support for participants. Data analyses consisted of analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired t tests, and Cohen's d statistic to compare pre- and post-study effects sizes. Results Participants in both the DynaMed and the AccessMedicine arms of the study reported increased satisfaction with their respective PoC resource, as expected. Participants in both arms also reported that they saved time in finding needed information. At baseline, both arms reported too little information available, which increased to “about right amounts of information” at the completion of the study. DynaMed users reported a Cohen's d increase of +1.50 compared to AccessMedicine users' reported use of 0.82. DynaMed users reported d2 satisfaction increases of 9.48 versus AccessMedicine satisfaction increases of 0.59 using a Cohen's d. Conclusion Participants in the DynaMed arm of the study used this clinically oriented PoC more heavily than the users of the textbook-based AccessMedicine. In terms of user satisfaction, DynaMed users reported higher levels of satisfaction than the users of AccessMedicine. PMID:26807050

Protein Supplement Usage Among Male University Students: Comparisons Between Current and Previous Users.

PubMed

Sung, Youngmo; Choi, Jinkyung

2018-02-01

Interest in specialized dietary supplements is leading market growth, and protein supplements are popular for increasing muscle mass among young males. Therefore, this study investigated the attitudes toward and satisfaction with protein supplements to identify detailed consumer behaviors related to the consumption of protein supplements. The study sample includes male university students in their 20s in South Korea. In total, 223 responses were entered for analysis. Questions related to attitudes, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions were asked using 5-point Likert scales. The responses were divided into two groups, current and previous users, to identify significant differences in terms of attitudes, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions. A descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression were run. The majority of respondents prefer the powdered form of supplements in bulk with a price range between 30,000 won and 60,000 won. Online shopping was preferred, while word of mouth and friends/family were considered credible information sources. The most common side effects experienced were problems with digestion and hives, although more than 78% did not experience side effects. In comparison between current and previous users in terms of attitudes and satisfaction, the following areas showed significances. Regarding attitudes, the importance of brand, preference for products from overseas, the search for nutritional facts, and reading carefully all product information were significant, while regarding satisfaction, price, effectiveness, and ease of consumption were significant. All significances showed that current users had more positive attitudes and greater satisfaction. Overall, consumers' satisfaction regarding ease of consumption influenced future behavioral intentions. The market for protein supplements has been growing, so measuring consumers' attitudes and satisfaction would help attract potential consumers. In addition, analyzing previous users' opinions on products could guide product development and encourage customers to return for repurchase.

Usability Testing of Two Ambulatory EHR Navigators.

PubMed

Hultman, Gretchen; Marquard, Jenna; Arsoniadis, Elliot; Mink, Pamela; Rizvi, Rubina; Ramer, Tim; Khairat, Saif; Fickau, Keri; Melton, Genevieve B

2016-01-01

Despite widespread electronic health record (EHR) adoption, poor EHR system usability continues to be a significant barrier to effective system use for end users. One key to addressing usability problems is to employ user testing and user-centered design. To understand if redesigning an EHR-based navigation tool with clinician input improved user performance and satisfaction. A usability evaluation was conducted to compare two versions of a redesigned ambulatory navigator. Participants completed tasks for five patient cases using the navigators, while employing a think-aloud protocol. The tasks were based on Meaningful Use (MU) requirements. The version of navigator did not affect perceived workload, and time to complete tasks was longer in the redesigned navigator. A relatively small portion of navigator content was used to complete the MU-related tasks, though navigation patterns were highly variable across participants for both navigators. Preferences for EHR navigation structures appeared to be individualized. This study demonstrates the importance of EHR usability assessments to evaluate group and individual performance of different interfaces and preferences for each design.

Current State of Agile User-Centered Design: A Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Zahid; Slany, Wolfgang; Holzinger, Andreas

Agile software development methods are quite popular nowadays and are being adopted at an increasing rate in the industry every year. However, these methods are still lacking usability awareness in their development lifecycle, and the integration of usability/User-Centered Design (UCD) into agile methods is not adequately addressed. This paper presents the preliminary results of a recently conducted online survey regarding the current state of the integration of agile methods and usability/UCD. A world wide response of 92 practitioners was received. The results show that the majority of practitioners perceive that the integration of agile methods with usability/UCD has added value to their adopted processes and to their teams; has resulted in the improvement of usability and quality of the product developed; and has increased the satisfaction of the end-users of the product developed. The top most used HCI techniques are low-fidelity prototyping, conceptual designs, observational studies of users, usability expert evaluations, field studies, personas, rapid iterative testing, and laboratory usability testing.

Computer imaging and workflow systems in the business office.

PubMed

Adams, W T; Veale, F H; Helmick, P M

1999-05-01

Computer imaging and workflow technology automates many business processes that currently are performed using paper processes. Documents are scanned into the imaging system and placed in electronic patient account folders. Authorized users throughout the organization, including preadmission, verification, admission, billing, cash posting, customer service, and financial counseling staff, have online access to the information they need when they need it. Such streamlining of business functions can increase collections and customer satisfaction while reducing labor, supply, and storage costs. Because the costs of a comprehensive computer imaging and workflow system can be considerable, healthcare organizations should consider implementing parts of such systems that can be cost-justified or include implementation as part of a larger strategic technology initiative.

Toward visual user interfaces supporting collaborative multimedia content management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husein, Fathi; Leissler, Martin; Hemmje, Matthias

2000-12-01

Supporting collaborative multimedia content management activities, as e.g., image and video acquisition, exploration, and access dialogues between naive users and multi media information systems is a non-trivial task. Although a wide variety of experimental and prototypical multimedia storage technologies as well as corresponding indexing and retrieval engines are available, most of them lack appropriate support for collaborative end-user oriented user interface front ends. The development of advanced user adaptable interfaces is necessary for building collaborative multimedia information- space presentations based upon advanced tools for information browsing, searching, filtering, and brokering to be applied on potentially very large and highly dynamic multimedia collections with a large number of users and user groups. Therefore, the development of advanced and at the same time adaptable and collaborative computer graphical information presentation schemes that allow to easily apply adequate visual metaphors for defined target user stereotypes has to become a key focus within ongoing research activities trying to support collaborative information work with multimedia collections.

Continuing quality improvement procedures for a clinical PACS.

PubMed

Andriole, K P; Gould, R G; Avrin, D E; Bazzill, T M; Yin, L; Arenson, R L

1998-08-01

The University of California at San Francisco (USCF) Department of Radiology currently has a clinically operational picture archiving and communication system (PACS) that is thirty-five percent filmless, with the goal of becoming seventy-five percent filmless within the year. The design and implementation of the clinical PACS has been a collaborative effort between an academic research laboratory and a commercial vendor partner. Images are digitally acquired from three computed radiography (CR) scanners, five computed tomography (CT) scanners, five magnetic resonance (MR) imagers, three digital fluoroscopic rooms, an ultrasound mini-PACS and a nuclear medicine mini-PACS. The DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard communications protocol and image format is adhered to throughout the PACS. Images are archived in hierarchical staged fashion, on a RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks) and on magneto-optical disk jukeboxes. The clinical PACS uses an object-oriented Oracle SQL (systems query language) database, and interfaces to the Radiology Information System using the HL7 (Health Languages 7) standard. Components are networked using a combination of switched and fast ethernet, and ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), all over fiber optics. The wide area network links six UCSF sites in San Francisco. A combination of high and medium resolution dual-monitor display stations have been placed throughout the Department of Radiology, the Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Units (ICU). A continuing quality improvement (CQI) committee has been formed to facilitate the PACS installation and training, workflow modifications, quality assurance and clinical acceptance. This committee includes radiologists at all levels (resident, fellow, attending), radiology technologists, film library personnel, ED and ICU clinician end-users, and PACS team members. The CQI committee has proved vital in the creation of new management procedures, providing a means for user feedback and education, and contributing to the overall acceptance of, and user satisfaction with the system. Well developed CQI procedures have been essential to the successful clinical operation of the PACS as UCSF Radiology moves toward a filmless department.

Usability Study of a Computer-Based Self-Management System for Older Adults with Chronic Diseases

PubMed Central

Tao, Da

2012-01-01

Background Usability can influence patients’ acceptance and adoption of a health information technology. However, little research has been conducted to study the usability of a self-management health care system, especially one geared toward elderly patients. Objective This usability study evaluated a new computer-based self-management system interface for older adults with chronic diseases, using a paper prototype approach. Methods Fifty older adults with different chronic diseases participated. Two usability evaluation methods were involved: (1) a heuristics evaluation and (2) end-user testing with a think-aloud testing method, audio recording, videotaping, and interviewing. A set of usability metrics was employed to determine the overall system usability, including task incompletion rate, task completion time, frequency of error, frequency of help, satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Interviews were used to elicit participants’ comments on the system design. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed for content. Results The participants were able to perform the predesigned self-management tasks with the current system design and they expressed mostly positive responses about the perceived usability measures regarding the system interface. However, the heuristics evaluation, performance measures, and interviews revealed a number of usability problems related to system navigation, information search and interpretation, information presentation, and readability. Design recommendations for further system interface modifications were discussed. Conclusions This study verified the usability of the self-management system developed for older adults with chronic diseases. Also, we demonstrated that our usability evaluation approach could be used to quickly and effectively identify usability problems in a health care information system at an early stage of the system development process using a paper prototype. Conducting a usability evaluation is an essential step in system development to ensure that the system features match the users’ true needs, expectations, and characteristics, and also to minimize the likelihood of the users committing user errors and having difficulties using the system. PMID:23612015

A Co-Adaptive Brain-Computer Interface for End Users with Severe Motor Impairment

PubMed Central

Faller, Josef; Scherer, Reinhold; Costa, Ursula; Opisso, Eloy; Medina, Josep; Müller-Putz, Gernot R.

2014-01-01

Co-adaptive training paradigms for event-related desynchronization (ERD) based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have proven effective for healthy users. As of yet, it is not clear whether co-adaptive training paradigms can also benefit users with severe motor impairment. The primary goal of our paper was to evaluate a novel cue-guided, co-adaptive BCI training paradigm with severely impaired volunteers. The co-adaptive BCI supports a non-control state, which is an important step toward intuitive, self-paced control. A secondary aim was to have the same participants operate a specifically designed self-paced BCI training paradigm based on the auto-calibrated classifier. The co-adaptive BCI analyzed the electroencephalogram from three bipolar derivations (C3, Cz, and C4) online, while the 22 end users alternately performed right hand movement imagery (MI), left hand MI and relax with eyes open (non-control state). After less than five minutes, the BCI auto-calibrated and proceeded to provide visual feedback for the MI task that could be classified better against the non-control state. The BCI continued to regularly recalibrate. In every calibration step, the system performed trial-based outlier rejection and trained a linear discriminant analysis classifier based on one auto-selected logarithmic band-power feature. In 24 minutes of training, the co-adaptive BCI worked significantly (p = 0.01) better than chance for 18 of 22 end users. The self-paced BCI training paradigm worked significantly (p = 0.01) better than chance in 11 of 20 end users. The presented co-adaptive BCI complements existing approaches in that it supports a non-control state, requires very little setup time, requires no BCI expert and works online based on only two electrodes. The preliminary results from the self-paced BCI paradigm compare favorably to previous studies and the collected data will allow to further improve self-paced BCI systems for disabled users. PMID:25014055

User satisfaction with realtime teleneurology.

PubMed

Craig, J; Russell, C; Patterson, V; Wootton, R

1999-01-01

User satisfaction (i.e. that of patients, medical staff at a remote hospital and medical staff at a neurological centre) with realtime teleneurology consultations was studied prospectively. Twenty-five patients with neurological problems admitted to a hospital without permanent neurological cover were assessed from a neurological centre by specialist neurologists using realtime video-links transmitting at 384 kbit/s. All users reported high levels of satisfaction with the technical aspects of the consultations. Patients, almost universally, reported confidence in teleneurology as a means of dealing with their presenting complaints. Similarly, medical staff at either site felt confident in managing patients using teleneurology and almost always felt that a telephone consultation would not have achieved as good an outcome. No major organizational problems were identified. These findings suggest overall user satisfaction with realtime teleneurology for managing patients with neurological problems admitted to hospitals that do not have resident neurologists.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) customer satisfaction survey, 1997. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, A.V.; Henderson, D.P.

the EREN Customer Satisfaction Survey 1997 was designed to follow up the results of the 1995-96 Surveys, enabling comparison to the 1995- 96 baseline, and to provide additional qualitative feedback about EREN. Both the 1995-96 and 1997 Surveys had these objectives: Identify and define actual EREN users; Determine the value or benefits derived from the use of EREN; Determine the kind and quality of services that users want; Determine the users` levels of satisfaction with existing services; Determine users` preferences in both the sources of service and means of delivery; and Establish continuous quality improvement measures. This report presents themore » methodology used, scope and limitations of the study, description of the survey instrument, and findings regarding demographics, technical capabilities, usage patterns, general use, importance of and satisfaction with resources, and additional information and comments.« less

Designing for Motivation, Engagement and Wellbeing in Digital Experience

PubMed Central

Peters, Dorian; Calvo, Rafael A.; Ryan, Richard M.

2018-01-01

Research in psychology has shown that both motivation and wellbeing are contingent on the satisfaction of certain psychological needs. Yet, despite a long-standing pursuit in human-computer interaction (HCI) for design strategies that foster sustained engagement, behavior change and wellbeing, the basic psychological needs shown to mediate these outcomes are rarely taken into account. This is possibly due to the lack of a clear model to explain these needs in the context of HCI. Herein we introduce such a model: Motivation, Engagement and Thriving in User Experience (METUX). The model provides a framework grounded in psychological research that can allow HCI researchers and practitioners to form actionable insights with respect to how technology designs support or undermine basic psychological needs, thereby increasing motivation and engagement, and ultimately, improving user wellbeing. We propose that in order to address wellbeing, psychological needs must be considered within five different spheres of analysis including: at the point of technology adoption, during interaction with the interface, as a result of engagement with technology-specific tasks, as part of the technology-supported behavior, and as part of an individual's life overall. These five spheres of experience sit within a sixth, society, which encompasses both direct and collateral effects of technology use as well as non-user experiences. We build this model based on existing evidence for basic psychological need satisfaction, including evidence within the context of the workplace, computer games, and health. We extend and hone these ideas to provide practical advice for designers along with real world examples of how to apply the model to design practice. PMID:29892246

User Satisfaction and Service Transactions for a Reference Department in an Illinois Community College Learning Resources Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornish, Nancy M.

Users of the reference library at Blackhawk Community College (Illinois) were surveyed to determine user satisfaction and the total number of transactions. The survey's objective was to pinpoint problem areas, supply objective information, develop guidelines and standards, and support needed improvements or the continued maintenance of good…

Users' Satisfaction with Library Services: A Case Study of Delta State University Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikolo, Violet E.

2015-01-01

The study focused on users' satisfaction with library services at the Delta State University main Library, Abraka, Delta State. The objective was to find out if users are satisfied with the services, facilities, the library environment, information sources and staff of the library. Using the descriptive survey design, the population for the study…

The Development and Validation of the Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale (GUESS).

PubMed

Phan, Mikki H; Keebler, Joseph R; Chaparro, Barbara S

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically validate a new instrument that comprehensively measures video game satisfaction based on key factors. Playtesting is often conducted in the video game industry to help game developers build better games by providing insight into the players' attitudes and preferences. However, quality feedback is difficult to obtain from playtesting sessions without a quality gaming assessment tool. There is a need for a psychometrically validated and comprehensive gaming scale that is appropriate for playtesting and game evaluation purposes. The process of developing and validating this new scale followed current best practices of scale development and validation. As a result, a mixed-method design that consisted of item pool generation, expert review, questionnaire pilot study, exploratory factor analysis (N = 629), and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 729) was implemented. A new instrument measuring video game satisfaction, called the Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale (GUESS), with nine subscales emerged. The GUESS was demonstrated to have content validity, internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant validity. The GUESS was developed and validated based on the assessments of over 450 unique video game titles across many popular genres. Thus, it can be applied across many types of video games in the industry both as a way to assess what aspects of a game contribute to user satisfaction and as a tool to aid in debriefing users on their gaming experience. The GUESS can be administered to evaluate user satisfaction of different types of video games by a variety of users. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

The Effect of a Formal Mentoring Program on Career Satisfaction and Intent to Stay in the Faculty Role for Novice Nurse Faculty.

PubMed

Jeffers, Stephanie; Mariani, Bette

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the influence of a formal mentoring program on career satisfaction of novice full-time nurse faculty in academia. The transition from the role of clinician to faculty in an academic setting can be challenging for novice nurse faculty. A link to an electronic survey with open-ended questions was emailed to 1435 participants. The response rate was 17.6 percent (N = 124). Mean scores were obtained, and independent t-test were computed to compare scores of faculty who had participated in a mentoring program with scores of nonparticipants. Content analysis of the open-ended answers was conducted, and common themes were identified. By examining characteristics that contribute to the success of novice nursing faculty, recruitment and retention of faculty may improve, which is essential due to the worsening nursing faculty shortage.

Effectiveness Testing of Embedded User Support for U.S. Army Installation-Level Software

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

under what conditions Dynamic Help could influence performance and satisfaction. The ACIFS program was modified to provide automatic collection of all...under what conditions Dynamic Help can influence user performance and satisfaction. This chapter reports the design, implementation, and analysis of...ambiguous or is hidden in the body of the message. The ACIFS program has many user interface deficiencies, but it does allow the user to use trial and

Expectations of Competency: The Mismatch between Employers' and Graduates' Views of End-User Computing Skills Requirements in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Shirley; Steel, Gary; Kuiper, Alison

2011-01-01

The use of computers has become part of everyday life. The high prevalence of computer use appears to lead employers to assume that university graduates will have the good computing skills necessary in many graduate level jobs. This study investigates how well the expectations of employers match the perceptions of near-graduate students about the…

Supply chain management for small business--how to avoid being part of the food chain.

PubMed

Knechtges, J P; Watts, C A

2000-08-01

A supply chain is a series of customer and supplier relationships that extend throughout and beyond the company. It is an interwoven set of links that together form a chain supplying our customers in a seamless and integrated fashion delivering a high level of customer satisfaction. Supply chain management (SCM) integrates all activities so they are focused on customer satisfaction (both internally and externally). One of the things this article will attempt to accomplish is to provide a clear understanding of SCM's positive impact on customer service as well as on improving profitability, cash flow, product cycle times, and communication. Whether we go forward in the supply chain to the final end-user or backward in the supply chain to our supplier's suppliers, SCM will significantly improve our ability to serve our customers.

Encoder-Decoder Optimization for Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Merel, Josh; Pianto, Donald M.; Cunningham, John P.; Paninski, Liam

2015-01-01

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces are systems that decode neural activity into useful control signals for effectors, such as a cursor on a computer screen. It has long been recognized that both the user and decoding system can adapt to increase the accuracy of the end effector. Co-adaptation is the process whereby a user learns to control the system in conjunction with the decoder adapting to learn the user's neural patterns. We provide a mathematical framework for co-adaptation and relate co-adaptation to the joint optimization of the user's control scheme ("encoding model") and the decoding algorithm's parameters. When the assumptions of that framework are respected, co-adaptation cannot yield better performance than that obtainable by an optimal initial choice of fixed decoder, coupled with optimal user learning. For a specific case, we provide numerical methods to obtain such an optimized decoder. We demonstrate our approach in a model brain-computer interface system using an online prosthesis simulator, a simple human-in-the-loop pyschophysics setup which provides a non-invasive simulation of the BCI setting. These experiments support two claims: that users can learn encoders matched to fixed, optimal decoders and that, once learned, our approach yields expected performance advantages. PMID:26029919

Encoder-decoder optimization for brain-computer interfaces.

PubMed

Merel, Josh; Pianto, Donald M; Cunningham, John P; Paninski, Liam

2015-06-01

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces are systems that decode neural activity into useful control signals for effectors, such as a cursor on a computer screen. It has long been recognized that both the user and decoding system can adapt to increase the accuracy of the end effector. Co-adaptation is the process whereby a user learns to control the system in conjunction with the decoder adapting to learn the user's neural patterns. We provide a mathematical framework for co-adaptation and relate co-adaptation to the joint optimization of the user's control scheme ("encoding model") and the decoding algorithm's parameters. When the assumptions of that framework are respected, co-adaptation cannot yield better performance than that obtainable by an optimal initial choice of fixed decoder, coupled with optimal user learning. For a specific case, we provide numerical methods to obtain such an optimized decoder. We demonstrate our approach in a model brain-computer interface system using an online prosthesis simulator, a simple human-in-the-loop pyschophysics setup which provides a non-invasive simulation of the BCI setting. These experiments support two claims: that users can learn encoders matched to fixed, optimal decoders and that, once learned, our approach yields expected performance advantages.

The Computer-Assisted Brief Intervention for Tobacco (CABIT) program: a pilot study.

PubMed

Boudreaux, Edwin D; Bedek, Kristyna L; Byrne, Nelson J; Baumann, Brigitte M; Lord, Sherrill A; Grissom, Grant

2012-12-03

Health care providers do not routinely carry out brief counseling for tobacco cessation despite the evidence for its effectiveness. For this intervention to be routinely used, it must be brief, be convenient, require little investment of resources, require little specialized training, and be perceived as efficacious by providers. Technological advances hold much potential for addressing the barriers preventing the integration of brief interventions for tobacco cessation into the health care setting. This paper describes the development and initial evaluation of the Computer-Assisted Brief Intervention for Tobacco (CABIT) program, a web-based, multimedia tobacco intervention for use in opportunistic settings. The CABIT uses a self-administered, computerized assessment to produce personalized health care provider and patient reports, and cue a stage-matched video intervention. Respondents interested in changing their tobacco use are offered a faxed referral to a "best matched" tobacco treatment provider (ie, dynamic referral). During 2008, the CABIT program was evaluated in an emergency department, an employee assistance program, and a tobacco dependence program in New Jersey. Participants and health care providers completed semistructured interviews and satisfaction ratings of the assessment, reports, video intervention, and referrals using a 5-point scale. Mean patient satisfaction scores (n = 67) for all domains ranged from 4.00 (Good) to 5.00 (Excellent; Mean = 4.48). Health care providers completed satisfaction forms for 39 patients. Of these 39 patients, 34 (87%) received tobacco resources and referrals they would not have received under standard care. Of the 45 participants offered a dynamic referral, 28 (62%) accepted. The CABIT program provided a user-friendly, desirable service for tobacco users and their health care providers. Further development and clinical trial testing is warranted to establish its effectiveness in promoting treatment engagement and tobacco cessation.

The Computer-Assisted Brief Intervention for Tobacco (CABIT) Program: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Bedek, Kristyna L; Byrne, Nelson J; Baumann, Brigitte M; Lord, Sherrill A; Grissom, Grant

2012-01-01

Background Health care providers do not routinely carry out brief counseling for tobacco cessation despite the evidence for its effectiveness. For this intervention to be routinely used, it must be brief, be convenient, require little investment of resources, require little specialized training, and be perceived as efficacious by providers. Technological advances hold much potential for addressing the barriers preventing the integration of brief interventions for tobacco cessation into the health care setting. Objective This paper describes the development and initial evaluation of the Computer-Assisted Brief Intervention for Tobacco (CABIT) program, a web-based, multimedia tobacco intervention for use in opportunistic settings. Methods The CABIT uses a self-administered, computerized assessment to produce personalized health care provider and patient reports, and cue a stage-matched video intervention. Respondents interested in changing their tobacco use are offered a faxed referral to a “best matched” tobacco treatment provider (ie, dynamic referral). During 2008, the CABIT program was evaluated in an emergency department, an employee assistance program, and a tobacco dependence program in New Jersey. Participants and health care providers completed semistructured interviews and satisfaction ratings of the assessment, reports, video intervention, and referrals using a 5-point scale. Results Mean patient satisfaction scores (n = 67) for all domains ranged from 4.00 (Good) to 5.00 (Excellent; Mean = 4.48). Health care providers completed satisfaction forms for 39 patients. Of these 39 patients, 34 (87%) received tobacco resources and referrals they would not have received under standard care. Of the 45 participants offered a dynamic referral, 28 (62%) accepted. Conclusions The CABIT program provided a user-friendly, desirable service for tobacco users and their health care providers. Further development and clinical trial testing is warranted to establish its effectiveness in promoting treatment engagement and tobacco cessation. PMID:23208070

Life Satisfaction and the Pursuit of Happiness on Twitter.

PubMed

Yang, Chao; Srinivasan, Padmini

2016-01-01

Life satisfaction refers to a somewhat stable cognitive assessment of one's own life. Life satisfaction is an important component of subjective well being, the scientific term for happiness. The other component is affect: the balance between the presence of positive and negative emotions in daily life. While affect has been studied using social media datasets (particularly from Twitter), life satisfaction has received little to no attention. Here, we examine trends in posts about life satisfaction from a two-year sample of Twitter data. We apply a surveillance methodology to extract expressions of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction with life. A noteworthy result is that consistent with their definitions trends in life satisfaction posts are immune to external events (political, seasonal etc.) unlike affect trends reported by previous researchers. Comparing users we find differences between satisfied and dissatisfied users in several linguistic, psychosocial and other features. For example the latter post more tweets expressing anger, anxiety, depression, sadness and on death. We also study users who change their status over time from satisfied with life to dissatisfied or vice versa. Noteworthy is that the psychosocial tweet features of users who change from satisfied to dissatisfied are quite different from those who stay satisfied over time. Overall, the observations we make are consistent with intuition and consistent with observations in the social science research. This research contributes to the study of the subjective well being of individuals through social media.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics of P300-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Powers, J. Clark; Bieliaieva, Kateryna; Wu, Shuohao; Nam, Chang S.

2015-01-01

Individuals with severe neuromuscular impairments face many challenges in communication and manipulation of the environment. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) show promise in presenting real-world applications that can provide such individuals with the means to interact with the world using only brain waves. Although there has been a growing body of research in recent years, much relates only to technology, and not to technology in use—i.e., real-world assistive technology employed by users. This review examined the literature to highlight studies that implicate the human factors and ergonomics (HFE) of P300-based BCIs. We assessed 21 studies on three topics to speak directly to improving the HFE of these systems: (1) alternative signal evocation methods within the oddball paradigm; (2) environmental interventions to improve user performance and satisfaction within the constraints of current BCI systems; and (3) measures and methods of measuring user acceptance. We found that HFE is central to the performance of P300-based BCI systems, although researchers do not often make explicit this connection. Incorporation of measures of user acceptance and rigorous usability evaluations, increased engagement of disabled users as test participants, and greater realism in testing will help progress the advancement of P300-based BCI systems in assistive applications. PMID:26266424

A Numerical Model for the Computation of Radiance Distributions in Natural Waters with Wind-Roughened Surfaces, Part 2: User’s Guide and Code Listing

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

8217) END IF C..... SOLUTION STEP 9 C COMPUTE THE AMPLITUDE A(A.’) C CALL AMPAP c WERKY1) NOW COtJ1AINS ACCA ,’). THE kF.,ELTED DIRECT BEAM C C END OF...FUNCTID IN IS USED;’//, SIGMA(V.COS(PSI)) = )’Y)I(44PI) wHERE/fl 2’ IV V S(V) ALPHA(Y) S,/ALPH-A!) 102 FORMAT ( H 14, F8 .IF8 .3,FI10.3, FlI1.3 END 95 §5

User-centered design in brain-computer interfaces-a case study.

PubMed

Schreuder, Martijn; Riccio, Angela; Risetti, Monica; Dähne, Sven; Ramsay, Andrew; Williamson, John; Mattia, Donatella; Tangermann, Michael

2013-10-01

The array of available brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms has continued to grow, and so has the corresponding set of machine learning methods which are at the core of BCI systems. The latter have evolved to provide more robust data analysis solutions, and as a consequence the proportion of healthy BCI users who can use a BCI successfully is growing. With this development the chances have increased that the needs and abilities of specific patients, the end-users, can be covered by an existing BCI approach. However, most end-users who have experienced the use of a BCI system at all have encountered a single paradigm only. This paradigm is typically the one that is being tested in the study that the end-user happens to be enrolled in, along with other end-users. Though this corresponds to the preferred study arrangement for basic research, it does not ensure that the end-user experiences a working BCI. In this study, a different approach was taken; that of a user-centered design. It is the prevailing process in traditional assistive technology. Given an individual user with a particular clinical profile, several available BCI approaches are tested and - if necessary - adapted to him/her until a suitable BCI system is found. Described is the case of a 48-year-old woman who suffered from an ischemic brain stem stroke, leading to a severe motor- and communication deficit. She was enrolled in studies with two different BCI systems before a suitable system was found. The first was an auditory event-related potential (ERP) paradigm and the second a visual ERP paradigm, both of which are established in literature. The auditory paradigm did not work successfully, despite favorable preconditions. The visual paradigm worked flawlessly, as found over several sessions. This discrepancy in performance can possibly be explained by the user's clinical deficit in several key neuropsychological indicators, such as attention and working memory. While the auditory paradigm relies on both categories, the visual paradigm could be used with lower cognitive workload. Besides attention and working memory, several other neurophysiological and -psychological indicators - and the role they play in the BCIs at hand - are discussed. The user's performance on the first BCI paradigm would typically have excluded her from further ERP-based BCI studies. However, this study clearly shows that, with the numerous paradigms now at our disposal, the pursuit for a functioning BCI system should not be stopped after an initial failed attempt. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Usability testing of indonesia tourism promotion website

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunus, U.; Anindito; Tanuar, E.; Maryani

2018-03-01

Indonesian tourism has been viewed as one of the source of foreign exchange, therefore visit Indonesia campaign through Wonderful Indonesia should be given attention. This research aims to test the usability of web http://www.indonesia.travel/en, at the end can give input to the Tourism Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia. The concept used based on usabilitygeek.com which mentions the three main categories for usability testing, i. e. explorative, assessment and comparative with the users are three classes of Communication Department students of Bina Nusantara University with a total of 120 students, however finally only 22 students were elected because of the criteria are the students should be like travelling and access to the tourism website more than 12 times. The methodology used is qualitative descriptive and experiments, with data collection techniques through observation and interviews after participants’ access to the web: Due to their one-on-one nature, interviews enable the observer to ask direct questions to the user and the participants posted their opinion in online discussion forum. The results mentioned that the elements web of Wonderful Indonesia has a high learning ability and memorability but less efficiency and satisfaction, as well as several times errors when used. In conclusion, to maximize about the visit of tourism to Indonesia, this web is only able to learn and impress the visitor, but do not give satisfaction to users.

Dallas County Community College District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudy, Julia

1989-01-01

Management of information technology at Dallas County Community College District is centralized. Information technology organization and planning, integrated data network, computer services, end user services, and educational technology are discussed. (MLW)

Estimating preferences for modes of drug administration: The case of US healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Tetteh, Ebenezer K; Morris, Steve; Titchener-Hooker, Nigel

2018-01-01

There are hidden drug administration costs that arise from a mismatch between end-user preferences and how manufacturers choose to formulate their drug products for delivery to patients. The corollary of this is: there are "intangible benefits" from considering end-user preferences in manufacturing patient-friendly medicines. It is important then to have some idea of what pharmaceutical manufacturers should consider in making patient-friendly medicines and of the magnitude of the indirect benefits from doing so. This study aimed to evaluate preferences of healthcare professionals in the US for the non-monetary attributes of different modes of drug administration. It uses these preference orderings to compute a monetary valuation of the indirect benefits from making patient-friendly medicines. A survey collected choice preferences of a sample of 210 healthcare professionals in the US for two unlabelled drug options. These drugs were identical except in the levels of attributes of drug administration. Using the choice data collected, statistical models were estimated to compute gross welfare benefits, measured by the expected compensating variation, from making drugs in a more patient-friendly manner. The monetary value of end-user benefits from developing patient-friendly drug delivery systems is: (1) as large as the annual acquisition costs per full treatment episode for some biologic drugs; and (2) likely to fall in the "high end" of the distribution of the direct monetary costs of drug administration. An examination of end-user preferences should help manufacturers make more effective and efficient use of limited resources for innovations in drug delivery system, or manufacturing research in general. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Computer's Debt to Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branscomb, Lewis M.

1984-01-01

Discusses discoveries and applications of science that have enabled the computer industry to introduce new technology each year and produce 25 percent more for the customer at constant cost. Potential limits to progress, disc storage technology, programming and end-user interface, and designing for ease of use are considered. Glossary is included.…

Perspectives on Human-Computer Interface: Introduction and Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, Donna; Lunin, Lois F.

1992-01-01

Discusses human-computer interfaces in information seeking that focus on end users, and provides an overview of articles in this section that (1) provide librarians and information specialists with guidelines for selecting information-seeking systems; (2) provide producers of information systems with directions for production or research; and (3)…

Network Design: Best Practices for Alberta School Jurisdictions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schienbein, Ralph

This report examines subsections of the computer network topology that relate to end-to-end performance and capacity planning in schools. Active star topology, Category 5 wiring, Ethernet, and intelligent devices are assumed. The report describes a model that can be used to project WAN (wide area network) connection speeds based on user traffic,…

Two-way cable television project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkens, H.; Guenther, P.; Kiel, F.; Kraus, F.; Mahnkopf, P.; Schnee, R.

1982-02-01

The market demand for a multiuser computer system with interactive services was studied. Mean system work load at peak use hours was estimated and the complexity of dialog with a central computer was determined. Man machine communication by broadband cable television transmission, using digital techniques, was assumed. The end to end system is described. It is user friendly, able to handle 10,000 subscribers, and provides color television display. The central computer system architecture with remote audiovisual terminals is depicted and software is explained. Signal transmission requirements are dealt with. International availability of the test system, including sample programs, is indicated.

Computer Assisted Virtual Environment - CAVE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erickson, Phillip; Podgorney, Robert; Weingartner,

Research at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies is taking on another dimension with a 3-D device known as a Computer Assisted Virtual Environment. The CAVE uses projection to display high-end computer graphics on three walls and the floor. By wearing 3-D glasses to create depth perception and holding a wand to move and rotate images, users can delve into data.

An Instructional Design Model for Developing a Computer Curriculum To Increase Employee Productivity in a Pharmaceutical Company.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stumpf, Mark R.

This report presents an instructional design model that was developed for use by the End-Users Computing department of a large pharmaceutical company in developing effective--but not lengthy--microcomputer training seminars to train office workers and executives in the proper use of computers and thus increase their productivity. The 14 steps of…

Computer Assisted Virtual Environment - CAVE

ScienceCinema

Erickson, Phillip; Podgorney, Robert; Weingartner,

2018-05-30

Research at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies is taking on another dimension with a 3-D device known as a Computer Assisted Virtual Environment. The CAVE uses projection to display high-end computer graphics on three walls and the floor. By wearing 3-D glasses to create depth perception and holding a wand to move and rotate images, users can delve into data.

The power of digital audio in interactive instruction: An unexploited medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pratt, J.; Trainor, M.

1989-01-01

Widespread use of audio in computer-based training (CBT) occurred with the advent of the interactive videodisc technology. This paper discusses the alternative of digital audio, which, unlike videodisc audio, enables one to rapidly revise the audio used in the CBT and which may be used in nonvideo CBT applications as well. We also discuss techniques used in audio script writing, editing, and production. Results from evaluations indicate a high degree of user satisfaction. 4 refs.

ARTIMIS Telephone Travel Information Service : current use patterns and user satisfaction : evaluation of ARTIMIS Telephone Information System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-06-01

This report summarizes the results of a phone survey that evaluated the user satisfaction of the telephone traveler information service, ARTIMIS (Advanced Regional Traffic Interactive Management and Information System), in Cincinnati / Northern Kentu...

Application of an access technology delivery protocol to two children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Mumford, Leslie; Chau, Tom

2015-07-14

This study further delineates the merits and limitations of the Access Technology Delivery Protocol (ATDP) through its application to two children with severe disabilities. We conducted mixed methods case studies to demonstrate the ATDP with two children with no reliable means of access to an external device. Evaluations of response efficiency, satisfaction, goal attainment, technology use and participation were made after 8 and 16 weeks of training with custom access technologies. After 16 weeks, one child's switch offered improved response efficiency, high teacher satisfaction and increased participation. The other child's switch resulted in improved satisfaction and switch effectiveness but lower overall efficiency. The latter child was no longer using his switch by the end of the study. These contrasting findings indicate that changes to any contextual factors that may impact the user's switch performance should mandate a reassessment of the access pathway. Secondly, it is important to ensure that individuals who will be responsible for switch training be identified at the outset and engaged throughout the ATDP. Finally, the ATDP should continue to be tested with individuals with severe disabilities to build an evidence base for the delivery of response efficient access solutions. Implications for Rehabilitation A data-driven, comprehensive access technology delivery protocol for children with complex communication needs could help to mitigate technology abandonment. Successful adoption of an access technology requires personalized design, training of the technology user, the teaching staff, the caregivers and other communication partners, and integration with functional activities.

Expert searching in consumer health: an important role for librarians in the age of the Internet and the Web.

PubMed

Volk, Ruti Malis

2007-04-01

The Patient Education Resource Center at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center conducts mediated searches for patients and families seeking information on complex medical issues, state-of-the-art treatments, and rare cancers. The current study examined user satisfaction and the impact of information provided to this user population. This paper presents the results of 566 user evaluation forms collected between July 2000 and June 2006 (1,532 forms distributed; 37% response rate). Users provided both quantitative and qualitative feedback, which was analyzed and classified into recurrent themes. The majority of users reported they were very satisfied with the information provided (n = 472, 83%). Over half of users (n = 335, 60%) shared or planned to share the information with their health care provider, and 51% (n = 286) reported that the information made an impact on treatment or quality of life. For 96.2% of users (n = 545), some or all of the information provided had not been received through any other source. The results demonstrate that, despite the end-user driven Internet, patients and families are not able to find all the information they need on their own. Expert searching remains an important role for librarians working with consumer health information seekers.

Cell Sage Re Mix HD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gering, Kevin

Cell Sage is a computational tool that allows science-based evaluation and exploration of battery life cycles over near limitless combination of aging conditions which helps battery end-users to optimize their investments.

Evaluation of User Information Satisfaction of the Composite Health Care System

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

E. POTENTIAL BENEFITS.................8 III. USER INFORMATION SATISFACTION AND ITS MASUREMENT 9 A. INTRODUCTION....................9 B. METTHODS TO...and at the proper frequency for use. However, the decision analysis approach suffers a significant drawback for use in scientific research: it is non

Electronic surveillance systems in infection prevention: Organizational support, program characteristics, and user satisfaction

PubMed Central

Grota, Patti G.; Stone, Patricia W.; Jordan, Sarah; Pogorzelska, Monika; Larson, Elaine

2012-01-01

Background The use of electronic surveillance systems (ESSs) is gradually increasing in infection prevention and control programs. Little is known about the characteristics of hospitals that have a ESS, user satisfaction with ESSs, and organizational support for implementation of ESSs. Methods A total of 350 acute care hospitals in California were invited to participate in a Web-based survey; 207 hospitals (59%) agreed to participate. The survey included a description of infection prevention and control department staff, where and how they spent their time, a measure of organizational support for infection prevention and control, and reported experience with ESSs. Results Only 23% (44/192) of responding infection prevention and control departments had an ESS. No statistically significant difference was seen in how and where infection preventionists (IPs) who used an ESS and those who did not spend their time. The 2 significant predictors of whether an ESS was present were score on the Organizational Support Scale (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.18) and hospital bed size (OR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.00-1.007). Organizational support also was positively correlated with IP satisfaction with the ESS, as measured on the Computer Usability Scale (P = .02). Conclusion Despite evidence that such systems may improve efficiency of data collection and potentially improve patient outcomes, ESSs remain relatively uncommon in infection prevention and control programs. Based on our findings, organizational support appears to be a major predictor of the presence, use, and satisfaction with ESSs in infection prevention and control programs. PMID:20176411

Electronic surveillance systems in infection prevention: organizational support, program characteristics, and user satisfaction.

PubMed

Grota, Patti G; Stone, Patricia W; Jordan, Sarah; Pogorzelska, Monika; Larson, Elaine

2010-09-01

The use of electronic surveillance systems (ESSs) is gradually increasing in infection prevention and control programs. Little is known about the characteristics of hospitals that have a ESS, user satisfaction with ESSs, and organizational support for implementation of ESSs. A total of 350 acute care hospitals in California were invited to participate in a Web-based survey; 207 hospitals (59%) agreed to participate. The survey included a description of infection prevention and control department staff, where and how they spent their time, a measure of organizational support for infection prevention and control, and reported experience with ESSs. Only 23% (44/192) of responding infection prevention and control departments had an ESS. No statistically significant difference was seen in how and where infection preventionists (IPs) who used an ESS and those who did not spend their time. The 2 significant predictors of whether an ESS was present were score on the Organizational Support Scale (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.18) and hospital bed size (OR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.00-1.007). Organizational support also was positively correlated with IP satisfaction with the ESS, as measured on the Computer Usability Scale (P = .02). Despite evidence that such systems may improve efficiency of data collection and potentially improve patient outcomes, ESSs remain relatively uncommon in infection prevention and control programs. Based on our findings, organizational support appears to be a major predictor of the presence, use, and satisfaction with ESSs in infection prevention and control programs.

The CORE Service Improvement Programme for mental health crisis resolution teams: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Fullarton, Kate; Lamb, Danielle; Johnston, Elaine; Onyett, Steve; Osborn, David; Ambler, Gareth; Marston, Louise; Hunter, Rachael; Mason, Oliver; Henderson, Claire; Goater, Nicky; Sullivan, Sarah A; Kelly, Kathleen; Gray, Richard; Nolan, Fiona; Pilling, Stephen; Bond, Gary; Johnson, Sonia

2016-03-22

As an alternative to hospital admission, crisis resolution teams (CRTs) provide intensive home treatment to people experiencing mental health crises. Trial evidence supports the effectiveness of the CRT model, but research suggests that the anticipated reductions in inpatient admissions and increased user satisfaction with acute care have been less than hoped for following the scaling up of CRTs nationally in England, as mandated by the National Health Service (NHS) Plan in 2000. The organisation and service delivery of the CRTs vary substantially. This may reflect the lack of a fully specified CRT model and the resources to enhance team model fidelity and to improve service quality. We will evaluate the impact of a CRT service improvement programme over a 1-year period on the service users' experiences of care, service use, staff well-being, and team model fidelity. Twenty-five CRTs from eight NHS Trusts across England will be recruited to this cluster-randomised trial: 15 CRTs will be randomised to receive the service improvement programme over a 1-year period, and ten CRTs will not receive the programme. Data will be collected from 15 service users and all clinical staff from each participating CRT at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Service use data will be collected from the services' electronic records systems for two 6-month periods: the period preceding and the period during months 7-12 of the intervention. The study's primary outcome is service user satisfaction with CRT care, measured using a client satisfaction questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include the following: perceived continuity of care, hospital admission rates and bed use, rates of readmission to acute care following CRT support, staff morale, job satisfaction, and general health. The adherence of the services to a model of best practice will be assessed at baseline and follow-up. Outcomes will be compared between the intervention and control teams, adjusting for baseline differences and participant characteristics using linear random effects modelling. Qualitative investigations with participating CRT managers and staff and programme facilitators will explore the experiences of the service improvement programme. Our trial will show whether a theoretically underpinned and clearly defined package of resources are effective in supporting service improvement and improving outcomes for mental health crisis resolution teams. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN47185233.

Life Satisfaction and the Pursuit of Happiness on Twitter

PubMed Central

Yang, Chao; Srinivasan, Padmini

2016-01-01

Life satisfaction refers to a somewhat stable cognitive assessment of one’s own life. Life satisfaction is an important component of subjective well being, the scientific term for happiness. The other component is affect: the balance between the presence of positive and negative emotions in daily life. While affect has been studied using social media datasets (particularly from Twitter), life satisfaction has received little to no attention. Here, we examine trends in posts about life satisfaction from a two-year sample of Twitter data. We apply a surveillance methodology to extract expressions of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction with life. A noteworthy result is that consistent with their definitions trends in life satisfaction posts are immune to external events (political, seasonal etc.) unlike affect trends reported by previous researchers. Comparing users we find differences between satisfied and dissatisfied users in several linguistic, psychosocial and other features. For example the latter post more tweets expressing anger, anxiety, depression, sadness and on death. We also study users who change their status over time from satisfied with life to dissatisfied or vice versa. Noteworthy is that the psychosocial tweet features of users who change from satisfied to dissatisfied are quite different from those who stay satisfied over time. Overall, the observations we make are consistent with intuition and consistent with observations in the social science research. This research contributes to the study of the subjective well being of individuals through social media. PMID:26982323

Comparing Information Assurance Awareness Training for End-Users: A Content Analysis Examination of Air Force and Defense Information Systems Agency User Training Modules

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

for over 18 months (Vijayan, 2007). Other retailers have felt the sting of indirect data breaches as well. In October of 2007, a backup computer tape...Information Services suffered a data breach in the form of a “rouge and dishonest employee” stealing records (The Associated Press, 2007). Most of the...infects the target computer (Keizer, 2008). 2 With the frequency of attacks and data breaches , the actual financial cost is incredibly high

Scaling to diversity: The DERECHOS distributed infrastructure for analyzing and sharing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rilee, M. L.; Kuo, K. S.; Clune, T.; Oloso, A.; Brown, P. G.

2016-12-01

Integrating Earth Science data from diverse sources such as satellite imagery and simulation output can be expensive and time-consuming, limiting scientific inquiry and the quality of our analyses. Reducing these costs will improve innovation and quality in science. The current Earth Science data infrastructure focuses on downloading data based on requests formed from the search and analysis of associated metadata. And while the data products provided by archives may use the best available data sharing technologies, scientist end-users generally do not have such resources (including staff) available to them. Furthermore, only once an end-user has received the data from multiple diverse sources and has integrated them can the actual analysis and synthesis begin. The cost of getting from idea to where synthesis can start dramatically slows progress. In this presentation we discuss a distributed computational and data storage framework that eliminates much of the aforementioned cost. The SciDB distributed array database is central as it is optimized for scientific computing involving very large arrays, performing better than less specialized frameworks like Spark. Adding spatiotemporal functions to the SciDB creates a powerful platform for analyzing and integrating massive, distributed datasets. SciDB allows Big Earth Data analysis to be performed "in place" without the need for expensive downloads and end-user resources. Spatiotemporal indexing technologies such as the hierarchical triangular mesh enable the compute and storage affinity needed to efficiently perform co-located and conditional analyses minimizing data transfers. These technologies automate the integration of diverse data sources using the framework, a critical step beyond current metadata search and analysis. Instead of downloading data into their idiosyncratic local environments, end-users can generate and share data products integrated from diverse multiple sources using a common shared environment, turning distributed active archive centers (DAACs) from warehouses into distributed active analysis centers.

Satisfaction and burden of mental health personnel: data from healthcare services for substance users and their families.

PubMed

Hilgert, Juliana B; Bidinotto, Augusto B; Pachado, Mayra P; Fara, Letícia S; von Diemen, Lisia; De Boni, Raquel B; Bozzetti, Mary C; Pechansky, Flávio

2018-06-11

To evaluate satisfaction and burden of mental health personnel providing mental health services for substance users and their families. Five hundred twenty-seven mental health workers who provide treatment for substance users in five Brazilian states were interviewed. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and measures of satisfaction (SATIS-BR) and burden of mental health personnel (IMPACTO-BR) were collected. Type of mental health service and educational attainment were associated with degree of satisfaction and burden. Therapeutic community workers and those with a primary education level reported being more satisfied with the treatment offered to patients, their engagement in service activities, and working conditions. Workers from psychosocial care centers, psychosocial care centers focused on alcohol and other drugs, and social care referral centers (both general and specialized), as well as workers with a higher education, reported feeling overburdened. This study offers important information regarding the relationship of mental health personnel with their work. Care providers within this sample reported an overall high level of job satisfaction, while perceived burden differed by type of service and educational attainment. To our knowledge, this is the first study with a sample of mental health professionals working with substance users across five Brazilian states.

Internet-based support for the production of holographic stereograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gustafsson, Jonny

1998-03-01

Holographic hard-copy techniques suffers from a lack of availability for ordinary users of computer graphics. The production of holograms usually requires special skills as well as expensive equipment which means that the direct production cost will be high for an ordinary user with little or no knowledge in holography. Here it is shown how a system may be created in which the users of computer graphics can do all communication with a holography studio through a Java-based web browser. This system will facilitate for the user to understand the technique of holographic stereograms, make decisions about angles, views, lighting etc., previsualizing the end result, as well as automatically submit the 3D-data to the producer of the hologram. A prototype system has been built which uses internal scripting in VRML.

Saving water in showers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkhaddar, R. A.; Phipps, D.; Morgan, R.; Karci, B.; Hordesseux, J.

2007-07-01

This project is part of a programme aimed at reducing water consumption. Power showers are water inefficient, but in order to persuade the user to accept a lower water use it will be necessary to sustain the "shower experience" to maintain user satisfaction. Previous work has indicated that users' requirements include temperature stability, adequate water volume and distribution, and skin pressure, all of which are substantially controlled by the showerhead. In the present phase of the project several commercially available domestic showerheads have been examined to determine pressure-volume characteristics, radial spray distributions at different flow rates, direct and indirect measures of "skin pressure" and measurements of vertical temperature profiles. Part of the practical work at LJMU has supported extensive theoretical studies by CFD carried out by staff at Arup (consulting engineers) for the Market Transformation Programme. A future phase will study user satisfaction in their own homes where user satisfaction will be surveyed and linked to the physical performance of the shower.

Real-time data-intensive computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parkinson, Dilworth Y., E-mail: dyparkinson@lbl.gov; Chen, Xian; Hexemer, Alexander

2016-07-27

Today users visit synchrotrons as sources of understanding and discovery—not as sources of just light, and not as sources of data. To achieve this, the synchrotron facilities frequently provide not just light but often the entire end station and increasingly, advanced computational facilities that can reduce terabytes of data into a form that can reveal a new key insight. The Advanced Light Source (ALS) has partnered with high performance computing, fast networking, and applied mathematics groups to create a “super-facility”, giving users simultaneous access to the experimental, computational, and algorithmic resources to make this possible. This combination forms an efficientmore » closed loop, where data—despite its high rate and volume—is transferred and processed immediately and automatically on appropriate computing resources, and results are extracted, visualized, and presented to users or to the experimental control system, both to provide immediate insight and to guide decisions about subsequent experiments during beamtime. We will describe our work at the ALS ptychography, scattering, micro-diffraction, and micro-tomography beamlines.« less

Big Data Smart Socket (BDSS): a system that abstracts data transfer habits from end users.

PubMed

Watts, Nicholas A; Feltus, Frank A

2017-02-15

The ability to centralize and store data for long periods on an end user's computational resources is increasingly difficult for many scientific disciplines. For example, genomics data is increasingly large and distributed, and the data needs to be moved into workflow execution sites ranging from lab workstations to the cloud. However, the typical user is not always informed on emerging network technology or the most efficient methods to move and share data. Thus, the user defaults to using inefficient methods for transfer across the commercial internet. To accelerate large data transfer, we created a tool called the Big Data Smart Socket (BDSS) that abstracts data transfer methodology from the user. The user provides BDSS with a manifest of datasets stored in a remote storage repository. BDSS then queries a metadata repository for curated data transfer mechanisms and optimal path to move each of the files in the manifest to the site of workflow execution. BDSS functions as a standalone tool or can be directly integrated into a computational workflow such as provided by the Galaxy Project. To demonstrate applicability, we use BDSS within a biological context, although it is applicable to any scientific domain. BDSS is available under version 2 of the GNU General Public License at https://github.com/feltus/BDSS . ffeltus@clemson.edu. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Do Facebook Status Updates Reflect Subjective Well-Being?

PubMed

Liu, Pan; Tov, William; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David J; Qiu, Lin

2015-07-01

Nowadays, millions of people around the world use social networking sites to express everyday thoughts and feelings. Many researchers have tried to make use of social media to study users' online behaviors and psychological states. However, previous studies show mixed results about whether self-generated contents on Facebook reflect users' subjective well-being (SWB). This study analyzed Facebook status updates to determine the extent to which users' emotional expression predicted their SWB-specifically their self-reported satisfaction with life. It was found that positive emotional expressions on Facebook did not correlate with life satisfaction, whereas negative emotional expressions within the past 9-10 months (but not beyond) were significantly related to life satisfaction. These findings suggest that both the type of emotional expressions and the time frame of status updates determine whether emotional expressions in Facebook status updates can effectively reflect users' SWB. The findings shed light on the characteristics of online social media and improve the understanding of how user-generated contents reflect users' psychological states.

Research Investigation of Information Access Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinrichs, John H.; Sharkey, Thomas W.; Lim, Jeen-Su

2006-01-01

This study investigates the satisfaction of library users at Wayne State University who utilize alternative information access methods. The LibQUAL+[TM] desired and perceived that satisfaction ratings are used to determine the user's "superiority gap." By focusing limited library resources to address "superiority gap" issues identified by each…

Status of Computer Applications in the Southern Land-Grant Institutions Experiment Stations/Extension Services/Resident Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rendiero, Jane; Linder, William W.

This report summarizes the results of a survey of 29 southern land-grant institutions which elicited information on microcomputer capabilities, programming efforts, and computer awareness education for formers, homemakers, community organizations, planning agencies, and other end users. Five topics were covered by the survey: (1) degree of…

Probing End-User IT Security Practices--Through Homework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sean W.

2004-01-01

At Dartmouth College, the author teaches a course called "Security and Privacy." Its early position in the overall computer science curriculum means the course needs to be introductory, and the author can't assume the students possess an extensive computer science background. These constraints leave the author with a challenge: to construct…

Significances of Multimedia Technologies Training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fulei

The use of multimedia technologies in education has enabled teachers to simulate final outcomes and assist s-tudents in applying knowledge learned from textbooks, thereby compensating for the deficiency of traditional teach- ing methods. It is important to examine how effective these technologies are in practical use. This study developed online learning-teaching resource platforms using Flash multimedia, providing interactive and integrated features in an easy-to-use user interface, in order to discuss Computer-Aided Drawing (CAD). The study utilized a teaching experiment with a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design to test and discuss students' professional cognition, operating skill cognition, and level of learning satisfaction during the learning process. No significant differences emerged between the groups in regards to professional cognition or operation skills cognition. However, a significant difference in learning satisfaction was noted, indicating that the coursework with multimedia Flash produced greater satisfaction than with traditional learning methods. Results are explained in detail and recommendations for further research provided.

Analyzing Spacecraft Telecommunication Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kordon, Mark; Hanks, David; Gladden, Roy; Wood, Eric

2004-01-01

Multi-Mission Telecom Analysis Tool (MMTAT) is a C-language computer program for analyzing proposed spacecraft telecommunication systems. MMTAT utilizes parameterized input and computational models that can be run on standard desktop computers to perform fast and accurate analyses of telecommunication links. MMTAT is easy to use and can easily be integrated with other software applications and run as part of almost any computational simulation. It is distributed as either a stand-alone application program with a graphical user interface or a linkable library with a well-defined set of application programming interface (API) calls. As a stand-alone program, MMTAT provides both textual and graphical output. The graphs make it possible to understand, quickly and easily, how telecommunication performance varies with variations in input parameters. A delimited text file that can be read by any spreadsheet program is generated at the end of each run. The API in the linkable-library form of MMTAT enables the user to control simulation software and to change parameters during a simulation run. Results can be retrieved either at the end of a run or by use of a function call at any time step.

Using scenarios and personas to enhance the effectiveness of heuristic usability evaluations for older adults and their care team.

PubMed

Kneale, Laura; Mikles, Sean; Choi, Yong K; Thompson, Hilaire; Demiris, George

2017-09-01

Using heuristics to evaluate user experience is a common methodology for human-computer interaction studies. One challenge of this method is the inability to tailor results towards specific end-user needs. This manuscript reports on a method that uses validated scenarios and personas of older adults and care team members to enhance heuristics evaluations of the usability of commercially available personal health records for homebound older adults. Our work extends the Chisnell and Redish heuristic evaluation methodology by using a protocol that relies on multiple expert reviews of each system. It further standardizes the heuristic evaluation process through the incorporation of task-based scenarios. We were able to use the modified version of the Chisnell and Redish heuristic evaluation methodology to identify potential usability challenges of two commercially available personal health record systems. This allowed us to: (1) identify potential usability challenges for specific types of users, (2) describe improvements that would be valuable to all end-users of the system, and (3) better understand how the interactions of different users may vary within a single personal health record. The methodology described in this paper may help designers of consumer health information technology tools, such as personal health records, understand the needs of diverse end-user populations. Such methods may be particularly helpful when designing systems for populations that are difficult to recruit for end-user evaluations through traditional methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Assessment levels of the user's satisfaction in a private hospital].

PubMed

da Cruz, Wilma Batista Souza; Melleiro, Marta Maria

2010-03-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the satisfaction of the users of a private hospital in terms of a number of attributes of the services in units. This exploratory, descriptive study used a quantitative approach and was developed in a private hospital in the city of São Paulo. The casuistry consisted of 71 users and data collection was performed during the period from March to August 2007, using a derivative of the scale model of the Service Quality (SERVQUAL) of the evaluative model of Parasuraman et al. The level of overall satisfaction ranged around 95%. The assurance (96%) and reliability (96%) were considered the most important dimensions of quality, followed by empathy (95%), responsiveness (93%) and tangibility (88%). Medical and nursing staffs introduced high levels of satisfaction. 91% has intention to recommend the hospital. This research provided the knowledge of the attributes most important in terms of satisfaction and contributed to confirming or reshaping assistance and management processes.

Determining the Number of Participants Needed for the Usability Evaluation of E-Learning Resources: A Monte Carlo Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davids, Mogamat Razeen; Harvey, Justin; Halperin, Mitchell L.; Chikte, Usuf M. E.

2015-01-01

The usability of computer interfaces has a major influence on learning. Optimising the usability of e-learning resources is therefore essential. However, this may be neglected because of time and monetary constraints. User testing is a common approach to usability evaluation and involves studying typical end-users interacting with the application…

High Productivity Computing Systems and Competitiveness Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

planning committee for the annual, international Supercomputing Conference in 2004 and 2005. This is the leading HPC industry conference in the world. It...sector partnerships. Partnerships will form a key part of discussions at the 2nd High Performance Computing Users Conference, planned for July 13, 2005...other things an interagency roadmap for high-end computing core technologies and an accessibility improvement plan . Improving HPC Education and

Improving productivity and firm performance with enterprise resource planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beheshti, Hooshang M.; Beheshti, Cyrus M.

2010-11-01

Productivity is generally considered to be the efficient utilisation of organisational resources and is measured in terms of the efficiency of a worker, company or nation. Focusing on efficiency alone, however, can be harmful to the organisation's long-term success and competitiveness. The full benefits of productivity improvement measures are realised when productivity is examined from two perspectives: operational efficiency (output/input) of an individual worker or a business unit as well as performance (effectiveness) with regard to end user or customer satisfaction. Over the years, corporations have adopted new technology to integrate business activities in order to achieve both effectiveness and efficiency in their operations. In recent years, many firms have invested in enterprise resource planning (ERP) in order to integrate all business activities into a uniform system. The implementation of ERP enables the firm to reduce the transaction costs of the business and improve its productivity, customer satisfaction and profitability.

A Hybrid Scheme for Fine-Grained Search and Access Authorization in Fog Computing Environment

PubMed Central

Xiao, Min; Zhou, Jing; Liu, Xuejiao; Jiang, Mingda

2017-01-01

In the fog computing environment, the encrypted sensitive data may be transferred to multiple fog nodes on the edge of a network for low latency; thus, fog nodes need to implement a search over encrypted data as a cloud server. Since the fog nodes tend to provide service for IoT applications often running on resource-constrained end devices, it is necessary to design lightweight solutions. At present, there is little research on this issue. In this paper, we propose a fine-grained owner-forced data search and access authorization scheme spanning user-fog-cloud for resource constrained end users. Compared to existing schemes only supporting either index encryption with search ability or data encryption with fine-grained access control ability, the proposed hybrid scheme supports both abilities simultaneously, and index ciphertext and data ciphertext are constructed based on a single ciphertext-policy attribute based encryption (CP-ABE) primitive and share the same key pair, thus the data access efficiency is significantly improved and the cost of key management is greatly reduced. Moreover, in the proposed scheme, the resource constrained end devices are allowed to rapidly assemble ciphertexts online and securely outsource most of decryption task to fog nodes, and mediated encryption mechanism is also adopted to achieve instantaneous user revocation instead of re-encrypting ciphertexts with many copies in many fog nodes. The security and the performance analysis show that our scheme is suitable for a fog computing environment. PMID:28629131

A Hybrid Scheme for Fine-Grained Search and Access Authorization in Fog Computing Environment.

PubMed

Xiao, Min; Zhou, Jing; Liu, Xuejiao; Jiang, Mingda

2017-06-17

In the fog computing environment, the encrypted sensitive data may be transferred to multiple fog nodes on the edge of a network for low latency; thus, fog nodes need to implement a search over encrypted data as a cloud server. Since the fog nodes tend to provide service for IoT applications often running on resource-constrained end devices, it is necessary to design lightweight solutions. At present, there is little research on this issue. In this paper, we propose a fine-grained owner-forced data search and access authorization scheme spanning user-fog-cloud for resource constrained end users. Compared to existing schemes only supporting either index encryption with search ability or data encryption with fine-grained access control ability, the proposed hybrid scheme supports both abilities simultaneously, and index ciphertext and data ciphertext are constructed based on a single ciphertext-policy attribute based encryption (CP-ABE) primitive and share the same key pair, thus the data access efficiency is significantly improved and the cost of key management is greatly reduced. Moreover, in the proposed scheme, the resource constrained end devices are allowed to rapidly assemble ciphertexts online and securely outsource most of decryption task to fog nodes, and mediated encryption mechanism is also adopted to achieve instantaneous user revocation instead of re-encrypting ciphertexts with many copies in many fog nodes. The security and the performance analysis show that our scheme is suitable for a fog computing environment.

New security infrastructure model for distributed computing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubenskaya, J.; Kryukov, A.; Demichev, A.; Prikhodko, N.

2016-02-01

At the paper we propose a new approach to setting up a user-friendly and yet secure authentication and authorization procedure in a distributed computing system. The security concept of the most heterogeneous distributed computing systems is based on the public key infrastructure along with proxy certificates which are used for rights delegation. In practice a contradiction between the limited lifetime of the proxy certificates and the unpredictable time of the request processing is a big issue for the end users of the system. We propose to use unlimited in time hashes which are individual for each request instead of proxy certificate. Our approach allows to avoid using of the proxy certificates. Thus the security infrastructure of distributed computing system becomes easier for development, support and use.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0): the development of the Taiwanese version.

PubMed

Mao, Hui-Fen; Chen, Wan-Yin; Yao, Grace; Huang, Sheau-Ling; Lin, Chia-Chi; Huang, Wen-Ni Wennie

2010-05-01

To develop and validate a cross-cultural version of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0) for users of assistive technology devices in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey. The standard cultural adaptation procedure was used for questionnaire translation and cultural item design. A field test was then conducted for item selection and psychometric properties testing. One hundred and five volunteer assistive device users in community. A questionnaire comprising 12 items of the QUEST 2.0 and 16 culture-specific items. One culture-specific item, 'Cost', was selected based on eight criteria and added to the QUEST 2.0 (12 items) to formulate the Taiwanese version of QUEST 2.0 (T-QUEST). The T-QUEST consisted of 13 items which were classified into two domains: device (8 items) and service (5 items). The internal consistencies of the device, service and total T-QUEST scores were 0.87, 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. The device, services and total T-QUEST scores achieved good test-retest stability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.90, 0.97, 0.95). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that T-QUEST had a two-factor structure for device and service in the construct of user satisfaction (53.42% of the variance explained). Users of assistive device in different culture may have different concerns regarding satisfaction. T-QUEST is the first published version of QUEST with culture-specific items added to the original translated items of QUEST 2.0. T-QUEST was a valid and reliable tool for measuring user satisfaction among Mandarin-speaking individuals using various kinds of assistive devices.

User satisfaction with computerized order entry system and its effect on workplace level of stress.

PubMed

Ghahramani, Nasrollah; Lendel, Irina; Haque, Rehan; Sawruk, Kathryn

2009-06-01

To evaluate the impact of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) on workplace stress and overall job performance, as perceived by medical students, housestaff, attending physicians and nurses, after CPOE implementation at Penn State-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, an academic tertiary care facility, in 2005. Using an online survey, the authors studied attitudes towards CPOE among 862 health care professionals. The main outcome measures were job performance and perceived stress levels. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Analytical Software (SAS Inc, Carey, NC). A total of413 respondents completed the entire survey (47.9 % response rate). Respondents in the younger age group were more familiar with the system, used it more frequently, and were more satisfied with it. Interns and residents were the most satisfied groups with the system, while attending physicians expressed the least satisfaction. Attending physicians and fellows found the system least user friendly compared with other groups, and also tended to express more stress and frustration with the system. Participants with previous CPOE experience were more familiar with the system, would use the system more frequently and were more likely to perceive the system as user friendly. User satisfaction with CPOE increases by familiarity and frequent use of the system. Improvement in system characteristics and avoidance of confusing terminology and inconsistent display of data is expected to enhance user satisfaction. Training in the use of CPOE should start early, ideally integrated into medical and nursing school curricula and form a continuous, long-term and user-specific process. This is expected to increase familiarity with the system, reducing stress and leading to improved user satisfaction and to subsequent enhanced safety and efficiency.

The impact of computer usage on the perceptions of hospital secretaries.

PubMed

Foner, C; Nour, M; Luo, X; Kim, J

1991-09-01

This study explored the perceptions of hospital unit secretaries regarding computer usage. Specifically, six attitudinal variables: performance, resistance, interpersonal relations, satisfaction, challenge, and work overload were examined. The study had two major findings: (1) hospital unit secretaries have positive perceptions of job performance, satisfaction, and challenge as a result of using the PHAMIS computer system and (2) hospital unit secretaries do not feel resistant to the system, overloaded with work, or inclined to increase their interpersonal interaction with coworkers. These two findings might appear contradictory on the surface, but in fact are consistent with overall positive perceptions about the PHAMIS system. The study also considered the impact of two independent variables--age and number of years at work--on the responses of subjects. The analysis indicated that together these two variables explained some variations in the values of at least two of the dependent variables--resistance and challenge. The authors therefore concluded that the installation of the hospital computer system has established a favorable working environment for those whose work is affected by it. The dramatic expansion of computer systems in nonprofit institutions as well as in profit-oriented institutions has made people more familiar with computer technology. This trend can account for the overall positive perception of the unit secretaries toward the new computer system. Moreover, training programs and the support of top management for the system may also have enhanced the positive attitude of the users.

(Computer) Vision without Sight

PubMed Central

Manduchi, Roberto; Coughlan, James

2012-01-01

Computer vision holds great promise for helping persons with blindness or visual impairments (VI) to interpret and explore the visual world. To this end, it is worthwhile to assess the situation critically by understanding the actual needs of the VI population and which of these needs might be addressed by computer vision. This article reviews the types of assistive technology application areas that have already been developed for VI, and the possible roles that computer vision can play in facilitating these applications. We discuss how appropriate user interfaces are designed to translate the output of computer vision algorithms into information that the user can quickly and safely act upon, and how system-level characteristics affect the overall usability of an assistive technology. Finally, we conclude by highlighting a few novel and intriguing areas of application of computer vision to assistive technology. PMID:22815563

Editorial Library: User Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Surace, Cecily J.

This report presents the findings of a survey conducted by the editorial library of the Los Angeles Times to measure usage and satisfaction with library service, provide background information on library user characteristics, collect information on patterns of use of the Times' clipping files, relate data on usage and satisfaction parameters to…

Development of the cancer patient financial aid system and analysis of user satisfaction.

PubMed

Park, Joon Ho; Park, Eun-Cheol; Lee, Myung Ha; Kim, Yun-Mi; Choi, Soo Mi

2006-01-01

A financial aid program for low income cancer patients in Korea was initiated in 2005, which required a web-based system. Therefore, the Cancer Patient Financial Aid System (CPFAS) was developed. To improve the CPFAS, we evaluated the nationwide satisfaction of public health center users.

Pervasive brain monitoring and data sharing based on multi-tier distributed computing and linked data technology

PubMed Central

Zao, John K.; Gan, Tchin-Tze; You, Chun-Kai; Chung, Cheng-En; Wang, Yu-Te; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio José; Mullen, Tim; Yu, Chieh; Kothe, Christian; Hsiao, Ching-Teng; Chu, San-Liang; Shieh, Ce-Kuen; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are facing basic challenges in real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users' cognitive states in dynamic real-life situations may seem almost insurmountable at times. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report an attempt to develop a pervasive on-line EEG-BCI system using state-of-art technologies including multi-tier Fog and Cloud Computing, semantic Linked Data search, and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system by employing wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end Fog Servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) as the far-end Cloud Servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line EEG-BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch to use our system in real-life personal stress monitoring and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to conduct in-home Parkinson's disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop the necessary BCI ontology and introduce automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system. PMID:24917804

Pervasive brain monitoring and data sharing based on multi-tier distributed computing and linked data technology.

PubMed

Zao, John K; Gan, Tchin-Tze; You, Chun-Kai; Chung, Cheng-En; Wang, Yu-Te; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio José; Mullen, Tim; Yu, Chieh; Kothe, Christian; Hsiao, Ching-Teng; Chu, San-Liang; Shieh, Ce-Kuen; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are facing basic challenges in real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users' cognitive states in dynamic real-life situations may seem almost insurmountable at times. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report an attempt to develop a pervasive on-line EEG-BCI system using state-of-art technologies including multi-tier Fog and Cloud Computing, semantic Linked Data search, and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system by employing wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end Fog Servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) as the far-end Cloud Servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line EEG-BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch to use our system in real-life personal stress monitoring and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to conduct in-home Parkinson's disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop the necessary BCI ontology and introduce automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system.

Built spaces and features associated with user satisfaction in maternity waiting homes in Malawi.

PubMed

McIntosh, Nathalie; Gruits, Patricia; Oppel, Eva; Shao, Amie

2018-07-01

To assess satisfaction with maternity waiting home built spaces and features in women who are at risk for underutilizing maternity waiting homes (i.e. residential facilities that temporarily house near-term pregnant mothers close to healthcare facilities that provide obstetrical care). Specifically we wanted to answer the questions: (1) Are built spaces and features associated with maternity waiting home user satisfaction? (2) Can built spaces and features designed to improve hygiene, comfort, privacy and function improve maternity waiting home user satisfaction? And (3) Which built spaces and features are most important for maternity waiting home user satisfaction? A cross-sectional study comparing satisfaction with standard and non-standard maternity waiting home designs. Between December 2016 and February 2017 we surveyed expectant mothers at two maternity waiting homes that differed in their design of built spaces and features. We used bivariate analyses to assess if built spaces and features were associated with satisfaction. We compared ratings of built spaces and features between the two maternity waiting homes using chi-squares and t-tests to assess if design features to improve hygiene, comfort, privacy and function were associated with higher satisfaction. We used exploratory robust regression analysis to examine the relationship between built spaces and features and maternity waiting home satisfaction. Two maternity waiting homes in Malawi, one that incorporated non-standardized design features to improve hygiene, comfort, privacy, and function (Kasungu maternity waiting home) and the other that had a standard maternity waiting home design (Dowa maternity waiting home). 322 expectant mothers at risk for underutilizing maternity waiting homes (i.e. first-time mothers and those with no pregnancy risk factors) who had stayed at the Kasungu or Dowa maternity waiting homes. There were significant differences in ratings of built spaces and features between the two differently designed maternity waiting homes, with the non-standard design having higher ratings for: adequacy of toilets, and ratings of heating/cooling, air and water quality, sanitation, toilets/showers and kitchen facilities, building maintenance, sleep area, private storage space, comfort level, outdoor spaces and overall satisfaction (p = <.0001 for all). The final regression model showed that built spaces and features that are most important for maternity waiting home user satisfaction are toilets/showers, guardian spaces, safety, building maintenance, sleep area and private storage space (R 2  = 0.28). The design of maternity waiting home built spaces and features is associated with user satisfaction in women at risk for underutilizing maternity waiting homes, especially related to toilets/showers, guardian spaces, safety, building maintenance, sleep area and private storage space. Improving maternity waiting home built spaces and features may offer a promising area for improving maternity waiting home satisfaction and reducing barriers to maternity waiting home use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Work-related health disorders among Saudi computer users.

PubMed

Jomoah, Ibrahim M

2014-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and eye and vision complaints among the computer users of King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), and Saudi Telecom Company (STC). Stratified random samples of the work stations and operators at each of the studied institutions were selected and the ergonomics of the work stations were assessed and the operators' health complaints were investigated. The average ergonomic score of the studied work station at STC, KAU, and SAUDIA was 81.5%, 73.3%, and 70.3, respectively. Most of the examined operators use computers daily for ≤ 7 hours, yet they had some average incidences of general complaints (e.g., headache, body fatigue, and lack of concentration) and relatively high level of incidences of eye and vision complaints and musculoskeletal complaints. The incidences of the complaints have been found to increase with the (a) decrease in work station ergonomic score, (b) progress of age and duration of employment, (c) smoking, (d) use of computers, (e) lack of work satisfaction, and (f) history of operators' previous ailments. It has been recommended to improve the ergonomics of the work stations, set up training programs, and conduct preplacement and periodical examinations for operators.

Work-Related Health Disorders among Saudi Computer Users

PubMed Central

Jomoah, Ibrahim M.

2014-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and eye and vision complaints among the computer users of King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), and Saudi Telecom Company (STC). Stratified random samples of the work stations and operators at each of the studied institutions were selected and the ergonomics of the work stations were assessed and the operators' health complaints were investigated. The average ergonomic score of the studied work station at STC, KAU, and SAUDIA was 81.5%, 73.3%, and 70.3, respectively. Most of the examined operators use computers daily for ≤ 7 hours, yet they had some average incidences of general complaints (e.g., headache, body fatigue, and lack of concentration) and relatively high level of incidences of eye and vision complaints and musculoskeletal complaints. The incidences of the complaints have been found to increase with the (a) decrease in work station ergonomic score, (b) progress of age and duration of employment, (c) smoking, (d) use of computers, (e) lack of work satisfaction, and (f) history of operators' previous ailments. It has been recommended to improve the ergonomics of the work stations, set up training programs, and conduct preplacement and periodical examinations for operators. PMID:25383379

Neuroprosthetic Decoder Training as Imitation Learning.

PubMed

Merel, Josh; Carlson, David; Paninski, Liam; Cunningham, John P

2016-05-01

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces function via an algorithm which decodes neural activity of the user into movements of an end effector, such as a cursor or robotic arm. In practice, the decoder is often learned by updating its parameters while the user performs a task. When the user's intention is not directly observable, recent methods have demonstrated value in training the decoder against a surrogate for the user's intended movement. Here we show that training a decoder in this way is a novel variant of an imitation learning problem, where an oracle or expert is employed for supervised training in lieu of direct observations, which are not available. Specifically, we describe how a generic imitation learning meta-algorithm, dataset aggregation (DAgger), can be adapted to train a generic brain-computer interface. By deriving existing learning algorithms for brain-computer interfaces in this framework, we provide a novel analysis of regret (an important metric of learning efficacy) for brain-computer interfaces. This analysis allows us to characterize the space of algorithmic variants and bounds on their regret rates. Existing approaches for decoder learning have been performed in the cursor control setting, but the available design principles for these decoders are such that it has been impossible to scale them to naturalistic settings. Leveraging our findings, we then offer an algorithm that combines imitation learning with optimal control, which should allow for training of arbitrary effectors for which optimal control can generate goal-oriented control. We demonstrate this novel and general BCI algorithm with simulated neuroprosthetic control of a 26 degree-of-freedom model of an arm, a sophisticated and realistic end effector.

SSR_pipeline--computer software for the identification of microsatellite sequences from paired-end Illumina high-throughput DNA sequence data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Mark P.; Knaus, Brian J.; Mullins, Thomas D.; Haig, Susan M.

2013-01-01

SSR_pipeline is a flexible set of programs designed to efficiently identify simple sequence repeats (SSRs; for example, microsatellites) from paired-end high-throughput Illumina DNA sequencing data. The program suite contains three analysis modules along with a fourth control module that can be used to automate analyses of large volumes of data. The modules are used to (1) identify the subset of paired-end sequences that pass quality standards, (2) align paired-end reads into a single composite DNA sequence, and (3) identify sequences that possess microsatellites conforming to user specified parameters. Each of the three separate analysis modules also can be used independently to provide greater flexibility or to work with FASTQ or FASTA files generated from other sequencing platforms (Roche 454, Ion Torrent, etc). All modules are implemented in the Python programming language and can therefore be used from nearly any computer operating system (Linux, Macintosh, Windows). The program suite relies on a compiled Python extension module to perform paired-end alignments. Instructions for compiling the extension from source code are provided in the documentation. Users who do not have Python installed on their computers or who do not have the ability to compile software also may choose to download packaged executable files. These files include all Python scripts, a copy of the compiled extension module, and a minimal installation of Python in a single binary executable. See program documentation for more information.

StarTrax --- The Next Generation User Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmond, Alan; White, Nick

StarTrax is a software package to be distributed to end users for installation on their local computing infrastructure. It will provide access to many services of the HEASARC, i.e. bulletins, catalogs, proposal and analysis tools, initially for the ROSAT MIPS (Mission Information and Planning System), later for the Next Generation Browse. A user activating the GUI will reach all HEASARC capabilities through a uniform view of the system, independent of the local computing environment and of the networking method of accessing StarTrax. Use it if you prefer the point-and-click metaphor of modern GUI technology, to the classical command-line interfaces (CLI). Notable strengths include: easy to use; excellent portability; very robust server support; feedback button on every dialog; painstakingly crafted User Guide. It is designed to support a large number of input devices including terminals, workstations and personal computers. XVT's Portability Toolkit is used to build the GUI in C/C++ to run on: OSF/Motif (UNIX or VMS), OPEN LOOK (UNIX), or Macintosh, or MS-Windows (DOS), or character systems.

Design Guidelines for the User Interface to Computer-Based Information Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

Marshall and Alderman, 1981. See also: Section 3.1.3. -22 Single Keying for Alphabetic Data -22 When alphabetic data entry is required, the user should be...distinction between single and multiple blanks in data entry; in particular, the user should not have to count blanks. Comment: People cannot be relied upon...logically related items should be accomplished by a single , explicit action at the end, rather than by separate entry of each item. Comment: This practice

Ergonomics in radiology.

PubMed

Goyal, N; Jain, N; Rachapalli, V

2009-02-01

The use of computers is increasing in every field of medicine, especially radiology. Filmless radiology departments, speech recognition software, electronic request forms and teleradiology are some of the recent developments that have substantially increased the amount of time a radiologist spends in front of a computer monitor. Computers are also needed for searching literature on the internet, communicating via e-mails, and preparing for lectures and presentations. It is well known that regular computer users can suffer musculoskeletal injuries due to repetitive stress. The role of ergonomics in radiology is to ensure that working conditions are optimized in order to avoid injury and fatigue. Adequate workplace ergonomics can go a long way in increasing productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction. We review the current literature pertaining to the role of ergonomics in modern-day radiology especially with the development of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) workstations.

Generic Divide and Conquer Internet-Based Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Follen, Gregory J. (Technical Monitor); Radenski, Atanas

2003-01-01

The growth of Internet-based applications and the proliferation of networking technologies have been transforming traditional commercial application areas as well as computer and computational sciences and engineering. This growth stimulates the exploration of Peer to Peer (P2P) software technologies that can open new research and application opportunities not only for the commercial world, but also for the scientific and high-performance computing applications community. The general goal of this project is to achieve better understanding of the transition to Internet-based high-performance computing and to develop solutions for some of the technical challenges of this transition. In particular, we are interested in creating long-term motivation for end users to provide their idle processor time to support computationally intensive tasks. We believe that a practical P2P architecture should provide useful service to both clients with high-performance computing needs and contributors of lower-end computing resources. To achieve this, we are designing dual -service architecture for P2P high-performance divide-and conquer computing; we are also experimenting with a prototype implementation. Our proposed architecture incorporates a master server, utilizes dual satellite servers, and operates on the Internet in a dynamically changing large configuration of lower-end nodes provided by volunteer contributors. A dual satellite server comprises a high-performance computing engine and a lower-end contributor service engine. The computing engine provides generic support for divide and conquer computations. The service engine is intended to provide free useful HTTP-based services to contributors of lower-end computing resources. Our proposed architecture is complementary to and accessible from computational grids, such as Globus, Legion, and Condor. Grids provide remote access to existing higher-end computing resources; in contrast, our goal is to utilize idle processor time of lower-end Internet nodes. Our project is focused on a generic divide and conquer paradigm and on mobile applications of this paradigm that can operate on a loose and ever changing pool of lower-end Internet nodes.

User-level framework for performance monitoring of HPC applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hristova, R.; Goranov, G.

2013-10-01

HP-SEE is an infrastructure that links the existing HPC facilities in South East Europe in a common infrastructure. The analysis of the performance monitoring of the High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications in the infrastructure can be useful for the end user as diagnostic for the overall performance of his applications. The existing monitoring tools for HP-SEE provide to the end user only aggregated information for all applications. Usually, the user does not have permissions to select only the relevant information for him and for his applications. In this article we present a framework for performance monitoring of the HPC applications in the HP-SEE infrastructure. The framework provides standardized performance metrics, which every user can use in order to monitor his applications. Furthermore as a part of the framework a program interface is developed. The interface allows the user to publish metrics data from his application and to read and analyze gathered information. Publishing and reading through the framework is possible only with grid certificate valid for the infrastructure. Therefore the user is authorized to access only the data for his applications.

47 CFR 69.158 - Universal service end user charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges for Price Cap Local Exchange Carriers § 69.158 Universal... price cap baskets, and the charge to recover these contributions is not part of any other element...

GES DISC Data Recipes in Jupyter Notebooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, A.; Banavige, B.; Garimella, K.; Rice, J.; Shen, S.; Liu, Z.

2017-12-01

The Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project manages twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) which are geographically dispersed across the United States. The DAACs are responsible for ingesting, processing, archiving, and distributing Earth science data produced from various sources (satellites, aircraft, field measurements, etc.). In response to projections of an exponential increase in data production, there has been a recent effort to prototype various DAAC activities in the cloud computing environment. This, in turn, led to the creation of an initiative, called the Cloud Analysis Toolkit to Enable Earth Science (CATEES), to develop a Python software package in order to transition Earth science data processing to the cloud. This project, in particular, supports CATEES and has two primary goals. One, transition data recipes created by the Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Service Center (GES DISC) DAAC into an interactive and educational environment using Jupyter Notebooks. Two, acclimate Earth scientists to cloud computing. To accomplish these goals, we create Jupyter Notebooks to compartmentalize the different steps of data analysis and help users obtain and parse data from the command line. We also develop a Docker container, comprised of Jupyter Notebooks, Python library dependencies, and command line tools, and configure it into an easy to deploy package. The end result is an end-to-end product that simulates the use case of end users working in the cloud computing environment.

SE-FIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Yongkang; Weislogel, Mark; Schaeffer, Ben; Semerjian, Ben; Yang, Lihong; Zimmerli, Gregory

2012-01-01

The mathematical theory of capillary surfaces has developed steadily over the centuries, but it was not until the last few decades that new technologies have put a more urgent demand on a substantially more qualitative and quantitative understanding of phenomena relating to capillarity in general. So far, the new theory development successfully predicts the behavior of capillary surfaces for special cases. However, an efficient quantitative mathematical prediction of capillary phenomena related to the shape and stability of geometrically complex equilibrium capillary surfaces remains a significant challenge. As one of many numerical tools, the open-source Surface Evolver (SE) algorithm has played an important role over the last two decades. The current effort was undertaken to provide a front-end to enhance the accessibility of SE for the purposes of design and analysis. Like SE, the new code is open-source and will remain under development for the foreseeable future. The ultimate goal of the current Surface Evolver Fluid Interface Tool (SEFIT) development is to build a fully integrated front-end with a set of graphical user interface (GUI) elements. Such a front-end enables the access to functionalities that are developed along with the GUIs to deal with pre-processing, convergence computation operation, and post-processing. In other words, SE-FIT is not just a GUI front-end, but an integrated environment that can perform sophisticated computational tasks, e.g. importing industry standard file formats and employing parameter sweep functions, which are both lacking in SE, and require minimal interaction by the user. These functions are created using a mixture of Visual Basic and the SE script language. These form the foundation for a high-performance front-end that substantially simplifies use without sacrificing the proven capabilities of SE. The real power of SE-FIT lies in its automated pre-processing, pre-defined geometries, convergence computation operation, computational diagnostic tools, and crash-handling capabilities to sustain extensive computations. SE-FIT performance is enabled by its so-called file-layer mechanism. During the early stages of SE-FIT development, it became necessary to modify the original SE code to enable capabilities required for an enhanced and synchronized communication. To this end, a file-layer was created that serves as a command buffer to ensure a continuous and sequential execution of commands sent from the front-end to SE. It also establishes a proper means for handling crashes. The file layer logs input commands and SE output; it also supports user interruption requests, back and forward operation (i.e. undo and redo), and others. It especially enables the batch mode computation of a series of equilibrium surfaces and the searching of critical parameter values in studying the stability of capillary surfaces. In this way, the modified SE significantly extends the capabilities of the original SE.

I-deas TMG to NX Space Systems Thermal Model Conversion and Computational Performance Comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Somawardhana, Ruwan

2011-01-01

CAD/CAE packages change on a continuous basis as the power of the tools increase to meet demands. End -users must adapt to new products as they come to market and replace legacy packages. CAE modeling has continued to evolve and is constantly becoming more detailed and complex. Though this comes at the cost of increased computing requirements Parallel processing coupled with appropriate hardware can minimize computation time. Users of Maya Thermal Model Generator (TMG) are faced with transitioning from NX I -deas to NX Space Systems Thermal (SST). It is important to understand what differences there are when changing software packages We are looking for consistency in results.

Teaching Advance Care Planning to Medical Students with a Computer-Based Decision Aid

PubMed Central

Levi, Benjamin H.

2013-01-01

Discussing end-of-life decisions with cancer patients is a crucial skill for physicians. This article reports findings from a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of a computer-based decision aid for teaching medical students about advance care planning. Second-year medical students at a single medical school were randomized to use a standard advance directive or a computer-based decision aid to help patients with advance care planning. Students' knowledge, skills, and satisfaction were measured by self-report; their performance was rated by patients. 121/133 (91%) of students participated. The Decision-Aid Group (n=60) outperformed the Standard Group (n=61) in terms of students´ knowledge (p<0.01), confidence in helping patients with advance care planning (p<0.01), knowledge of what matters to patients (p=0.05), and satisfaction with their learning experience (p<0.01). Likewise, patients in the Decision Aid Group were more satisfied with the advance care planning method (p<0.01) and with several aspects of student performance. Use of a computer-based decision aid may be an effective way to teach medical students how to discuss advance care planning with cancer patients. PMID:20632222

A comparison of traditional textbook and interactive computer learning of neuromuscular block.

PubMed

Ohrn, M A; van Oostrom, J H; van Meurs, W L

1997-03-01

We designed an educational software package, RELAX, for teaching first-year anesthesiology residents about the pharmacology and clinical management of neuromuscular blockade. The software uses an interactive, problem-based approach and moves the user through cases in an operating room environment. It can be run on personal computers with Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) and combines video, graphics, and text with mouse-driven user input. We utilized test scores 1) to determine whether our software was beneficial to be the educational progress of anesthesiology residents and 2) to compare computer-based learning with textbook learning. Twenty-three residents were divided into two groups matched for age and sex, and a pretest was administered to all 23 residents. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the pretest scores of the two groups. Three weeks later, both groups were subjected to an educational intervention; one with our computer software and the other with selected textbooks. Both groups took a posttest immediately after the intervention. The test scores of the computer group improved significantly more (P < 0.05) than those of the textbook group. Although prior to the study the two groups showed no statistical difference in their familiarity with computers, the computer group reported much higher satisfaction with their learning experience than did the textbook group (P < 0.0001).

Evaluation of an Educational Computer Programme as a Change Agent in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muwanga-Zake, Johnnie Wycliffe Frank

2007-01-01

I report on benefits from 26 teacher-participant evaluators of a computer game designed to motivate learning and to ease conceptual understanding of biology in South Africa. Using a developmental, social constructivist and interpretative model, the recommendation is to include the value systems and needs of end-users (through social dialogue);…

15 CFR Supplement No. 4 to Part 748 - Authorities Administering Import Certificate/Delivery Verification (IC/DV) and End-User Statement...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 11011 Indian IC For the “organized” sector, except for computers and related equipment: Directorate... 110011 Indian IC For computers and related electronic items: Department of Electronics, Lok Nayak Bhawan... and Exports 5, Civic Center Islamabad IC Joint Science Advisor, Ministry of Science and Technology...

15 CFR Supplement No. 4 to Part 748 - Authorities Administering Import Certificate/Delivery Verification (IC/DV) and End-User Statement...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 11011 Indian IC For the “organized” sector, except for computers and related equipment: Directorate... 110011 Indian IC For computers and related electronic items: Department of Electronics, Lok Nayak Bhawan... and Exports 5, Civic Center Islamabad IC Joint Science Advisor, Ministry of Science and Technology...

15 CFR Supplement No. 4 to Part 748 - Authorities Administering Import Certificate/Delivery Verification (IC/DV) and End-User Statement...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 11011 Indian IC For the “organized” sector, except for computers and related equipment: Directorate... 110011 Indian IC For computers and related electronic items: Department of Electronics, Lok Nayak Bhawan... and Exports 5, Civic Center Islamabad IC Joint Science Advisor, Ministry of Science and Technology...

15 CFR Supplement No. 4 to Part 748 - Authorities Administering Import Certificate/Delivery Verification (IC/DV) and End-User Statement...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 11011 Indian IC For the “organized” sector, except for computers and related equipment: Directorate... 110011 Indian IC For computers and related electronic items: Department of Electronics, Lok Nayak Bhawan... Controller of Imports and Exports 5, Civic Center Islamabad IC Joint Science Advisor, Ministry of Science and...

15 CFR Supplement No. 4 to Part 748 - Authorities Administering Import Certificate/Delivery Verification (IC/DV) and End-User Statement...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 11011 Indian IC For the “organized” sector, except for computers and related equipment: Directorate... 110011 Indian IC For computers and related electronic items: Department of Electronics, Lok Nayak Bhawan... Controller of Imports and Exports 5, Civic Center Islamabad IC Joint Science Advisor, Ministry of Science and...

Mindmodeling@Home. . . and Anywhere Else You Have Idle Processors

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

the continuous growth rate of end-user processing capability around the world. The first volunteer computing project was SETI @Home. It was... SETI @Home remains the longest running and one of the most popular volunteer computing projects in the world. This actually is an impressive feat...volunteer computing projects available to those interested in donating their idle processor time to scientific pursuits. Most of them, including SETI

Nurses' Satisfaction With Using Nursing Information Systems From Technology Acceptance Model and Information Systems Success Model Perspectives: A Reductionist Approach.

PubMed

Lin, Hsien-Cheng

2017-02-01

Nursing information systems can enhance nursing practice and the efficiency and quality of administrative affairs within the nursing department and thus have been widely considered for implementation. Close alignment of human-computer interaction can advance optimal clinical performance with the use of information systems. However, a lack of introduction of the concept of alignment between users' perceptions and technological functionality has caused dissatisfaction, as shown in the existing literature. This study provides insight into the alignment between nurses' perceptions and how technological functionality affects their satisfaction with Nursing Information System use through a reductionist perspective of alignment. This cross-sectional study collected data from 531 registered nurses in Taiwan. The results indicated that "perceived usefulness in system quality alignment," "perceived usefulness in information quality alignment," "perceived ease of use in system quality alignment," "perceived ease of use in information quality alignment," and "perceived ease of use in service quality alignment" have significantly affected nurses' satisfaction with Nursing Information System use. However, "perceived usefulness in service quality alignment" had no significant effect on nurses' satisfaction. This study also provides some meaningful implications for theoretical and practical aspects of design.

Artificial Intelligence Applications to Testability.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

general software assistant; examining testability utilization of it should wait a few years until the software assistant is a well defined product ...ago. It provides a single host which satisfies the needs of developers, product developers, and end users . As shown in table 5.10-2, it also provides...follows a trend towards more user -oriented design approaches to interactive computer systems. The implicit goal in this trend is the

Microcomputer Program Design Considerations for the Novice User

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-01

relatively recent, widespread proliferation of microcomputers into both the home and work place has resulted in a shifting of computer operation and...design decisions be made with respect to both the requirements specifications and interface considerations. Since a project’s requirement...expertise, may be quite meaningless or confusing to the end user. It is therefore proposed that interface design decisions should be made under the assumption

User Satisfaction with Referrals at a Collaborative Virtual Reference Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Nahyun

2006-01-01

Introduction: This study investigated unmonitored referrals in a nationwide, collaborative chat reference service. Specifically, it examined the extent to which questions are referred, the types of questions that are more likely to be referred than others, and the level of user satisfaction with the referrals in the collaborative chat reference…

A Study of the College of Pharmacy Library Concerning Facilities, Services and User Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkin, Derral

This report examines the college of pharmacy library in relation to its historical development, present facilities, services, and user satisfaction, and makes a statistical comparison between the University of Houston College of Pharmacy Library and other accredited pharmacy libraries nationwide. Data were gathered through 28 completed library…

Can Money Buy Happiness? A Statistical Analysis of Predictors for User Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Ben; Perret, Robert

2011-01-01

2007 data from LibQUAL+[TM] and the ACRL Library Trends and Statistics database were analyzed to determine if there is a statistically significant correlation between library expenditures and usage statistics and library patron satisfaction across 73 universities. The results show that users of larger, better funded libraries have higher…

Web-based reactive transport modeling using PFLOTRAN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, H.; Karra, S.; Lichtner, P. C.; Versteeg, R.; Zhang, Y.

2017-12-01

Actionable understanding of system behavior in the subsurface is required for a wide spectrum of societal and engineering needs by both commercial firms and government entities and academia. These needs include, for example, water resource management, precision agriculture, contaminant remediation, unconventional energy production, CO2 sequestration monitoring, and climate studies. Such understanding requires the ability to numerically model various coupled processes that occur across different temporal and spatial scales as well as multiple physical domains (reservoirs - overburden, surface-subsurface, groundwater-surface water, saturated-unsaturated zone). Currently, this ability is typically met through an in-house approach where computational resources, model expertise, and data for model parameterization are brought together to meet modeling needs. However, such an approach has multiple drawbacks which limit the application of high-end reactive transport codes such as the Department of Energy funded[?] PFLOTRAN code. In addition, while many end users have a need for the capabilities provided by high-end reactive transport codes, they do not have the expertise - nor the time required to obtain the expertise - to effectively use these codes. We have developed and are actively enhancing a cloud-based software platform through which diverse users are able to easily configure, execute, visualize, share, and interpret PFLOTRAN models. This platform consists of a web application and available on-demand HPC computational infrastructure. The web application consists of (1) a browser-based graphical user interface which allows users to configure models and visualize results interactively, and (2) a central server with back-end relational databases which hold configuration, data, modeling results, and Python scripts for model configuration, and (3) a HPC environment for on-demand model execution. We will discuss lessons learned in the development of this platform, the rationale for different interfaces, implementation choices, as well as the planned path forward.

[User satisfaction and responsiveness in the healthcare services at Fundação Oswaldo Cruz].

PubMed

Hollanda, Eliane; de Siqueira, Sandra Aparecida Venâncio; de Andrade, Gabriela Rieveres Borges; Molinaro, Alex; Vaitsman, Jeni

2012-12-01

The paper discusses the results of research into user satisfaction in three healthcare facilities at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. The analysis is based on the concepts of user satisfaction and responsiveness. Perceptions and opinions of outpatients from Instituto de Pesquisa Evandro Chagas, Instituto Fernandes Figueira and Centro de Saúde Escola Germano Sinval Faria were investigated. Intention samples were drawn for each institution and a total of 1.339 valid questionnaires were obtained. The study found that patients are satisfied with healthcare at Fiocruz, especially with health professionals. Nevertheless, restroom hygiene and privacy during consultations were less well evaluated. The improvement of these aspects depends not only on financial and technological investments but on changes in organizational culture. The first part of the paper discusses the literature on user satisfaction and responsiveness, with the definition of the categories that guided the study. The methodology is then presented as well as the four health services dimensions assessed - dignity, agility, facilities and communication - and the results are analyzed.

Improving the Laboratory Experience for Introductory Geology Students Using Active Learning and Evidence-Based Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oien, R. P.; Anders, A. M.; Long, A.

2014-12-01

We present the initial results of transitioning laboratory activities in an introductory physical geology course from passive to active learning. Educational research demonstrates that student-driven investigations promote increased engagement and better retention of material. Surveys of students in introductory physical geology helped us identify lab activities which do not engage students. We designed new lab activities to be more collaborative, open-ended and "hands-on". Student feedback was most negative for lab activities which are computer-based. In response, we have removed computers from the lab space and increased the length and number of activities involving physical manipulation of samples and models. These changes required investment in lab equipment and supplies. New lab activities also include student-driven exploration of data with open-ended responses. Student-evaluations of the new lab activities will be compiled during Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 to allow us to measure the impact of the changes on student satisfaction and we will report on our findings to date. Modification of this course has been sponsored by NSF's Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidence Based Reforms (WIDER) program through grant #1347722 to the University of Illinois. The overall goal of the grant is to increase retention and satisfaction of STEM students in introductory courses.

Overall satisfaction of health care users with the quality of and access to health care services: a cross-sectional study in six Central and Eastern European countries.

PubMed

Stepurko, Tetiana; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2016-08-02

The measurement of consumer satisfaction is an essential part of the assessment of health care services in terms of service quality and health care system responsiveness. Studies across Europe have described various strategies health care users employ to secure services with good quality and quick access. In Central and Eastern European countries, such strategies also include informal payments to health care providers. This paper analyzes the satisfaction of health care users with the quality of and access to health care services. The study focuses on six Central and Eastern European countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine). We use data on past experience with health care use collected in 2010 through uniform national surveys in these countries. Based on these data, we carry out a multi-country analysis to investigate factors associated with the satisfaction of health care users in the six countries. The results indicate that about 10-14 % of the service users are not satisfied with the quality of, or access to health care services they used in the preceding year. However, significant differences across countries and services are observed, e.g. the highest level of dissatisfaction with access to outpatient services (16.4 %) is observed among patients in Lithuania, while in Poland, the level of dissatisfaction with quality of outpatient and inpatient services are much lower than dissatisfaction with access. The study also analyses the association of users' satisfaction with factors such as making informal payments, inability to pay and relative importance of service attributes stated by the service users. These multi-country findings provide evidence for health policy making in the Central and Eastern European countries. Although the average rates of satisfactions per country are relatively high, the results suggest that there is ample room for improvements. Specifically, many service-users still report dissatisfaction especially those who pay informally and those unable to pay. The high shares of informal payments and inability of users to deal with the health expenditures lead to doubts about the fairness of the health care provision in Central and Eastern Europe. There is an urgent need for policy makers in the region to not only acknowledge but also to effectively address this key problem.

Usability Laboratory Test of a Novel Mobile Homecare Application with Experienced Home Help Service Staff

PubMed Central

Scandurra, I; Hägglund, M; Koch, S; Lind, M

2008-01-01

Using participatory design, we developed and deployed a mobile Virtual Health Record (VHR) on a personal digital assistant (PDA) together with experienced homecare staff. To assess transferability to a second setting and usability when used by novice users with limited system education the application was tested in a usability lab. Eight participants from another homecare district performed tasks related to daily homecare work using the VHR. Test protocols were analyzed with regard to effectiveness, potential usability problems and user satisfaction. Usability problems having impact on system performance and contextual factors affecting system transferability were uncovered. Questionnaires revealed that the participants frequently used computers, but never PDAs. Surprisingly there were only minor differences in input efficiency between novice and experienced users. The participants were overall satisfied with the application. However, transfer to another district can not be performed, unless by means of careful field observations of contextual differences. PMID:19415140

Factors associated with family satisfaction with end-of-life care in the ICU: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hinkle, Laura J; Bosslet, Gabriel T; Torke, Alexia M

2015-01-01

Family satisfaction with end-of-life care in the ICU has not previously been systematically reviewed. Our objective was to perform a review, synthesizing published data identifying factors associated with family satisfaction with end-of-life care in critically ill adult populations. The following electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), MEDLINE Updated, EMBASE (Excerpta Medical Database), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), PsycInfo, and PubMed. Two authors reviewed retrieved titles and abstracts. Studies describing nonadult and non-ICU populations or not addressing end-of-life care, family satisfaction, or factors affecting satisfaction were excluded. The remaining articles underwent full review and data extraction by two authors. Quality was assessed using a checklist based on the recommendations of the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials group. The search yielded 1,072 articles, with 23 articles describing 14 studies meeting inclusion criteria. All studies obtained satisfaction data from family members via surveys and structured interviews. Specific communication strategies increasing satisfaction included: expressions of empathy, nonabandonment, and assurances of comfort and provision of written information. Additionally, support for shared decision-making, family presence at time of death, and specific patient-care measures such as extubation before death were associated with increased satisfaction. Good-quality communication, support for shared decision-making, and specific patient-care measures were associated with increased satisfaction with end-of-life care. Assessing the family's desire to participate in shared decision-making may also be an important factor. Few interventions increased satisfaction. Future research is needed to further define optimal communication strategies, understand effective integration of palliative care into the ICU, and define significant score changes in survey instruments.

Validation of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model.

PubMed

Ojo, Adebowale I

2017-01-01

This study is an adaptation of the widely used DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of hospital information systems in a developing country. A survey research design was adopted in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 442 health information management personnel in five Nigerian teaching hospitals. A structural equation modeling technique was used to validate the model's constructs. It was revealed that system quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Information quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.24, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Also, service quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). However, use did not significantly influence user satisfaction (β = 0.00, p > 0.05), but it significantly influenced perceived net benefits (β = 0.21, p < 0.001). Furthermore, user satisfaction did not significantly influence perceived net benefits (β = 0.00, p > 0.05). The study validates the DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of a hospital information system in a developing country. Importantly, system quality and use were found to be important measures of hospital information system success. It is, therefore, imperative that hospital information systems are designed in such ways that are easy to use, flexible, and functional to serve their purpose.

Validation of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Objectives This study is an adaptation of the widely used DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of hospital information systems in a developing country. Methods A survey research design was adopted in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 442 health information management personnel in five Nigerian teaching hospitals. A structural equation modeling technique was used to validate the model's constructs. Results It was revealed that system quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Information quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.24, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Also, service quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). However, use did not significantly influence user satisfaction (β = 0.00, p > 0.05), but it significantly influenced perceived net benefits (β = 0.21, p < 0.001). Furthermore, user satisfaction did not significantly influence perceived net benefits (β = 0.00, p > 0.05). Conclusions The study validates the DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of a hospital information system in a developing country. Importantly, system quality and use were found to be important measures of hospital information system success. It is, therefore, imperative that hospital information systems are designed in such ways that are easy to use, flexible, and functional to serve their purpose. PMID:28261532

Mobile user environment and satellite diversity for NGSO S-PCN's

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werner, Markus; Bischl, Hermann; Lutz, Erich

1995-01-01

The performance of satellite diversity under the influence of the mobile user environment is analyzed. To this end, a digital channel model is presented which takes into account the elevation angle as well as the user mobility in a given environment. For different LEO and MEO systems and for varying mobile user environments, some crucial benefits and drawbacks of satellite diversity are discussed. Specifically, the important GW service area concept is introduced. The conclusions are validated by numerical results from computer simulations. Globalstar (LEO) and Inmarsat (MEO) are compared in terms of visibility, service availability and equivalent handover complexity for different environments and user mobility.

Management and development of local area network upgrade prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fouser, T. J.

1981-01-01

Given the situation of having management and development users accessing a central computing facility and given the fact that these same users have the need for local computation and storage, the utilization of a commercially available networking system such as CP/NET from Digital Research provides the building blocks for communicating intelligent microsystems to file and print services. The major problems to be overcome in the implementation of such a network are the dearth of intelligent communication front-ends for the microcomputers and the lack of a rich set of management and software development tools.

OSG-GEM: Gene Expression Matrix Construction Using the Open Science Grid.

PubMed

Poehlman, William L; Rynge, Mats; Branton, Chris; Balamurugan, D; Feltus, Frank A

2016-01-01

High-throughput DNA sequencing technology has revolutionized the study of gene expression while introducing significant computational challenges for biologists. These computational challenges include access to sufficient computer hardware and functional data processing workflows. Both these challenges are addressed with our scalable, open-source Pegasus workflow for processing high-throughput DNA sequence datasets into a gene expression matrix (GEM) using computational resources available to U.S.-based researchers on the Open Science Grid (OSG). We describe the usage of the workflow (OSG-GEM), discuss workflow design, inspect performance data, and assess accuracy in mapping paired-end sequencing reads to a reference genome. A target OSG-GEM user is proficient with the Linux command line and possesses basic bioinformatics experience. The user may run this workflow directly on the OSG or adapt it to novel computing environments.

OSG-GEM: Gene Expression Matrix Construction Using the Open Science Grid

PubMed Central

Poehlman, William L.; Rynge, Mats; Branton, Chris; Balamurugan, D.; Feltus, Frank A.

2016-01-01

High-throughput DNA sequencing technology has revolutionized the study of gene expression while introducing significant computational challenges for biologists. These computational challenges include access to sufficient computer hardware and functional data processing workflows. Both these challenges are addressed with our scalable, open-source Pegasus workflow for processing high-throughput DNA sequence datasets into a gene expression matrix (GEM) using computational resources available to U.S.-based researchers on the Open Science Grid (OSG). We describe the usage of the workflow (OSG-GEM), discuss workflow design, inspect performance data, and assess accuracy in mapping paired-end sequencing reads to a reference genome. A target OSG-GEM user is proficient with the Linux command line and possesses basic bioinformatics experience. The user may run this workflow directly on the OSG or adapt it to novel computing environments. PMID:27499617

Effect of health system reforms in Turkey on user satisfaction

PubMed Central

Stokes, Jonathan; Gurol–Urganci, Ipek; Hone, Thomas; Atun, Rifat

2015-01-01

In 2003, the Turkish government introduced major health system changes, the Health Transformation Programme (HTP), to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). The HTP leveraged changes in all parts of the health system, organization, financing, resource management and service delivery, with a new family medicine model introducing primary care at the heart of the system. This article examines the effect of these health system changes on user satisfaction, a key goal of a responsive health system. Utilizing the results of a nationally representative yearly survey introduced at the baseline of the health system transformation, multivariate logistic regression analysis is used to examine the yearly effect on satisfaction with health services. During the 9–year period analyzed (2004–2012), there was a nearly 20% rise in reported health service use, coinciding with increased access, measured by insurance coverage. Controlling for factors known to contribute to user satisfaction in the literature, there is a significant (P < 0.001) increase in user satisfaction with health services in almost every year (bar 2006) from the baseline measure, with the odds of being satisfied with health services in 2012, 2.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.01–3.24) times that in 2004, having peaked at 3.58 (95% CI 2.82–4.55) times the baseline odds in 2011. Additionally, those who used public primary care services were slightly, but significantly (P < 0.05) more satisfied than those who used any other services, and increasingly patients are choosing primary care services rather than secondary care services as the provider of first contact. A number of quality indicators can probably help account for the increased satisfaction with public primary care services, and the increase in seeking first–contact with these providers. The implementation of primary care focused UHC as part of the HTP has improved user satisfaction in Turkey. PMID:26528391

Effect of health system reforms in Turkey on user satisfaction.

PubMed

Stokes, Jonathan; Gurol-Urganci, Ipek; Hone, Thomas; Atun, Rifat

2015-12-01

In 2003, the Turkish government introduced major health system changes, the Health Transformation Programme (HTP), to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). The HTP leveraged changes in all parts of the health system, organization, financing, resource management and service delivery, with a new family medicine model introducing primary care at the heart of the system. This article examines the effect of these health system changes on user satisfaction, a key goal of a responsive health system. Utilizing the results of a nationally representative yearly survey introduced at the baseline of the health system transformation, multivariate logistic regression analysis is used to examine the yearly effect on satisfaction with health services. During the 9-year period analyzed (2004-2012), there was a nearly 20% rise in reported health service use, coinciding with increased access, measured by insurance coverage. Controlling for factors known to contribute to user satisfaction in the literature, there is a significant (P < 0.001) increase in user satisfaction with health services in almost every year (bar 2006) from the baseline measure, with the odds of being satisfied with health services in 2012, 2.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.01-3.24) times that in 2004, having peaked at 3.58 (95% CI 2.82-4.55) times the baseline odds in 2011. Additionally, those who used public primary care services were slightly, but significantly (P < 0.05) more satisfied than those who used any other services, and increasingly patients are choosing primary care services rather than secondary care services as the provider of first contact. A number of quality indicators can probably help account for the increased satisfaction with public primary care services, and the increase in seeking first-contact with these providers. The implementation of primary care focused UHC as part of the HTP has improved user satisfaction in Turkey.

Technology-Based Interventions for Asthma-Can They Help Decrease Health Disparities?

PubMed

Baptist, Alan P; Islam, Nishat; Joseph, Christine L M

Asthma is a condition that has consistently demonstrated significant health outcome inequalities for minority populations. One approach used for care of patients with asthma is the incorporation of technology for behavioral modification, symptom monitoring, education, and/or treatment decision making. Whether such technological interventions can improve the care of black and inner-city patients is unknown. We reviewed all randomized controlled trial technological interventions from 2000 to 2015 performed in minority populations. A total of 16 articles met inclusion and exclusion criteria; all but 1 was performed in a childhood or adolescent age group. The interventions used MPEG audio layer-3 players, text messaging, computer/Web-based systems, video games, and interactive voice response. Many used tailored content and/or a specific behavior theory. Although the interventions were based on technology, most required additional special staffing. Subject user satisfaction was positive, and improvements were noted in asthma knowledge, medication adherence, asthma symptoms, and quality of life. Unfortunately, health care utilization (emergency department visits and/or hospitalizations) was typically not improved by the interventions. Although no single intervention modality was vastly superior, the computer-based interventions appeared to have the most positive results. In summary, technology-based interventions have a high level of user satisfaction among minority and urban/low-income individuals with asthma, and can improve asthma outcomes. Further large-scale studies are needed to assess whether such interventions can decrease health disparities in asthma. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Program Your Computer to Make Tough Decisions Easy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiGiammarino, Frank P.

1981-01-01

Describes the data management and analysis system of the Lexington (Massachusetts) Public Schools. Discusses the system's database, data dictionary, and end user language and gives examples of the system's use in answering questions about school closings. (RW)

Computer-implemented system and method for automated and highly accurate plaque analysis, reporting, and visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kemp, James Herbert (Inventor); Talukder, Ashit (Inventor); Lambert, James (Inventor); Lam, Raymond (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A computer-implemented system and method of intra-oral analysis for measuring plaque removal is disclosed. The system includes hardware for real-time image acquisition and software to store the acquired images on a patient-by-patient basis. The system implements algorithms to segment teeth of interest from surrounding gum, and uses a real-time image-based morphing procedure to automatically overlay a grid onto each segmented tooth. Pattern recognition methods are used to classify plaque from surrounding gum and enamel, while ignoring glare effects due to the reflection of camera light and ambient light from enamel regions. The system integrates these components into a single software suite with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to do an end-to-end run of a patient record, including tooth segmentation of all teeth, grid morphing of each segmented tooth, and plaque classification of each tooth image.

On-Line Method and Apparatus for Coordinated Mobility and Manipulation of Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, Homayoun (Inventor)

1996-01-01

A simple and computationally efficient approach is disclosed for on-line coordinated control of mobile robots consisting of a manipulator arm mounted on a mobile base. The effect of base mobility on the end-effector manipulability index is discussed. The base mobility and arm manipulation degrees-of-freedom are treated equally as the joints of a kinematically redundant composite robot. The redundancy introduced by the mobile base is exploited to satisfy a set of user-defined additional tasks during the end-effector motion. A simple on-line control scheme is proposed which allows the user to assign weighting factors to individual degrees-of-mobility and degrees-of-manipulation, as well as to each task specification. The computational efficiency of the control algorithm makes it particularly suitable for real-time implementations. Four case studies are discussed in detail to demonstrate the application of the coordinated control scheme to various mobile robots.

Development and implementation of an integrated, multi-modality, user-centered interactive dietary change program

PubMed Central

Glasgow, Russell E.; Christiansen, Steve; Smith, K. Sabina; Stevens, Victor J.; Toobert, Deborah J.

2009-01-01

Computer-tailored behavior change programs offer the potential for reaching large populations at a much lower cost than individual or group-based programs. However, few of these programs to date appear to integrate behavioral theory with user choice, or combine different electronic modalities. We describe the development of an integrated CD-ROM and interactive voice response dietary change intervention that combines behavioral problem-solving theory with a high degree of user choice. The program, WISE CHOICES, is being evaluated as part of an ongoing trial. This paper describes the program development, emphasizing how user preferences are accommodated, and presents implementation and user satisfaction data. The program was successfully implemented; the linkages among the central database, the CD-ROM and the automated telephone components were robust, and participants liked the program almost as well as a counselor-delivered dietary change condition. Multi-modality programs that emphasize the strengths of each approach appear to be feasible. Future research is needed to determine the program impact and cost-effectiveness compared with counselor-delivered intervention. PMID:18711204

A Web-Based Treatment Decision Support Tool for Patients With Advanced Knee Arthritis: Evaluation of User Interface and Content Design

PubMed Central

Zheng, Hua; Rosal, Milagros C; Li, Wenjun; Borg, Amy; Yang, Wenyun; Ayers, David C

2018-01-01

Background Data-driven surgical decisions will ensure proper use and timing of surgical care. We developed a Web-based patient-centered treatment decision and assessment tool to guide treatment decisions among patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis who are considering total knee replacement surgery. Objective The aim of this study was to examine user experience and acceptance of the Web-based treatment decision support tool among older adults. Methods User-centered formative and summative evaluations were conducted for the tool. A sample of 28 patients who were considering total knee replacement participated in the study. Participants’ responses to the user interface design, the clarity of information, as well as usefulness, satisfaction, and acceptance of the tool were collected through qualitative (ie, individual patient interviews) and quantitative (ie, standardized Computer System Usability Questionnaire) methods. Results Participants were older adults with a mean age of 63 (SD 11) years. Three-quarters of them had no technical questions using the tool. User interface design recommendations included larger fonts, bigger buttons, less colors, simpler navigation without extra “next page” click, less mouse movement, and clearer illustrations with simple graphs. Color-coded bar charts and outcome-specific graphs with positive action were easiest for them to understand the outcomes data. Questionnaire data revealed high satisfaction with the tool usefulness and interface quality, and also showed ease of use of the tool, regardless of age or educational status. Conclusions We evaluated the usability of a patient-centered decision support tool designed for advanced knee arthritis patients to facilitate their knee osteoarthritis treatment decision making. The lessons learned can inform other decision support tools to improve interface and content design for older patients’ use. PMID:29712620

Radiology scheduling: preferences of users of radiologic services and impact on referral base and extension.

PubMed

Mozumdar, Biswita C; Hornsby, Douglas Neal; Gogate, Adheet S; Intriere, Lisa A; Hanson, Richard; McGreal, Karen; Kelly, Pauline; Ros, Pablo

2003-08-01

To study end-user attitudes and preferences with respect to radiology scheduling systems and to assess implications for retention and extension of the referral base. A study of the institution's historical data indicated reduced satisfaction with the process of patient scheduling in recent years. Sixty physicians who referred patients to a single, large academic radiology department received the survey. The survey was designed to identify (A) the preferred vehicle for patient scheduling (on-line versus telephone scheduling) and (B) whether ease of scheduling was a factor in physicians referring patients to other providers. Referring physicians were asked to forward the survey to any appropriate office staff member in case the latter scheduled appointments for patients. Users were asked to provide comments and suggestions for improvement. The statistical method used was the analysis of proportions. Thirty-three responses were received, corresponding to a return rate of 55%. Twenty-six of the 33 respondents (78.8%, P < .01) stated they were willing to try an online scheduling system; 16 of which tried the system. Twelve of the 16 (75%, P < .05) preferred the on-line application to the telephone system, stating logistical simplification as the primary reason for preference. Three (18.75%) did not consider online scheduling to be more convenient than traditional telephone scheduling. One respondent did not indicate any preference. Eleven of 33 users (33.33%, P < .001) stated that they would change radiology service providers if expectations of scheduling ease are not met. On-line scheduling applications are becoming the preferred scheduling vehicle. Augmenting their capabilities and availability can simplify the scheduling process, improve referring physician satisfaction, and provide a competitive advantage. Referrers are willing to change providers if scheduling expectations are not met.

Big Data Smart Socket (BDSS): a system that abstracts data transfer habits from end users

PubMed Central

Watts, Nicholas A.

2017-01-01

Motivation: The ability to centralize and store data for long periods on an end user’s computational resources is increasingly difficult for many scientific disciplines. For example, genomics data is increasingly large and distributed, and the data needs to be moved into workflow execution sites ranging from lab workstations to the cloud. However, the typical user is not always informed on emerging network technology or the most efficient methods to move and share data. Thus, the user defaults to using inefficient methods for transfer across the commercial internet. Results: To accelerate large data transfer, we created a tool called the Big Data Smart Socket (BDSS) that abstracts data transfer methodology from the user. The user provides BDSS with a manifest of datasets stored in a remote storage repository. BDSS then queries a metadata repository for curated data transfer mechanisms and optimal path to move each of the files in the manifest to the site of workflow execution. BDSS functions as a standalone tool or can be directly integrated into a computational workflow such as provided by the Galaxy Project. To demonstrate applicability, we use BDSS within a biological context, although it is applicable to any scientific domain. Availability and Implementation: BDSS is available under version 2 of the GNU General Public License at https://github.com/feltus/BDSS. Contact: ffeltus@clemson.edu PMID:27797780

UTOPIA-User-Friendly Tools for Operating Informatics Applications.

PubMed

Pettifer, S R; Sinnott, J R; Attwood, T K

2004-01-01

Bioinformaticians routinely analyse vast amounts of information held both in large remote databases and in flat data files hosted on local machines. The contemporary toolkit available for this purpose consists of an ad hoc collection of data manipulation tools, scripting languages and visualization systems; these must often be combined in complex and bespoke ways, the result frequently being an unwieldy artefact capable of one specific task, which cannot easily be exploited or extended by other practitioners. Owing to the sizes of current databases and the scale of the analyses necessary, routine bioinformatics tasks are often automated, but many still require the unique experience and intuition of human researchers: this requires tools that support real-time interaction with complex datasets. Many existing tools have poor user interfaces and limited real-time performance when applied to realistically large datasets; much of the user's cognitive capacity is therefore focused on controlling the tool rather than on performing the research. The UTOPIA project is addressing some of these issues by building reusable software components that can be combined to make useful applications in the field of bioinformatics. Expertise in the fields of human computer interaction, high-performance rendering, and distributed systems is being guided by bioinformaticians and end-user biologists to create a toolkit that is both architecturally sound from a computing point of view, and directly addresses end-user and application-developer requirements.

Cloud-based Web Services for Near-Real-Time Web access to NPP Satellite Imagery and other Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, J. D.; Valente, E. G.

2010-12-01

We are building a scalable, cloud computing-based infrastructure for Web access to near-real-time data products synthesized from the U.S. National Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) and other geospatial and meteorological data. Given recent and ongoing changes in the the NPP and NPOESS programs (now Joint Polar Satellite System), the need for timely delivery of NPP data is urgent. We propose an alternative to a traditional, centralized ground segment, using distributed Direct Broadcast facilities linked to industry-standard Web services by a streamlined processing chain running in a scalable cloud computing environment. Our processing chain, currently implemented on Amazon.com's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), retrieves raw data from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and synthesizes data products such as Sea-Surface Temperature, Vegetation Indices, etc. The cloud computing approach lets us grow and shrink computing resources to meet large and rapid fluctuations (twice daily) in both end-user demand and data availability from polar-orbiting sensors. Early prototypes have delivered various data products to end-users with latencies between 6 and 32 minutes. We have begun to replicate machine instances in the cloud, so as to reduce latency and maintain near-real time data access regardless of increased data input rates or user demand -- all at quite moderate monthly costs. Our service-based approach (in which users invoke software processes on a Web-accessible server) facilitates access into datasets of arbitrary size and resolution, and allows users to request and receive tailored and composite (e.g., false-color multiband) products on demand. To facilitate broad impact and adoption of our technology, we have emphasized open, industry-standard software interfaces and open source software. Through our work, we envision the widespread establishment of similar, derived, or interoperable systems for processing and serving near-real-time data from NPP and other sensors. A scalable architecture based on cloud computing ensures cost-effective, real-time processing and delivery of NPP and other data. Access via standard Web services maximizes its interoperability and usefulness.

Problems with measuring satisfaction with social care.

PubMed

Willis, Rosalind; Evandrou, Maria; Pathak, Pathik; Khambhaita, Priya

2016-09-01

The measurement of customer satisfaction has become widespread in both healthcare and social care services, and is informative for performance monitoring and service development. Satisfaction with social care services is routinely measured with a single question on overall satisfaction with care, comprising part of the Adult Social Care Survey. The measurement of satisfaction has been problematised, and existing satisfaction measures are known to be under-theorised. In this article, the process of making an evaluation of satisfaction with social care services is first informed by a literature review of the theoretical background, and second examined through qualitative interviews conducted in 2012-2013 with 82 service users and family carers in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton. Participants in this study were from white British and South Asian backgrounds, and the influence of ethnicity in the process of satisfaction evaluation is discussed. The findings show that the majority of participants selected a positive satisfaction rating even though both positive and negative experiences with services were described in their narratives. It is recommended that surveys provide opportunity for service users and family carers to elaborate on their satisfaction ratings. This addition will provide more scope for services to review their strengths and weaknesses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics.

PubMed

Georgsson, Mattias; Staggers, Nancy

2016-01-01

Mobile health (mHealth) systems are becoming more common for chronic disease management, but usability studies are still needed on patients' perspectives and mHealth interaction performance. This deficiency is addressed by our quantitative usability study of a mHealth diabetes system evaluating patients' task performance, satisfaction, and the relationship of these measures to user characteristics. We used metrics in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 standard. After standardized training, 10 patients performed representative tasks and were assessed on individual task success, errors, efficiency (time on task), satisfaction (System Usability Scale [SUS]) and user characteristics. Tasks of exporting and correcting values proved the most difficult, had the most errors, the lowest task success rates, and consumed the longest times on task. The average SUS satisfaction score was 80.5, indicating good but not excellent system usability. Data trends showed males were more successful in task completion, and younger participants had higher performance scores. Educational level did not influence performance, but a more recent diabetes diagnosis did. Patients with more experience in information technology (IT) also had higher performance rates. Difficult task performance indicated areas for redesign. Our methods can assist others in identifying areas in need of improvement. Data about user background and IT skills also showed how user characteristics influence performance and can provide future considerations for targeted mHealth designs. Using the ISO 9241-11 usability standard, the SUS instrument for satisfaction and measuring user characteristics provided objective measures of patients' experienced usability. These could serve as an exemplar for standardized, quantitative methods for usability studies on mHealth systems. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

To Compare PubMed Clinical Queries and UpToDate in Teaching Information Mastery to Clinical Residents: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Sayyah Ensan, Ladan; Faghankhani, Masoomeh; Javanbakht, Anna; Ahmadi, Seyed-Foad; Baradaran, Hamid Reza

2011-01-01

Purpose To compare PubMed Clinical Queries and UpToDate regarding the amount and speed of information retrieval and users' satisfaction. Method A cross-over randomized trial was conducted in February 2009 in Tehran University of Medical Sciences that included 44 year-one or two residents who participated in an information mastery workshop. A one-hour lecture on the principles of information mastery was organized followed by self learning slide shows before using each database. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to answer 2 clinical scenarios using either UpToDate or PubMed Clinical Queries then crossed to use the other database to answer 2 different clinical scenarios. The proportion of relevantly answered clinical scenarios, time to answer retrieval, and users' satisfaction were measured in each database. Results Based on intention-to-treat analysis, participants retrieved the answer of 67 (76%) questions using UpToDate and 38 (43%) questions using PubMed Clinical Queries (P<0.001). The median time to answer retrieval was 17 min (95% CI: 16 to 18) using UpToDate compared to 29 min (95% CI: 26 to 32) using PubMed Clinical Queries (P<0.001). The satisfaction with the accuracy of retrieved answers, interaction with UpToDate and also overall satisfaction were higher among UpToDate users compared to PubMed Clinical Queries users (P<0.001). Conclusions For first time users, using UpToDate compared to Pubmed Clinical Querries can lead to not only a higher proportion of relevant answer retrieval within a shorter time, but also a higher users' satisfaction. So, addition of tutoring pre-appraised sources such as UpToDate to the information mastery curricula seems to be highly efficient. PMID:21858142

To compare PubMed Clinical Queries and UpToDate in teaching information mastery to clinical residents: a crossover randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Sayyah Ensan, Ladan; Faghankhani, Masoomeh; Javanbakht, Anna; Ahmadi, Seyed-Foad; Baradaran, Hamid Reza

2011-01-01

To compare PubMed Clinical Queries and UpToDate regarding the amount and speed of information retrieval and users' satisfaction. A cross-over randomized trial was conducted in February 2009 in Tehran University of Medical Sciences that included 44 year-one or two residents who participated in an information mastery workshop. A one-hour lecture on the principles of information mastery was organized followed by self learning slide shows before using each database. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to answer 2 clinical scenarios using either UpToDate or PubMed Clinical Queries then crossed to use the other database to answer 2 different clinical scenarios. The proportion of relevantly answered clinical scenarios, time to answer retrieval, and users' satisfaction were measured in each database. Based on intention-to-treat analysis, participants retrieved the answer of 67 (76%) questions using UpToDate and 38 (43%) questions using PubMed Clinical Queries (P<0.001). The median time to answer retrieval was 17 min (95% CI: 16 to 18) using UpToDate compared to 29 min (95% CI: 26 to 32) using PubMed Clinical Queries (P<0.001). The satisfaction with the accuracy of retrieved answers, interaction with UpToDate and also overall satisfaction were higher among UpToDate users compared to PubMed Clinical Queries users (P<0.001). For first time users, using UpToDate compared to Pubmed Clinical Queries can lead to not only a higher proportion of relevant answer retrieval within a shorter time, but also a higher users' satisfaction. So, addition of tutoring pre-appraised sources such as UpToDate to the information mastery curricula seems to be highly efficient.

Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics

PubMed Central

Staggers, Nancy

2016-01-01

Objective Mobile health (mHealth) systems are becoming more common for chronic disease management, but usability studies are still needed on patients’ perspectives and mHealth interaction performance. This deficiency is addressed by our quantitative usability study of a mHealth diabetes system evaluating patients’ task performance, satisfaction, and the relationship of these measures to user characteristics. Materials and Methods We used metrics in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 standard. After standardized training, 10 patients performed representative tasks and were assessed on individual task success, errors, efficiency (time on task), satisfaction (System Usability Scale [SUS]) and user characteristics. Results Tasks of exporting and correcting values proved the most difficult, had the most errors, the lowest task success rates, and consumed the longest times on task. The average SUS satisfaction score was 80.5, indicating good but not excellent system usability. Data trends showed males were more successful in task completion, and younger participants had higher performance scores. Educational level did not influence performance, but a more recent diabetes diagnosis did. Patients with more experience in information technology (IT) also had higher performance rates. Discussion Difficult task performance indicated areas for redesign. Our methods can assist others in identifying areas in need of improvement. Data about user background and IT skills also showed how user characteristics influence performance and can provide future considerations for targeted mHealth designs. Conclusion Using the ISO 9241-11 usability standard, the SUS instrument for satisfaction and measuring user characteristics provided objective measures of patients’ experienced usability. These could serve as an exemplar for standardized, quantitative methods for usability studies on mHealth systems. PMID:26377990

Factors affecting satisfaction with cancer information provided through the social networking services of the National Cancer Information Center in Korea.

PubMed

Kye, Su Yeon; Lee, Min Hee; Yoo, Jisu; Oh, Kyung Hee; Jun, Jae Kwan

2017-01-01

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of social networking service (SNS) users and to assess the relationship of those factors to user satisfaction with the SNSs of the National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) in South Korea. A Web-based survey was completed by 1,670 users of the NCIC SNSs, who provided data on the sources they consulted for information about cancer, determinants of SNS use, sources of NCIC SNS awareness, the time of day they used the SNS, and their satisfaction level. Facebook users mainly became aware of the NCIC SNSs through an acquaintance's recommendation, while Twitter was accessed through other SNSs or blogs. Users in their 30s were less satisfied with the NCIC SNSs than those in their teens and 20s. Browsing for cancer-related information on the Internet, prioritizing information quality, and engaging in active use were related to a high level of satisfaction with the NCIC SNSs. Individuals who were exposed to the NCIC SNSs through other SNSs or printed materials were less satisfied with their experience of the NCIC SNSs than those who received a recommendation from an acquaintance. These findings may act as a catalyst to guide public health agencies to enhance their use of SNSs.

Flexible and static wrist units in upper limb prosthesis users: functionality scores, user satisfaction and compensatory movements.

PubMed

Deijs, M; Bongers, R M; Ringeling-van Leusen, N D M; van der Sluis, C K

2016-03-15

The current study examines the relevance of prosthetic wrist movement to facilitate activities of daily living or to prevent overuse complaints. Prosthesis hands with wrist flexion/extension capabilities are commercially available, but research on the users' experiences with flexible wrists is limited. In this study, eight transradial amputees using a myoelectric prosthesis tested two prosthesis wrists with flexion/extension capabilities, the Flex-wrist (Otto Bock) and Multi-flex wrist (Motion Control), in their flexible and static conditions. Differences between the wrists were assessed on the levels of functionality, user satisfaction and compensatory movements after two weeks use. No significant differences between flexible and static wrist conditions were found on activity performance tests and standardized questionnaires on satisfaction. Inter-individual variation was remarkably large. Participants' satisfaction tended to be in favour of flexible wrists. All participants but one indicated that they would choose a prosthesis hand with wrist flexion/extension capabilities if allowed a new prosthesis. Shoulder joint angles, reflecting compensatory movements, showed no clear differences between wrist conditions. Overall, positive effects of flexible wrists are hard to objectify. Users seem to be more satisfied with flexible wrists. A person's needs, work and prosthesis skills should be taken into account when prescribing a prosthesis wrist. Nederlands Trial Register NTR3984 .

Assessment of Users Information Needs and Satisfaction in Selected Seminary Libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adekunjo, Olalekan Abraham; Adepoju, Samuel Olusegun; Adeola, Anuoluwapo Odebunmi

2015-01-01

The study assessed users' information needs and satisfaction in selected seminary libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria. This paper employed the descriptive survey research design, whereby the expost-facto was employed with a sample size of three hundred (300) participants, selected from six seminaries located in Ibadan, Oyo and Ogbomoso, all in Oyo…

Benefit Analysis of Proposed Information Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

be evaluated in such an analysis. Different benefit comparison and user satisfaction methods are reviewed for their particular advantages and...Different benefit comparison and user satisfaction methods are reviewed for their particular advantages and disadvantages. A discussion is given on...determine the alternative that is the most advantageous to the government. Secondly, which benefit analysis methods are capable of calculating a

Context Aware Systems, Methods and Trends in Smart Home Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robles, Rosslin John; Kim, Tai-Hoon

Context aware applications respond and adapt to changes in the computing environment. It is the concept of leveraging information about the end user to improve the quality of the interaction. New technologies in context-enriched services will use location, presence, social attributes, and other environmental information to anticipate an end user's immediate needs, offering more-sophisticated, situation-aware and usable functions. Smart homes connect all the devices and appliances in your home so they can communicate with each other and with you. Context-awareness can be applied to Smart Home technology. In this paper, we discuss the context-aware tools for development of Smart Home Systems.

An intelligent and secure system for predicting and preventing Zika virus outbreak using Fog computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sareen, Sanjay; Gupta, Sunil Kumar; Sood, Sandeep K.

2017-10-01

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease that spreads very quickly in different parts of the world. In this article, we proposed a system to prevent and control the spread of Zika virus disease using integration of Fog computing, cloud computing, mobile phones and the Internet of things (IoT)-based sensor devices. Fog computing is used as an intermediary layer between the cloud and end users to reduce the latency time and extra communication cost that is usually found high in cloud-based systems. A fuzzy k-nearest neighbour is used to diagnose the possibly infected users, and Google map web service is used to provide the geographic positioning system (GPS)-based risk assessment to prevent the outbreak. It is used to represent each Zika virus (ZikaV)-infected user, mosquito-dense sites and breeding sites on the Google map that help the government healthcare authorities to control such risk-prone areas effectively and efficiently. The proposed system is deployed on Amazon EC2 cloud to evaluate its performance and accuracy using data set for 2 million users. Our system provides high accuracy of 94.5% for initial diagnosis of different users according to their symptoms and appropriate GPS-based risk assessment.

Are Facebook user ratings associated with hospital cost, quality and patient satisfaction? A cross-sectional analysis of hospitals in New York State.

PubMed

Campbell, Lauren; Li, Yue

2018-02-01

Hospital care costs are high while quality varies across hospitals. Patient satisfaction may be associated with better clinical quality, and social media ratings may offer another opportunity to measure patient satisfaction with care. To test if Facebook user ratings of hospitals are associated with existing measures of patient satisfaction, cost and quality. Data were obtained from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare, the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System impact files and the Area Health Resource File for 2015. Information from hospitals' Facebook pages was collected in July 2016. Multivariate linear regression was used to test if there is an association between Facebook user ratings (star rating and adjusted number of 'likes') and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction measures, the 30-day all-cause readmission rate, and the Medicare spending per beneficiary (MSPB) ratio. One hundred and thirty-six acute care hospitals in New York State in 2015. An increase in the Facebook star rating is associated with significant increases in 21/23 HCAHPS measures (p≤0.003). An increase in the adjusted number of 'likes' is associated with very small increases in 3/23 HCAHPS measures (p<0.05). Facebook user ratings are not associated with the 30-day all-cause readmission rate or the Medicare spending per beneficiary ratio. Results demonstrate an association between HCAHPS patient satisfaction measures and Facebook star ratings. Adjusted number of 'likes' may not be a useful measure of patient satisfaction. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Concept for the One Degree Imager (ODI) Data Reduction Pipeline and Archiving System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knezek, Patricia; Stobie, B.; Michael, S.; Valdes, F.; Marru, S.; Henschel, R.; Pierce, M.

2010-05-01

The One Degree Imager (ODI), currently being built by the WIYN Observatory, will provide tremendous possibilities for conducting diverse scientific programs. ODI will be a complex instrument, using non-conventional Orthogonal Transfer Array (OTA) detectors. Due to its large field of view, small pixel size, use of OTA technology, and expected frequent use, ODI will produce vast amounts of astronomical data. If ODI is to achieve its full potential, a data reduction pipeline must be developed. Long-term archiving must also be incorporated into the pipeline system to ensure the continued value of ODI data. This paper presents a concept for an ODI data reduction pipeline and archiving system. To limit costs and development time, our plan leverages existing software and hardware, including existing pipeline software, Science Gateways, Computational Grid & Cloud Technology, Indiana University's Data Capacitor and Massive Data Storage System, and TeraGrid compute resources. Existing pipeline software will be augmented to add functionality required to meet challenges specific to ODI, enhance end-user control, and enable the execution of the pipeline on grid resources including national grid resources such as the TeraGrid and Open Science Grid. The planned system offers consistent standard reductions and end-user flexibility when working with images beyond the initial instrument signature removal. It also gives end-users access to computational and storage resources far beyond what are typically available at most institutions. Overall, the proposed system provides a wide array of software tools and the necessary hardware resources to use them effectively.

Bigdata Driven Cloud Security: A Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, K.; Hanifa, Sabibullah Mohamed

2017-08-01

Cloud Computing (CC) is a fast-growing technology to perform massive-scale and complex computing. It eliminates the need to maintain expensive computing hardware, dedicated space, and software. Recently, it has been observed that massive growth in the scale of data or big data generated through cloud computing. CC consists of a front-end, includes the users’ computers and software required to access the cloud network, and back-end consists of various computers, servers and database systems that create the cloud. In SaaS (Software as-a-Service - end users to utilize outsourced software), PaaS (Platform as-a-Service-platform is provided) and IaaS (Infrastructure as-a-Service-physical environment is outsourced), and DaaS (Database as-a-Service-data can be housed within a cloud), where leading / traditional cloud ecosystem delivers the cloud services become a powerful and popular architecture. Many challenges and issues are in security or threats, most vital barrier for cloud computing environment. The main barrier to the adoption of CC in health care relates to Data security. When placing and transmitting data using public networks, cyber attacks in any form are anticipated in CC. Hence, cloud service users need to understand the risk of data breaches and adoption of service delivery model during deployment. This survey deeply covers the CC security issues (covering Data Security in Health care) so as to researchers can develop the robust security application models using Big Data (BD) on CC (can be created / deployed easily). Since, BD evaluation is driven by fast-growing cloud-based applications developed using virtualized technologies. In this purview, MapReduce [12] is a good example of big data processing in a cloud environment, and a model for Cloud providers.

The missing graphical user interface for genomics.

PubMed

Schatz, Michael C

2010-01-01

The Galaxy package empowers regular users to perform rich DNA sequence analysis through a much-needed and user-friendly graphical web interface. See research article http://genomebiology.com/2010/11/8/R86 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: With the advent of affordable and high-throughput DNA sequencing, sequencing is becoming an essential component in nearly every genetics lab. These data are being generated to probe sequence variations, to understand transcribed, regulated or methylated DNA elements, and to explore a host of other biological features across the tree of life and across a range of environments and conditions. Given this deluge of data, novices and experts alike are facing the daunting challenge of trying to analyze the raw sequence data computationally. With so many tools available and so many assays to analyze, how can one be expected to stay current with the state of the art? How can one be expected to learn to use each tool and construct robust end-to-end analysis pipelines, all while ensuring that input formats, command-line options, sequence databases and program libraries are set correctly? Finally, once the analysis is complete, how does one ensure the results are reproducible and transparent for others to scrutinize and study?In an article published in Genome Biology, Jeremy Goecks, Anton Nekrutenko, James Taylor and the rest of the Galaxy Team (Goecks et al. 1) make a great advance towards resolving these critical questions with the latest update to their Galaxy Project. The ambitious goal of Galaxy is to empower regular users to carry out their own computational analysis without having to be an expert in computational biology or computer science. Galaxy adds a desperately needed graphical user interface to genomics research, making data analysis universally accessible in a web browser, and freeing users from the minutiae of archaic command-line parameters, data formats and scripting languages. Data inputs and computational steps are selected from dynamic graphical menus, and the results are displayed in intuitive plots and summaries that encourage interactive workflows and the exploration of hypotheses. The underlying data analysis tools can be almost any piece of software, written in any language, but all their complexity is neatly hidden inside of Galaxy, allowing users to focus on scientific rather than technical questions.

Virtual pools for interactive analysis and software development through an integrated Cloud environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grandi, C.; Italiano, A.; Salomoni, D.; Calabrese Melcarne, A. K.

2011-12-01

WNoDeS, an acronym for Worker Nodes on Demand Service, is software developed at CNAF-Tier1, the National Computing Centre of the Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) located in Bologna. WNoDeS provides on demand, integrated access to both Grid and Cloud resources through virtualization technologies. Besides the traditional use of computing resources in batch mode, users need to have interactive and local access to a number of systems. WNoDeS can dynamically select these computers instantiating Virtual Machines, according to the requirements (computing, storage and network resources) of users through either the Open Cloud Computing Interface API, or through a web console. An interactive use is usually limited to activities in user space, i.e. where the machine configuration is not modified. In some other instances the activity concerns development and testing of services and thus implies the modification of the system configuration (and, therefore, root-access to the resource). The former use case is a simple extension of the WNoDeS approach, where the resource is provided in interactive mode. The latter implies saving the virtual image at the end of each user session so that it can be presented to the user at subsequent requests. This work describes how the LHC experiments at INFN-Bologna are testing and making use of these dynamically created ad-hoc machines via WNoDeS to support flexible, interactive analysis and software development at the INFN Tier-1 Computing Centre.

Autonomous Robot Control via Autonomy Levels (ARCAL)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-21

same simulated objects. VRF includes a detailed graphical user interface (GUI) front end that subscribes to objects over HLA and renders them, along...forces.html 8. Gao, H., LI, Z., and Zhao, X., "The User -defined and Func- tion-strengthened for CGF of VR -Forces [J]." Computer Simulation, vol. 6...info Scout vehicle commands Scout vehicle Sensor measurements Mission vehicle Mission goals Operator interface Scout belief update Logistics

Autonomous Robot Control via Autonomy Levels (ARCAL)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-25

simulated objects. VRF includes a detailed graphical user interface (GUI) front end that subscribes to objects over HLA and renders them, along...forces.html 8. Gao, H., LI, Z., and Zhao, X., "The User -defined and Func- tion-strengthened for CGF of VR -Forces [J]." Computer Simulation, vol. 6, 2007...info Scout vehicle commands Scout vehicle Sensor measurements Mission vehicle Mission goals Operator interface Scout belief update Logistics executive

Hearing Health Care: perception of the users of a public service.

PubMed

Jardim, Débora Soares; Maciel, Fernanda Jorge; Piastrelli, Marina Teixeira; Lemos, Stela Maris Aguiar

2017-03-30

Evaluate hearing health service under the users' perspective according to the aspects: access, care, communication, and professional competence, and its correlation with clinical, sociodemographic and assistance characteristics. This is an observational analytic cross-sectional study with a probability sample stratified by gender and age. The Hearing Health Care Assessment questionnaire and the Brazilian Economic Classification Criterion questionnaire were used. In total, 214 users were interviewed, which were assisted from May 2009 to May 2013. It was observed that most of the evaluated users are female, elderly, literate, presenting moderate degree of hearing impairment, who had access to transportation out-of-pocket, was submitted to ENT evaluation for diagnosis and sought the service to purchase a hearing aid, besides belonging to class C. Regarding user satisfaction, most were satisfied with access, hearing evaluation, personalized service, benefit for the family, communication and information, and professional competence. In the analysis of correlation between the scores, it was found that when users are satisfied with access, as well as with communication and information, the total score increases with moderate correlation coefficient. The users showed greater satisfaction with the professional competence domain and lower satisfaction with the benefit for the family. In addition, assessment proved that access and communication are considered important quality indicators for the hearing health service according to users.

Affect-Aware Adaptive Tutoring Based on Human-Automation Etiquette Strategies.

PubMed

Yang, Euijung; Dorneich, Michael C

2018-06-01

We investigated adapting the interaction style of intelligent tutoring system (ITS) feedback based on human-automation etiquette strategies. Most ITSs adapt the content difficulty level, adapt the feedback timing, or provide extra content when they detect cognitive or affective decrements. Our previous work demonstrated that changing the interaction style via different feedback etiquette strategies has differential effects on students' motivation, confidence, satisfaction, and performance. The best etiquette strategy was also determined by user frustration. Based on these findings, a rule set was developed that systemically selected the proper etiquette strategy to address one of four learning factors (motivation, confidence, satisfaction, and performance) under two different levels of user frustration. We explored whether etiquette strategy selection based on this rule set (systematic) or random changes in etiquette strategy for a given level of frustration affected the four learning factors. Participants solved mathematics problems under different frustration conditions with feedback that adapted dynamic changes in etiquette strategies either systematically or randomly. The results demonstrated that feedback with etiquette strategies chosen systematically via the rule set could selectively target and improve motivation, confidence, satisfaction, and performance more than changing etiquette strategies randomly. The systematic adaptation was effective no matter the level of frustration for the participant. If computer tutors can vary the interaction style to effectively mitigate negative emotions, then ITS designers would have one more mechanism in which to design affect-aware adaptations that provide the proper responses in situations where human emotions affect the ability to learn.

Geospatial-enabled Data Exploration and Computation through Data Infrastructure Building Blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, C. X.; Biehl, L. L.; Merwade, V.; Villoria, N.

2015-12-01

Geospatial data are present everywhere today with the proliferation of location-aware computing devices and sensors. This is especially true in the scientific community where large amounts of data are driving research and education activities in many domains. Collaboration over geospatial data, for example, in modeling, data analysis and visualization, must still overcome the barriers of specialized software and expertise among other challenges. The GABBs project aims at enabling broader access to geospatial data exploration and computation by developing spatial data infrastructure building blocks that leverage capabilities of end-to-end application service and virtualized computing framework in HUBzero. Funded by NSF Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBS) initiative, GABBs provides a geospatial data architecture that integrates spatial data management, mapping and visualization and will make it available as open source. The outcome of the project will enable users to rapidly create tools and share geospatial data and tools on the web for interactive exploration of data without requiring significant software development skills, GIS expertise or IT administrative privileges. This presentation will describe the development of geospatial data infrastructure building blocks and the scientific use cases that help drive the software development, as well as seek feedback from the user communities.

Examining the motivators of training transfer in an enterprise systems context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arasanmi, Chris Niyi; Wang, William Yu Chung; Singh, Harminder

2017-09-01

Enterprise systems (ES) are large software packages that have been widely adopted, but are complex to deploy. One way to obtain more value from them is to train end-users. However, little is known about the effectiveness of ES training. This study examines post-training behaviour in the ES environment through the concept of training transfer and the theoretical framework of self-determination theory. It proposes that end-users' computer self-efficacy (CSE) and mastery orientation (MO), as well as the perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) of a system, influence their motivation to transfer the skills they have gained during training to their work environment and to use the system. Data was collected from 170 ES end-users, who had previously attended ES training, through a survey. Partial least squares modelling was used to analyse the data, and all of the hypotheses were supported. This study is among the first few studies that investigate the more distal impact of information systems training.

76 FR 7213 - ACRAnet, Inc.; SettlementOne Credit Corporation, and Sackett National Holdings, Inc.; Fajilan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-09

... allege that hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in the computer networks of multiple end user clients, putting all consumer reports in those networks at risk. In multiple breaches, hackers accessed...

Association between family satisfaction and caregiver burden in cancer patients receiving outreach palliative care at home.

PubMed

Naoki, Yoko; Matsuda, Yoshinobu; Maeda, Isseki; Kamino, Hideka; Kozaki, Yoko; Tokoro, Akihiro; Maki, Norimasa; Takada, Minoru

2018-06-01

ABSTRACTObjective:Little is known about the associations between family satisfaction with end-of-life care and caregiver burden. We conducted a researcher-assisted questionnaire survey to clarify the impact of caregiver burden on family satisfaction and to determine the types of burden that decrease family satisfaction. Bereaved family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer who received our outreach palliative care service were retrospectively identified. Family satisfaction with the end-of-life care provided by the palliative care service and caregiver burden were quantified using the Japanese versions of the FAMCARE Scale and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), respectively. Our study subjects included 23 family caregivers. The mean scores on the FAMCARE Scale and the ZBI for the total population were 72.8 ± 11.2 and 22.8 ± 17.3, respectively, indicating moderate-to-high satisfaction and low-to-moderate burden. Caregiver burden had a strong negative correlation to family satisfaction with end-of-life care (Spearman's rho [ρ] = -0.560, p = 0.005), which remained after adjustment for potential confounders (standardized beta [β] = -0.563, p = 0.01). Several burden items-including loss of control, personal time, social engagement with others, feeling angry with the patient, feeling that the patient wants more help than he/she needs, and a wish to leave the care to someone else-were associated with decreased satisfaction. The major cause of dissatisfaction for family members included the information provided regarding prognosis, family conferences with medical professionals, and the method of involvement of family members in care decisions. Caregiver burden can be a barrier to family satisfaction with end-of-life care at home. A home care model focused on caregiver burden could improve end-of-life experiences for patients and family caregivers.

Robot services for elderly with cognitive impairment: testing usability of graphical user interfaces.

PubMed

Granata, C; Pino, M; Legouverneur, G; Vidal, J-S; Bidaud, P; Rigaud, A-S

2013-01-01

Socially assistive robotics for elderly care is a growing field. However, although robotics has the potential to support elderly in daily tasks by offering specific services, the development of usable interfaces is still a challenge. Since several factors such as age or disease-related changes in perceptual or cognitive abilities and familiarity with computer technologies influence technology use they must be considered when designing interfaces for these users. This paper presents findings from usability testing of two different services provided by a social assistive robot intended for elderly with cognitive impairment: a grocery shopping list and an agenda application. The main goal of this study is to identify the usability problems of the robot interface for target end-users as well as to isolate the human factors that affect the use of the technology by elderly. Socio-demographic characteristics and computer experience were examined as factors that could have an influence on task performance. A group of 11 elderly persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment and a group of 11 cognitively healthy elderly individuals took part in this study. Performance measures (task completion time and number of errors) were collected. Cognitive profile, age and computer experience were found to impact task performance. Participants with cognitive impairment achieved the tasks committing more errors than cognitively healthy elderly. Instead younger participants and those with previous computer experience were faster at completing the tasks confirming previous findings in the literature. The overall results suggested that interfaces and contents of the services assessed were usable by older adults with cognitive impairment. However, some usability problems were identified and should be addressed to better meet the needs and capacities of target end-users.

The DYNES Instrument: A Description and Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurawski, Jason; Ball, Robert; Barczyk, Artur; Binkley, Mathew; Boote, Jeff; Boyd, Eric; Brown, Aaron; Brown, Robert; Lehman, Tom; McKee, Shawn; Meekhof, Benjeman; Mughal, Azher; Newman, Harvey; Rozsa, Sandor; Sheldon, Paul; Tackett, Alan; Voicu, Ramiro; Wolff, Stephen; Yang, Xi

2012-12-01

Scientific innovation continues to increase requirements for the computing and networking infrastructures of the world. Collaborative partners, instrumentation, storage, and processing facilities are often geographically and topologically separated, as is the case with LHC virtual organizations. These separations challenge the technology used to interconnect available resources, often delivered by Research and Education (R&E) networking providers, and leads to complications in the overall process of end-to-end data management. Capacity and traffic management are key concerns of R&E network operators; a delicate balance is required to serve both long-lived, high capacity network flows, as well as more traditional end-user activities. The advent of dynamic circuit services, a technology that enables the creation of variable duration, guaranteed bandwidth networking channels, allows for the efficient use of common network infrastructures. These gains are seen particularly in locations where overall capacity is scarce compared to the (sustained peak) needs of user communities. Related efforts, including those of the LHCOPN [3] operations group and the emerging LHCONE [4] project, may take advantage of available resources by designating specific network activities as a “high priority”, allowing reservation of dedicated bandwidth or optimizing for deadline scheduling and predicable delivery patterns. This paper presents the DYNES instrument, an NSF funded cyberinfrastructure project designed to facilitate end-to-end dynamic circuit services [2]. This combination of hardware and software innovation is being deployed across R&E networks in the United States at selected end-sites located on University Campuses. DYNES is peering with international efforts in other countries using similar solutions, and is increasing the reach of this emerging technology. This global data movement solution could be integrated into computing paradigms such as cloud and grid computing platforms, and through the use of APIs can be integrated into existing data movement software.

Description and pilot evaluation of the Metabolic Irregularities Narrowing down Device software: a case analysis of physician programming.

PubMed

Kashiouris, Markos G; Miljković, Miloš; Herasevich, Vitaly; Goldberg, Andrew D; Albrecht, Charles

2015-01-01

There is a gap between the abilities and the everyday applications of Computerized Decision Support Systems (CDSSs). This gap is further exacerbated by the different 'worlds' between the software designers and the clinician end-users. Software programmers often lack clinical experience whereas practicing physicians lack skills in design and engineering. Our primary objective was to evaluate the performance of Metabolic Irregularities Narrowing down Device (MIND) intelligent medical calculator and differential diagnosis software through end-user surveys and discuss the roles of CDSS in the inpatient setting. A tertiary care, teaching community hospital. Thirty-one responders answered the survey. Responders consisted of medical students, 24%; attending physicians, 16%, and residents, 60%. About 62.5% of the responders reported that MIND has the ability to potentially improve the quality of care, 20.8% were sure that MIND improves the quality of care, and only 4.2% of the responders felt that it does not improve the quality of care. Ninety-six percent of the responders felt that MIND definitely serves or has the potential to serve as a useful tool for medical students, and only 4% of the responders felt otherwise. Thirty-five percent of the responders rated the differential diagnosis list as excellent, 56% as good, 4% as fair, and 4% as poor. MIND is a suggesting, interpreting, alerting, and diagnosing CDSS with good performance and end-user satisfaction. In the era of the electronic medical record, the ongoing development of efficient CDSS platforms should be carefully considered by practicing physicians and institutions.

Content-Based Discovery for Web Map Service using Support Vector Machine and User Relevance Feedback

PubMed Central

Cheng, Xiaoqiang; Qi, Kunlun; Zheng, Jie; You, Lan; Wu, Huayi

2016-01-01

Many discovery methods for geographic information services have been proposed. There are approaches for finding and matching geographic information services, methods for constructing geographic information service classification schemes, and automatic geographic information discovery. Overall, the efficiency of the geographic information discovery keeps improving., There are however, still two problems in Web Map Service (WMS) discovery that must be solved. Mismatches between the graphic contents of a WMS and the semantic descriptions in the metadata make discovery difficult for human users. End-users and computers comprehend WMSs differently creating semantic gaps in human-computer interactions. To address these problems, we propose an improved query process for WMSs based on the graphic contents of WMS layers, combining Support Vector Machine (SVM) and user relevance feedback. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can improve the accuracy and efficiency of WMS discovery. PMID:27861505

Content-Based Discovery for Web Map Service using Support Vector Machine and User Relevance Feedback.

PubMed

Hu, Kai; Gui, Zhipeng; Cheng, Xiaoqiang; Qi, Kunlun; Zheng, Jie; You, Lan; Wu, Huayi

2016-01-01

Many discovery methods for geographic information services have been proposed. There are approaches for finding and matching geographic information services, methods for constructing geographic information service classification schemes, and automatic geographic information discovery. Overall, the efficiency of the geographic information discovery keeps improving., There are however, still two problems in Web Map Service (WMS) discovery that must be solved. Mismatches between the graphic contents of a WMS and the semantic descriptions in the metadata make discovery difficult for human users. End-users and computers comprehend WMSs differently creating semantic gaps in human-computer interactions. To address these problems, we propose an improved query process for WMSs based on the graphic contents of WMS layers, combining Support Vector Machine (SVM) and user relevance feedback. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can improve the accuracy and efficiency of WMS discovery.

The Role of the Interplay between Stimulus Type and Timing in Explaining BCI-Illiteracy for Visual P300-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Carabalona, Roberta

2017-01-01

Visual P300-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) spellers enable communication or interaction with the environment by flashing elements in a matrix and exploiting consequent changes in end-user's brain activity. Despite research efforts, performance variability and BCI-illiteracy still are critical issues for real world applications. Moreover, there is a quite unaddressed kind of BCI-illiteracy, which becomes apparent when the same end-user operates BCI-spellers intended for different applications: our aim is to understand why some well performers can become BCI-illiterate depending on speller type. We manipulated stimulus type (factor STIM: either characters or icons), color (factor COLOR: white, green) and timing (factor SPEED: fast, slow). Each BCI session consisted of training (without feedback) and performance phase (with feedback), both in copy-spelling. For fast flashing spellers, we observed a performance worsening for white icon-speller. Our findings are consistent with existing results reported on end-users using identical white×fast spellers, indicating independence of worsening trend from users' group. The use of slow stimulation timing shed a new light on the perceptual and cognitive phenomena related to the use of a BCI-speller during both the training and the performance phase. We found a significant STIM main effect for the N1 component on Pz and PO7 during the training phase and on PO8 during the performance phase, whereas in both phases neither the STIM×COLOR interaction nor the COLOR main effect was statistically significant. After collapsing data for factor COLOR, it emerged a statistically significant modulation of N1 amplitude depending to the phase of BCI session: N1 was more negative for icons than for characters both on Pz and PO7 (training), whereas the opposite modulation was observed for PO8 (performance). Results indicate that both feedback and expertise with respect to the stimulus type can modulate the N1 component and that icons require more perceptual analysis. Therefore, fast flashing is likely to be more detrimental for end-users' performance in case of icon-spellers. In conclusion, the interplay between stimulus type and timing seems relevant for a satisfactory and efficient end-user's BCI-experience. PMID:28713233

The Role of the Interplay between Stimulus Type and Timing in Explaining BCI-Illiteracy for Visual P300-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces.

PubMed

Carabalona, Roberta

2017-01-01

Visual P300-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) spellers enable communication or interaction with the environment by flashing elements in a matrix and exploiting consequent changes in end-user's brain activity. Despite research efforts, performance variability and BCI-illiteracy still are critical issues for real world applications. Moreover, there is a quite unaddressed kind of BCI-illiteracy, which becomes apparent when the same end-user operates BCI-spellers intended for different applications: our aim is to understand why some well performers can become BCI-illiterate depending on speller type. We manipulated stimulus type (factor STIM: either characters or icons), color (factor COLOR: white, green) and timing (factor SPEED: fast, slow). Each BCI session consisted of training (without feedback) and performance phase (with feedback), both in copy-spelling. For fast flashing spellers, we observed a performance worsening for white icon-speller. Our findings are consistent with existing results reported on end-users using identical white×fast spellers, indicating independence of worsening trend from users' group. The use of slow stimulation timing shed a new light on the perceptual and cognitive phenomena related to the use of a BCI-speller during both the training and the performance phase. We found a significant STIM main effect for the N1 component on P z and PO 7 during the training phase and on PO 8 during the performance phase, whereas in both phases neither the STIM×COLOR interaction nor the COLOR main effect was statistically significant. After collapsing data for factor COLOR, it emerged a statistically significant modulation of N1 amplitude depending to the phase of BCI session: N1 was more negative for icons than for characters both on P z and PO 7 (training), whereas the opposite modulation was observed for PO 8 (performance). Results indicate that both feedback and expertise with respect to the stimulus type can modulate the N1 component and that icons require more perceptual analysis. Therefore, fast flashing is likely to be more detrimental for end-users' performance in case of icon-spellers. In conclusion, the interplay between stimulus type and timing seems relevant for a satisfactory and efficient end-user's BCI-experience.

A Cloud-Based Infrastructure for Near-Real-Time Processing and Dissemination of NPP Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, J. D.; Valente, E. G.; Chettri, S. S.

2011-12-01

We are building a scalable cloud-based infrastructure for generating and disseminating near-real-time data products from a variety of geospatial and meteorological data sources, including the new National Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP). Our approach relies on linking Direct Broadcast and other data streams to a suite of scientific algorithms coordinated by NASA's International Polar-Orbiter Processing Package (IPOPP). The resulting data products are directly accessible to a wide variety of end-user applications, via industry-standard protocols such as OGC Web Services, Unidata Local Data Manager, or OPeNDAP, using open source software components. The processing chain employs on-demand computing resources from Amazon.com's Elastic Compute Cloud and NASA's Nebula cloud services. Our current prototype targets short-term weather forecasting, in collaboration with NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) program and the National Weather Service. Direct Broadcast is especially crucial for NPP, whose current ground segment is unlikely to deliver data quickly enough for short-term weather forecasters and other near-real-time users. Direct Broadcast also allows full local control over data handling, from the receiving antenna to end-user applications: this provides opportunities to streamline processes for data ingest, processing, and dissemination, and thus to make interpreted data products (Environmental Data Records) available to practitioners within minutes of data capture at the sensor. Cloud computing lets us grow and shrink computing resources to meet large and rapid fluctuations in data availability (twice daily for polar orbiters) - and similarly large fluctuations in demand from our target (near-real-time) users. This offers a compelling business case for cloud computing: the processing or dissemination systems can grow arbitrarily large to sustain near-real time data access despite surges in data volumes or user demand, but that computing capacity (and hourly costs) can be dropped almost instantly once the surge passes. Cloud computing also allows low-risk experimentation with a variety of machine architectures (processor types; bandwidth, memory, and storage capacities, etc.) and of system configurations (including massively parallel computing patterns). Finally, our service-based approach (in which user applications invoke software processes on a Web-accessible server) facilitates access into datasets of arbitrary size and resolution, and allows users to request and receive tailored products on demand. To maximize the usefulness and impact of our technology, we have emphasized open, industry-standard software interfaces. We are also using and developing open source software to facilitate the widespread adoption of similar, derived, or interoperable systems for processing and serving near-real-time data from NPP and other sources.

[Sociodemographic characteristics and geographic variability associated with patient satisfaction in Primary Care].

PubMed

Pérez-Romero, S; Gascón-Cánovas, J J; Salmerón-Martínez, D; Parra-Hidalgo, P; Monteagudo-Piqueras, O

2016-01-01

Patient satisfaction with health services plays an important role in programs to improve the quality of care from the point of view of users. The objectives of this study were: To identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with patient satisfaction in the care provided by family doctors in Primary Health Care (PHC) centres, and describe the geographical variability of this phenomenon in the Spanish National Health Service. The data come from the European Health Survey (2009). Prevalence ratios (crude and adjusted) of the characteristics associated with both excellent satisfaction and dissatisfaction using Poisson regression, and their geographical variability are discussed. About one in every 3 users of the PHC believes that the care provided was excellent, while 6.7% were dissatisfied. There is a wide variability in the perception of satisfaction among the various regional health services, with prevalence ranging between 10.9% and 55.2%. Moreover, this assessment is closely related to age, level of self-perceived health, mental health, previous hospitalisation, chronic disease status, and limitations in daily activities. Satisfaction with the care provided by the PHC physician is relatively high. However, the distribution between regions and socio-demographic characteristics and health status of the user is heterogeneous. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

User ratings of prosthetic usability and satisfaction in VA study to optimize DEKA arm.

PubMed

Resnik, Linda; Borgia, Matthew

2014-01-01

The Department of Veterans Affairs study to optimize the DEKA Arm provided feedback to inform optimization of the gen 2 (second-generation) prototype and evaluate the gen 3 (third-generation) prototype. This article summarizes recommendations to improve gen 2 and reports satisfaction and usability ratings of gen 2 and gen 3. Data were collected from 39 subjects; 37 subjects were included in this analysis. Of the subjects, 24 were fit with gen 2 (8 radial configuration [RC], 6 humeral configuration [HC], and 10 shoulder configuration [SC]), 13 were fit with gen 3 (4 RC, 5 HC, and 4 SC), and 5 were fit with both. Usability and satisfaction were evaluated using the Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scale (TAPES) and study-specific usability and satisfaction scales. Descriptive statistics were examined and prototypes compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum. Results were stratified by configuration level and outcomes compared by prototype. Satisfaction and usability were greater for gen 3 than gen 2. Overall TAPES scores were similar; however, scores of the TAPES aesthetic satisfaction subscale were higher for gen 3. Compared with gen 2 users, gen 3 users were more satisfied with appearance, grips, and doffing and rated overall usability higher. Features of gen 3, including weight, external cables and wires, hand covering, and fingernails, would benefit from further optimization.

Bio-Inspired Distributed Transmission Power Control Considering QoS Fairness in Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Recently, the development of wireless body area sensor network (WBASN) has accelerated due to the rapid development of wireless technology. In the WBASN environment, many WBASNs coexist where communication ranges overlap with each other, resulting in the possibility of interference. Although nodes in a WBASN typically operate at a low power level, to avoid adversely affecting the human body, high transmission rates may be required to support some applications. In addition to this, since many varieties of applications exist in the WBASN environment, each prospective user may have different quality of service (QoS) requirements. Hence, the following issues should be considered in the WBASN environment: (1) interference between adjacent WBASNs, which influences the performance of a specific system, and (2) the degree of satisfaction on the QoS of each user, i.e., the required QoS such as user throughput should be considered to ensure that all users in the network are provided with a fair QoS satisfaction. Thus, in this paper, we propose a transmission power adjustment algorithm that addresses interference problems and guarantees QoS fairness between users. First, we use a new utility function to measure the degree of the satisfaction on the QoS for each user. Then, the transmission power of each sensor node is calculated using the Cucker–Smale model, and the QoS satisfaction of each user is synchronized dispersively. The results of simulations show that the proposed algorithm performs better than existing algorithms, with respect to QoS fairness and energy efficiency. PMID:29036924

Bio-Inspired Distributed Transmission Power Control Considering QoS Fairness in Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Lee, Chan-Jae; Jung, Ji-Young; Lee, Jung-Ryun

2017-10-14

Recently, the development of wireless body area sensor network (WBASN) has accelerated due to the rapid development of wireless technology. In the WBASN environment, many WBASNs coexist where communication ranges overlap with each other, resulting in the possibility of interference. Although nodes in a WBASN typically operate at a low power level, to avoid adversely affecting the human body, high transmission rates may be required to support some applications. In addition to this, since many varieties of applications exist in the WBASN environment, each prospective user may have different quality of service (QoS) requirements. Hence, the following issues should be considered in the WBASN environment: (1) interference between adjacent WBASNs, which influences the performance of a specific system, and (2) the degree of satisfaction on the QoS of each user, i.e., the required QoS such as user throughput should be considered to ensure that all users in the network are provided with a fair QoS satisfaction. Thus, in this paper, we propose a transmission power adjustment algorithm that addresses interference problems and guarantees QoS fairness between users. First, we use a new utility function to measure the degree of the satisfaction on the QoS for each user. Then, the transmission power of each sensor node is calculated using the Cucker-Smale model, and the QoS satisfaction of each user is synchronized dispersively. The results of simulations show that the proposed algorithm performs better than existing algorithms, with respect to QoS fairness and energy efficiency.

START: a system for flexible analysis of hundreds of genomic signal tracks in few lines of SQL-like queries.

PubMed

Zhu, Xinjie; Zhang, Qiang; Ho, Eric Dun; Yu, Ken Hung-On; Liu, Chris; Huang, Tim H; Cheng, Alfred Sze-Lok; Kao, Ben; Lo, Eric; Yip, Kevin Y

2017-09-22

A genomic signal track is a set of genomic intervals associated with values of various types, such as measurements from high-throughput experiments. Analysis of signal tracks requires complex computational methods, which often make the analysts focus too much on the detailed computational steps rather than on their biological questions. Here we propose Signal Track Query Language (STQL) for simple analysis of signal tracks. It is a Structured Query Language (SQL)-like declarative language, which means one only specifies what computations need to be done but not how these computations are to be carried out. STQL provides a rich set of constructs for manipulating genomic intervals and their values. To run STQL queries, we have developed the Signal Track Analytical Research Tool (START, http://yiplab.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/start/ ), a system that includes a Web-based user interface and a back-end execution system. The user interface helps users select data from our database of around 10,000 commonly-used public signal tracks, manage their own tracks, and construct, store and share STQL queries. The back-end system automatically translates STQL queries into optimized low-level programs and runs them on a computer cluster in parallel. We use STQL to perform 14 representative analytical tasks. By repeating these analyses using bedtools, Galaxy and custom Python scripts, we show that the STQL solution is usually the simplest, and the parallel execution achieves significant speed-up with large data files. Finally, we describe how a biologist with minimal formal training in computer programming self-learned STQL to analyze DNA methylation data we produced from 60 pairs of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples. Overall, STQL and START provide a generic way for analyzing a large number of genomic signal tracks in parallel easily.

New ergonomic headset for Tongue-Drive System with wireless smartphone interface.

PubMed

Park, Hangue; Kim, Jeonghee; Huo, Xueliang; Hwang, In-O; Ghovanloo, Maysam

2011-01-01

Tongue Drive System (TDS) is a wireless tongue-operated assistive technology (AT), developed for people with severe physical disabilities to control their environment using their tongue motion. We have developed a new ergonomic headset for the TDS with a user-friendly smartphone interface, through which users will be able to wirelessly control various devices, access computers, and drive wheelchairs. This headset design is expected to act as a flexible and multifunctional communication interface for the TDS and improve its usability, accessibility, aesthetics, and convenience for the end users.

Multimodal browsing using VoiceXML

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caccia, Giuseppe; Lancini, Rosa C.; Peschiera, Giuseppe

2003-06-01

With the increasing development of devices such as personal computers, WAP and personal digital assistants connected to the World Wide Web, end users feel the need to browse the Internet through multiple modalities. We intend to investigate on how to create a user interface and a service distribution platform granting the user access to the Internet through standard I/O modalities and voice simultaneously. Different architectures are evaluated suggesting the more suitable for each client terminal (PC o WAP). In particular the design of the multimodal usermachine interface considers the synchronization issue between graphical and voice contents.

Child and adolescent experience of and satisfaction with psychiatric care: a critical review of the research literature.

PubMed

Biering, P

2010-02-01

This review paper contributes to better understanding of child and adolescent perception of quality of psychiatric care and should therefore be of interests for those who are concerned with the development and improvement of psychiatric care. * The review shows that the concept of patient satisfaction in child and adolescent psychiatric care is still underdeveloped and that few valid instruments have been developed to measure the concept. * The review helps to clarify the concept of adolescent satisfaction with psychiatric care by indentifying the universal components of the concept. * The paper concludes that children's perception of quality of care differs from their parents' and that quality assessment of children and adolescents needs to be heeded. Abstract Users' perspectives ought to be a determining factor for assessing the quality of psychiatric care and hence their perspectives need to be thoroughly understood. There is a lack of comprehensive knowledge of how children and adolescents perceive the quality of their psychiatric care. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically review and synthesize findings from research on youth experience and satisfaction with psychiatric care. The review finds that knowledge about youth perception of quality of care is scattered and that few researchers consider previous findings. There are few valid instruments to measure child and adolescent patient satisfaction and few studies have considered these users' perceptions. These few studies indicate that adolescents' satisfaction has three universal components: satisfaction with environment and the organization of services; with user-caregiver relationship; and with treatment outcome. However, instruments that only use these factors lack sensitivity, while instruments that measure specific components of services capture differences in satisfaction between user groups. The review shows that parents and children have different mental care needs, and that the assessments by children and adolescents of their psychiatric care should be heeded.

Factors affecting family satisfaction with inpatient end-of-life care.

PubMed

Sadler, Erin; Hales, Brigette; Henry, Blair; Xiong, Wei; Myers, Jeff; Wynnychuk, Lesia; Taggar, Ru; Heyland, Daren; Fowler, Robert

2014-01-01

Little data exists addressing satisfaction with end-of-life care among hospitalized patients, as they and their family members are systematically excluded from routine satisfaction surveys. It is imperative that we closely examine patient and institution factors associated with quality end-of-life care and determine high-priority target areas for quality improvement. Between September 1, 2010 and January 1, 2012 the Canadian Health care Evaluation Project (CANHELP) Bereavement Questionnaire was mailed to the next-of-kin of recently deceased inpatients to seek factors associated with satisfaction with end-of-life care. The primary outcome was the global rating of satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included rates of actual versus preferred location of death, associations between demographic factors and global satisfaction, and identification of targets for quality improvement. Response rate was 33% among 275 valid addresses. Overall, 67.4% of respondents were very or completely satisfied with the overall quality of care their relative received. However, 71.4% of respondents who thought their relative did not die in their preferred location favoured an out-of-hospital location of death. A common location of death was the intensive care unit (45.7%); however, this was not the preferred location of death for 47.6% of such patients. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis showed respondents who believed their relative died in their preferred location were 1.7 times more likely to be satisfied with the end-of-life care that was provided (p = 0.001). Items identified as high-priority targets for improvement included: relationships with, and characteristics of health care professionals; illness management; communication; and end-of-life decision-making. Nearly three-quarters of recently deceased inpatients would have preferred an out-of-hospital death. Intensive care units were a common, but not preferred, location of in-hospital deaths. Family satisfaction with end-of-life care was strongly associated with their relative dying in their preferred location. Improved communication regarding end-of-life care preferences should be a high-priority quality improvement target.

Development of a Web Based Simulating System for Earthquake Modeling on the Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seber, D.; Youn, C.; Kaiser, T.

2007-12-01

Existing cyberinfrastructure-based information, data and computational networks now allow development of state- of-the-art, user-friendly simulation environments that democratize access to high-end computational environments and provide new research opportunities for many research and educational communities. Within the Geosciences cyberinfrastructure network, GEON, we have developed the SYNSEIS (SYNthetic SEISmogram) toolkit to enable efficient computations of 2D and 3D seismic waveforms for a variety of research purposes especially for helping to analyze the EarthScope's USArray seismic data in a speedy and efficient environment. The underlying simulation software in SYNSEIS is a finite difference code, E3D, developed by LLNL (S. Larsen). The code is embedded within the SYNSEIS portlet environment and it is used by our toolkit to simulate seismic waveforms of earthquakes at regional distances (<1000km). Architecturally, SYNSEIS uses both Web Service and Grid computing resources in a portal-based work environment and has a built in access mechanism to connect to national supercomputer centers as well as to a dedicated, small-scale compute cluster for its runs. Even though Grid computing is well-established in many computing communities, its use among domain scientists still is not trivial because of multiple levels of complexities encountered. We grid-enabled E3D using our own dialect XML inputs that include geological models that are accessible through standard Web services within the GEON network. The XML inputs for this application contain structural geometries, source parameters, seismic velocity, density, attenuation values, number of time steps to compute, and number of stations. By enabling a portal based access to a such computational environment coupled with its dynamic user interface we enable a large user community to take advantage of such high end calculations in their research and educational activities. Our system can be used to promote an efficient and effective modeling environment to help scientists as well as educators in their daily activities and speed up the scientific discovery process.

Evaluating the success of an emergency response medical information system.

PubMed

Petter, Stacie; Fruhling, Ann

2011-07-01

STATPack™ is an information system used to aid in the diagnosis of pathogens in hospitals and state public health laboratories. STATPack™ is used as a communication and telemedicine diagnosis tool during emergencies. This paper explores the success of this emergency response medical information system (ERMIS) using a well-known framework of information systems success developed by DeLone and McLean. Using an online survey, the entire population of STATPack™ users evaluated the success of the information system by considering system quality, information quality, system use, intention to use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact. The results indicate that the overall quality of this ERMIS (i.e., system quality, information quality, and service quality) has a positive impact on both user satisfaction and intention to use the system. However, given the nature of ERMIS, overall quality does not necessarily predict use of the system. Moreover, the user's satisfaction with the information system positively affected the intention to use the system. User satisfaction, intention to use, and system use had a positive influence on the system's impact on the individual. Finally, the organizational impacts of the system were positively influenced by use of the system and the system's individual impact on the user. The results of the study demonstrate how to evaluate the success of an ERMIS as well as introduce potential changes in how one applies the DeLone and McLean success model in an emergency response medical information system context. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acceptance of clinical decision support surveillance technology in the clinical pharmacy.

PubMed

English, Dan; Ankem, Kalyani; English, Kathleen

2017-03-01

There are clinical and economic benefits to incorporating clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) in patient care interventions in the clinical pharmacy setting. However, user dissatisfaction and resistance to HIT can prevent optimal use of such systems, particularly when users employ system workarounds and overrides. The present study applied a modified version of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to evaluate the disposition and satisfaction with CDSS among clinical pharmacists who perform surveillance to identify potential medication therapy interventions on patients in the hospital setting. A survey of clinical pharmacists (N = 48) was conducted. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to analyze the influence of the UTAUT-related variables on behavioral intention and satisfaction with CDSS among clinical pharmacists. While behavioral intention did not predict actual use of HIT, facilitating conditions had a direct effect on pharmacists' use of CDSS. Likewise, satisfaction with CDSS was found to have a direct effect on use, with more satisfied users being less inclined to employ workarounds or overrides of the system. Based on the findings, organizational structures that facilitate CDSS use and user satisfaction affect the extent to which pharmacy and health care management maximize use in the clinical pharmacy setting.

The Relationship Between Use of Social Network Sites, Online Social Support, and Well-Being: Results From a Six-Wave Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Utz, Sonja; Breuer, Johannes

2017-01-01

Existing work on the effects of social network sites (SNS) on well-being has often stressed that SNS can help people gain social support from their online networks, which positively affects their well-being. However, the majority of studies in this area have been cross-sectional in nature and/or relied on student samples. Using data from six waves of a longitudinal study with a representative sample of Dutch Internet users, we first examined whether users and nonusers of SNS differ in online social support and well-being (as indicated by life satisfaction and stress). In a second step, we investigated in more detail how SNS use - more specifically, asking for advice and the number of strong ties on these SNS - are related to online social support, stress, and satisfaction with life. Overall, our results provide no evidence for SNS use and online social support affecting either stress or life satisfaction. SNS users reported more online social support than nonusers did, but also higher levels of stress; the two groups did not differ in overall life satisfaction. With regard to the underlying processes, we found positive cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between asking for advice on SNS and online social support, indicating that SNS can be an effective tool for receiving social support. However, online social support was not related to higher life satisfaction or reduced stress 6 months later; instead, it seems that SNS users with lower life satisfaction and/or higher stress seek more social support online by asking for advice on SNS.

The effects of citizenship status on service utilization and general satisfaction with healthcare: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Khaled, Salma M; Shockley, Bethany; Abdul Rahim, Hanan F

2017-02-01

To explore the role of citizenship status as a predictor of general satisfaction with healthcare services in Qatar, including potential interaction with utilization and health insurance coverage type. A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2012. A household survey in the State of Qatar in the Arab Gulf. A nationally representative sample of 2750 citizens and noncitizens aged 18 years and older. General satisfaction status with Qatar's healthcare system. Citizenship status, healthcare utilization, health insurance type. Citizens were significantly less likely to be satisfied with Qatar's healthcare system than noncitizens (odds ratio (OR) = 0.30, P < 0.001). The association between private health insurance and overall satisfaction was not significantly different between citizens and noncitizens (P = 0.19). However, the association between utilization of healthcare services and overall satisfaction was moderated by citizenship (P < 0.001). Among citizens, non-users were less likely to be satisfied than recent users (OR = 1.88, P < 0.05), while the opposite pattern was observed among noncitizens (OR = 0.51, P < 0.05). These patterns persisted even after controlling for potential confounders. The study revealed significant population differences in satisfaction between recent users and non-users within citizenship groups. These differences may stem from different expectations with respect to healthcare services. Understanding these expectations may have important policy implications for cross-cultural contexts. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The Relationship Between Use of Social Network Sites, Online Social Support, and Well-Being

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract. Existing work on the effects of social network sites (SNS) on well-being has often stressed that SNS can help people gain social support from their online networks, which positively affects their well-being. However, the majority of studies in this area have been cross-sectional in nature and/or relied on student samples. Using data from six waves of a longitudinal study with a representative sample of Dutch Internet users, we first examined whether users and nonusers of SNS differ in online social support and well-being (as indicated by life satisfaction and stress). In a second step, we investigated in more detail how SNS use – more specifically, asking for advice and the number of strong ties on these SNS – are related to online social support, stress, and satisfaction with life. Overall, our results provide no evidence for SNS use and online social support affecting either stress or life satisfaction. SNS users reported more online social support than nonusers did, but also higher levels of stress; the two groups did not differ in overall life satisfaction. With regard to the underlying processes, we found positive cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between asking for advice on SNS and online social support, indicating that SNS can be an effective tool for receiving social support. However, online social support was not related to higher life satisfaction or reduced stress 6 months later; instead, it seems that SNS users with lower life satisfaction and/or higher stress seek more social support online by asking for advice on SNS. PMID:29147141

Socioeconomic Status and Satisfaction with Public Healthcare System in Iran.

PubMed

Maharlouei, Najmeh; Akbari, Mojtaba; Akbari, Maryam; Lankarani, Kamran B

2017-01-01

The users' satisfaction is a method for evaluating the efficacy of healthcare system. We aimed to evaluate the association between the users' socioeconomic status (SES) and satisfaction with the healthcare system in Shiraz, Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted from December, 2013 to March, 2014, in Shiraz, Iran. 3400 households were recruited by multi-stage cluster random sampling. Information about demographic, insurance status, and users' satisfaction was derived from face-to-face interviews. Satisfaction with healthcare system was assessed by using 5-point Likert scale statements, which ranged from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied". All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS-21. Overall, 1.6% (55) of the respondents were very satisfied, while 6% (203) were very dissatisfied with healthcare system. Participants were classified into high SES (26.3%), middle SES (47.9%) and low SES (25.8%). It was discovered that the better the SES, the more frequent were the respondents dissatisfied with healthcare system (P<0.001). Also, dissatisfied respondents were significantly older (P=0.036). Moreover, women were more dissatisfied with healthcare system (P=0.005). Also, dissatisfied respondents had significantly a higher level of education than satisfied ones (P<0.001). Furthermore, logistic regression revealed that age (P=0.04), marital status (P=0.01), insurance status (P<0.001), SES (P<0.001), and having supplemental insurance (P=0.02) were determinant factors of satisfaction with healthcare system. This study demonstrated that users' sex, age, educational level, and SES were related to dissatisfaction with healthcare system. Meanwhile, clients' age, SES, insurance status and marital status were recognized as determinant factors.

A qualitative study adopting a user-centered approach to design and validate a brain computer interface for cognitive rehabilitation for people with brain injury.

PubMed

Martin, Suzanne; Armstrong, Elaine; Thomson, Eileen; Vargiu, Eloisa; Solà, Marc; Dauwalder, Stefan; Miralles, Felip; Daly Lynn, Jean

2017-07-14

Cognitive rehabilitation is established as a core intervention within rehabilitation programs following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Digitally enabled assistive technologies offer opportunities for clinicians to increase remote access to rehabilitation supporting transition into home. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems can harness the residual abilities of individuals with limited function to gain control over computers through their brain waves. This paper presents an online cognitive rehabilitation application developed with therapists, to work remotely with people who have TBI, who will use BCI at home to engage in the therapy. A qualitative research study was completed with people who are community dwellers post brain injury (end users), and a cohort of therapists involved in cognitive rehabilitation. A user-centered approach over three phases in the development, design and feasibility testing of this cognitive rehabilitation application included two tasks (Find-a-Category and a Memory Card task). The therapist could remotely prescribe activity with different levels of difficulty. The service user had a home interface which would present the therapy activities. This novel work was achieved by an international consortium of academics, business partners and service users.

Effects of training and motivation on auditory P300 brain-computer interface performance.

PubMed

Baykara, E; Ruf, C A; Fioravanti, C; Käthner, I; Simon, N; Kleih, S C; Kübler, A; Halder, S

2016-01-01

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology aims at helping end-users with severe motor paralysis to communicate with their environment without using the natural output pathways of the brain. For end-users in complete paralysis, loss of gaze control may necessitate non-visual BCI systems. The present study investigated the effect of training on performance with an auditory P300 multi-class speller paradigm. For half of the participants, spatial cues were added to the auditory stimuli to see whether performance can be further optimized. The influence of motivation, mood and workload on performance and P300 component was also examined. In five sessions, 16 healthy participants were instructed to spell several words by attending to animal sounds representing the rows and columns of a 5 × 5 letter matrix. 81% of the participants achieved an average online accuracy of ⩾ 70%. From the first to the fifth session information transfer rates increased from 3.72 bits/min to 5.63 bits/min. Motivation significantly influenced P300 amplitude and online ITR. No significant facilitative effect of spatial cues on performance was observed. Training improves performance in an auditory BCI paradigm. Motivation influences performance and P300 amplitude. The described auditory BCI system may help end-users to communicate independently of gaze control with their environment. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate@Home: Crowdsourcing Climate Change Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, C.; Yang, C.; Li, J.; Sun, M.; Bambacus, M.

2011-12-01

Climate change deeply impacts human wellbeing. Significant amounts of resources have been invested in building super-computers that are capable of running advanced climate models, which help scientists understand climate change mechanisms, and predict its trend. Although climate change influences all human beings, the general public is largely excluded from the research. On the other hand, scientists are eagerly seeking communication mediums for effectively enlightening the public on climate change and its consequences. The Climate@Home project is devoted to connect the two ends with an innovative solution: crowdsourcing climate computing to the general public by harvesting volunteered computing resources from the participants. A distributed web-based computing platform will be built to support climate computing, and the general public can 'plug-in' their personal computers to participate in the research. People contribute the spare computing power of their computers to run a computer model, which is used by scientists to predict climate change. Traditionally, only super-computers could handle such a large computing processing load. By orchestrating massive amounts of personal computers to perform atomized data processing tasks, investments on new super-computers, energy consumed by super-computers, and carbon release from super-computers are reduced. Meanwhile, the platform forms a social network of climate researchers and the general public, which may be leveraged to raise climate awareness among the participants. A portal is to be built as the gateway to the climate@home project. Three types of roles and the corresponding functionalities are designed and supported. The end users include the citizen participants, climate scientists, and project managers. Citizen participants connect their computing resources to the platform by downloading and installing a computing engine on their personal computers. Computer climate models are defined at the server side. Climate scientists configure computer model parameters through the portal user interface. After model configuration, scientists then launch the computing task. Next, data is atomized and distributed to computing engines that are running on citizen participants' computers. Scientists will receive notifications on the completion of computing tasks, and examine modeling results via visualization modules of the portal. Computing tasks, computing resources, and participants are managed by project managers via portal tools. A portal prototype has been built for proof of concept. Three forums have been setup for different groups of users to share information on science aspect, technology aspect, and educational outreach aspect. A facebook account has been setup to distribute messages via the most popular social networking platform. New treads are synchronized from the forums to facebook. A mapping tool displays geographic locations of the participants and the status of tasks on each client node. A group of users have been invited to test functions such as forums, blogs, and computing resource monitoring.

CLIPS application user interface for the PC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Jim; Holbrook, Rebecca; Shewhart, Mark; Crouse, Joey; Yarost, Stuart

1991-01-01

The majority of applications that utilize expert system development programs for their knowledge representation and inferencing capability require some form of interface with the end user. This interface is more than likely an interaction through the computer screen. When building an application the user interface can prove to be the most difficult and time consuming aspect to program. Commercial products currently exist which address this issue. To keep pace C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) will need to find a solution for their lack of an easy to use Application User Interface (AUI). This paper represents a survey of the DoD CLIPS' user community and provides the backbone of a possible solution.

Proportional fair scheduling algorithm based on traffic in satellite communication system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Cheng-Sheng; Sui, Shi-Long; Liu, Chun-ling; Shi, Yu-Xin

2018-02-01

In the satellite communication network system, in order to solve the problem of low system capacity and user fairness in multi-user access to satellite communication network in the downlink, combined with the characteristics of user data service, an algorithm study on throughput capacity and user fairness scheduling is proposed - Proportional Fairness Algorithm Based on Traffic(B-PF). The algorithm is improved on the basis of the proportional fairness algorithm in the wireless communication system, taking into account the user channel condition and caching traffic information. The user outgoing traffic is considered as the adjustment factor of the scheduling priority and presents the concept of traffic satisfaction. Firstly,the algorithm calculates the priority of the user according to the scheduling algorithm and dispatches the users with the highest priority. Secondly, when a scheduled user is the business satisfied user, the system dispatches the next priority user. The simulation results show that compared with the PF algorithm, B-PF can improve the system throughput, the business satisfaction and fairness.

TOXBASE: Poisons information on the internet

PubMed Central

Bateman, D; Good, A; Laing, W; Kelly, C

2002-01-01

Objectives: To assess the uptake, usage and acceptability of TOXBASE, the National Poisons Information Service internet toxicology information service. Methods: An observational study of database usage, and a questionnaire of users were undertaken involving users of TOXBASE within the UK between August 1999, when the internet site was launched, and May 2000. The main outcome measures were numbers of registered users, usage patterns on the database, responses to user satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The number of registered users increased from 567 to 1500. There was a 68% increase in accident and emergency departments registered, a 159% increase in general practitioners, but a 324% increase in other hospital departments. Between January 2000 and the end of May there had been 60 281 accesses to the product database, the most frequent to the paracetamol entry (7291 accesses). Ecstasy was the seventh most frequent entry accessed. Altogether 165 of 330 questionnaires were returned. The majority came from accident and emergency departments, the major users of the system. Users were generally well (>95%) satisfied with ease and speed of access. A number of suggestions for improvements were put forward. Conclusions: TOXBASE has been extensively accessed since being placed on the internet (http://www.spib.axl.co.uk). The pattern of enquiries mirrors clinical presentation with poisoning. The system seems to be easily used. It is a model for future delivery of treatment guidelines at the point of patient care. PMID:11777868

Quality assurance and training procedures for computer-aided detection and diagnosis systems in clinical usea)

PubMed Central

Huo, Zhimin; Summers, Ronald M.; Paquerault, Sophie; Lo, Joseph; Hoffmeister, Jeffrey; Armato, Samuel G.; Freedman, Matthew T.; Lin, Jesse; Ben Lo, Shih-Chung; Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Fryd, David; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Chan, Heang-Ping

2013-01-01

Computer-aided detection/diagnosis (CAD) is increasingly used for decision support by clinicians for detection and interpretation of diseases. However, there are no quality assurance (QA) requirements for CAD in clinical use at present. QA of CAD is important so that end users can be made aware of changes in CAD performance both due to intentional or unintentional causes. In addition, end-user training is critical to prevent improper use of CAD, which could potentially result in lower overall clinical performance. Research on QA of CAD and user training are limited to date. The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to these issues, inform the readers of the opinions of the members of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) CAD subcommittee, and thus stimulate further discussion in the CAD community on these topics. The recommendations in this paper are intended to be work items for AAPM task groups that will be formed to address QA and user training issues on CAD in the future. The work items may serve as a framework for the discussion and eventual design of detailed QA and training procedures for physicists and users of CAD. Some of the recommendations are considered by the subcommittee to be reasonably easy and practical and can be implemented immediately by the end users; others are considered to be “best practice” approaches, which may require significant effort, additional tools, and proper training to implement. The eventual standardization of the requirements of QA procedures for CAD will have to be determined through consensus from members of the CAD community, and user training may require support of professional societies. It is expected that high-quality CAD and proper use of CAD could allow these systems to achieve their true potential, thus benefiting both the patients and the clinicians, and may bring about more widespread clinical use of CAD for many other diseases and applications. It is hoped that the awareness of the need for appropriate CAD QA and user training will stimulate new ideas and approaches for implementing such procedures efficiently and effectively as well as funding opportunities to fulfill such critical efforts. PMID:23822459

Declarative Programming with Temporal Constraints, in the Language CG.

PubMed

Negreanu, Lorina

2015-01-01

Specifying and interpreting temporal constraints are key elements of knowledge representation and reasoning, with applications in temporal databases, agent programming, and ambient intelligence. We present and formally characterize the language CG, which tackles this issue. In CG, users are able to develop time-dependent programs, in a flexible and straightforward manner. Such programs can, in turn, be coupled with evolving environments, thus empowering users to control the environment's evolution. CG relies on a structure for storing temporal information, together with a dedicated query mechanism. Hence, we explore the computational complexity of our query satisfaction problem. We discuss previous implementation attempts of CG and introduce a novel prototype which relies on logic programming. Finally, we address the issue of consistency and correctness of CG program execution, using the Event-B modeling approach.

Evaluating the Impact of Conceptual Knowledge Engineering on the Design and Usability of a Clinical and Translational Science Collaboration Portal

PubMed Central

Payne, Philip R.O.; Borlawsky, Tara B.; Rice, Robert; Embi, Peter J.

2010-01-01

With the growing prevalence of large-scale, team science endeavors in the biomedical and life science domains, the impetus to implement platforms capable of supporting asynchronous interaction among multidisciplinary groups of collaborators has increased commensurately. However, there is a paucity of literature describing systematic approaches to identifying the information needs of targeted end-users for such platforms, and the translation of such requirements into practicable software component design criteria. In previous studies, we have reported upon the efficacy of employing conceptual knowledge engineering (CKE) techniques to systematically address both of the preceding challenges in the context of complex biomedical applications. In this manuscript we evaluate the impact of CKE approaches relative to the design of a clinical and translational science collaboration portal, and report upon the preliminary qualitative users satisfaction as reported for the resulting system. PMID:21347146

Early experiences in developing and managing the neuroscience gateway.

PubMed

Sivagnanam, Subhashini; Majumdar, Amit; Yoshimoto, Kenneth; Astakhov, Vadim; Bandrowski, Anita; Martone, MaryAnn; Carnevale, Nicholas T

2015-02-01

The last few decades have seen the emergence of computational neuroscience as a mature field where researchers are interested in modeling complex and large neuronal systems and require access to high performance computing machines and associated cyber infrastructure to manage computational workflow and data. The neuronal simulation tools, used in this research field, are also implemented for parallel computers and suitable for high performance computing machines. But using these tools on complex high performance computing machines remains a challenge because of issues with acquiring computer time on these machines located at national supercomputer centers, dealing with complex user interface of these machines, dealing with data management and retrieval. The Neuroscience Gateway is being developed to alleviate and/or hide these barriers to entry for computational neuroscientists. It hides or eliminates, from the point of view of the users, all the administrative and technical barriers and makes parallel neuronal simulation tools easily available and accessible on complex high performance computing machines. It handles the running of jobs and data management and retrieval. This paper shares the early experiences in bringing up this gateway and describes the software architecture it is based on, how it is implemented, and how users can use this for computational neuroscience research using high performance computing at the back end. We also look at parallel scaling of some publicly available neuronal models and analyze the recent usage data of the neuroscience gateway.

Early experiences in developing and managing the neuroscience gateway

PubMed Central

Sivagnanam, Subhashini; Majumdar, Amit; Yoshimoto, Kenneth; Astakhov, Vadim; Bandrowski, Anita; Martone, MaryAnn; Carnevale, Nicholas. T.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY The last few decades have seen the emergence of computational neuroscience as a mature field where researchers are interested in modeling complex and large neuronal systems and require access to high performance computing machines and associated cyber infrastructure to manage computational workflow and data. The neuronal simulation tools, used in this research field, are also implemented for parallel computers and suitable for high performance computing machines. But using these tools on complex high performance computing machines remains a challenge because of issues with acquiring computer time on these machines located at national supercomputer centers, dealing with complex user interface of these machines, dealing with data management and retrieval. The Neuroscience Gateway is being developed to alleviate and/or hide these barriers to entry for computational neuroscientists. It hides or eliminates, from the point of view of the users, all the administrative and technical barriers and makes parallel neuronal simulation tools easily available and accessible on complex high performance computing machines. It handles the running of jobs and data management and retrieval. This paper shares the early experiences in bringing up this gateway and describes the software architecture it is based on, how it is implemented, and how users can use this for computational neuroscience research using high performance computing at the back end. We also look at parallel scaling of some publicly available neuronal models and analyze the recent usage data of the neuroscience gateway. PMID:26523124

Guest editorial: Introduction to the special issue on modern control for computer games.

PubMed

Argyriou, Vasileios; Kotsia, Irene; Zafeiriou, Stefanos; Petrou, Maria

2013-12-01

A typical gaming scenario, as developed in the past 20 years, involves a player interacting with a game using a specialized input device, such as a joystic, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. Recent technological advances and new sensors (for example, low cost commodity depth cameras) have enabled the introduction of more elaborated approaches in which the player is now able to interact with the game using his body pose, facial expressions, actions, and even his physiological signals. A new era of games has already started, employing computer vision techniques, brain-computer interfaces systems, haptic and wearable devices. The future lies in games that will be intelligent enough not only to extract the player's commands provided by his speech and gestures but also his behavioral cues, as well as his/her emotional states, and adjust their game plot accordingly in order to ensure more realistic and satisfactory gameplay experience. This special issue on modern control for computer games discusses several interdisciplinary factors that influence a user's input to a game, something directly linked to the gaming experience. These include, but are not limited to, the following: behavioral affective gaming, user satisfaction and perception, motion capture and scene modeling, and complete software frameworks that address several challenges risen in such scenarios.

Time-scheduled delivery of computer health animations: "Installing" healthy habits of computer use.

PubMed

Wang, Sy-Chyi; Chern, Jin-Yuan

2013-06-01

The development of modern technology brings convenience to our lives but removes physical activity from our daily routines, thereby putting our lives at risk. Extended computer use may contribute to symptoms such as visual impairment and musculoskeletal disorders. To help reduce the risk of physical inactivity and promote healthier computer use, this study developed a time-scheduled delivery of health-related animations for users sitting in front of computers for prolonged periods. In addition, we examined the effects that the program had on the computer-related health behavior intentions and actions of participants. Two waves of questionnaires were implemented for data collection before and after intervention. The results showed that the animation program indeed had a positive effect on participants' healthy computer use actions in terms of breathtaking, body massages, and body stretches. It also helped to bridge the intention-action gap of the health behaviors. The development and evaluation were documented, and users' experiences/suggestions were discussed at the end.

User's instructions for the cardiovascular Walters model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croston, R. C.

1973-01-01

The model is a combined, steady-state cardiovascular and thermal model. It was originally developed for interactive use, but was converted to batch mode simulation for the Sigma 3 computer. The model has the purpose to compute steady-state circulatory and thermal variables in response to exercise work loads and environmental factors. During a computer simulation run, several selected variables are printed at each time step. End conditions are also printed at the completion of the run.

Public Key Infrastructure Utilization to Provide an Added Level of Authenticity to Transmitted Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

WIFI Wireless Fidelity – a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance that manufacturers may use to brand certified products that belong to a class of...removed by the receiving computer. This security concept is applicable for any WIFI or EVDO wireless transmitted computer because only the end users... hacked and keeping the computer safe from outside sources was still a definite concern. Therefore, a non-Hotmail e-mail account was designed

The Role of Networks in Cloud Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Geng; Devine, Mac

The confluence of technology advancements and business developments in Broadband Internet, Web services, computing systems, and application software over the past decade has created a perfect storm for cloud computing. The "cloud model" of delivering and consuming IT functions as services is poised to fundamentally transform the IT industry and rebalance the inter-relationships among end users, enterprise IT, software companies, and the service providers in the IT ecosystem (Armbrust et al., 2009; Lin, Fu, Zhu, & Dasmalchi, 2009).

Online emotional support delivered by trained volunteers: users' satisfaction and their perception of the service compared to psychotherapy.

PubMed

Baumel, Amit

2015-01-01

Technology could answer the substantial need in human resources available for supporting those who suffer from mental illness, by providing scalable methods to train and engage non-professionals to those who need their support. 7 Cups of Tea (7COT) platform was chosen for this study, because it provides a good case study for examining this kind of solution. The aim of this paper was to provide empirical findings regarding users' satisfaction with online emotional support provided by trained volunteers and how it is perceived in comparison to psychotherapy. An online survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 7COT users. The findings showed high user satisfaction with the support provided by 7COT listeners and, on average, users who indicated to receive psychotherapy in their past marked the listeners' support to be as helpful as psychotherapy. Relating to psychotherapy and online emotional support advantages, different advantages were found. The findings suggest that receiving support from volunteers makes users feel that the support is more genuine. The paper provides preliminary evidence that people in emotional distress may find non-professionals support delivered through the use of technology to be helpful. Limitations and implications are discussed.

A Privacy-Preserving Platform for User-Centric Quantitative Benchmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, Dominik; Scheuer, Florian; Feustel, Philipp; Nowey, Thomas; Federrath, Hannes

We propose a centralised platform for quantitative benchmarking of key performance indicators (KPI) among mutually distrustful organisations. Our platform offers users the opportunity to request an ad-hoc benchmarking for a specific KPI within a peer group of their choice. Architecture and protocol are designed to provide anonymity to its users and to hide the sensitive KPI values from other clients and the central server. To this end, we integrate user-centric peer group formation, exchangeable secure multi-party computation protocols, short-lived ephemeral key pairs as pseudonyms, and attribute certificates. We show by empirical evaluation of a prototype that the performance is acceptable for reasonably sized peer groups.

A CAI System for Visually Impaired Children to Improve Abilities of Orientation and Mobility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoneda, Takahiro; Kudo, Hiroaki; Minagawa, Hiroki; Ohnishi, Noboru; Matsubara, Shizuya

Some visually impaired children have difficulty in simple locomotion, and need orientation and mobility training. We developed a computer assisted instruction system which assists this training. A user realizes a task given by a tactile map and synthesized speech. The user walks around a room according to the task. The system gives the gap of walk path from its target path via both auditory and tactile feedback after the end of a task. Then the user can understand how well the user walked. We describe the detail of the proposed system and task, and the experimental result with three visually impaired children.

The FITS model office ergonomics program: a model for best practice.

PubMed

Chim, Justine M Y

2014-01-01

An effective office ergonomics program can predict positive results in reducing musculoskeletal injury rates, enhancing productivity, and improving staff well-being and job satisfaction. Its objective is to provide a systematic solution to manage the potential risk of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users in an office setting. A FITS Model office ergonomics program is developed. The FITS Model Office Ergonomics Program has been developed which draws on the legislative requirements for promoting the health and safety of workers using computers for extended periods as well as previous research findings. The Model is developed according to the practical industrial knowledge in ergonomics, occupational health and safety management, and human resources management in Hong Kong and overseas. This paper proposes a comprehensive office ergonomics program, the FITS Model, which considers (1) Furniture Evaluation and Selection; (2) Individual Workstation Assessment; (3) Training and Education; (4) Stretching Exercises and Rest Break as elements of an effective program. An experienced ergonomics practitioner should be included in the program design and implementation. Through the FITS Model Office Ergonomics Program, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users can be eliminated or minimized, and workplace health and safety and employees' wellness enhanced.

The evaluation of a web-based incident reporting system.

PubMed

Kuo, Ya-Hui; Lee, Ting-Ting; Mills, Mary Etta; Lin, Kuan-Chia

2012-07-01

A Web-based reporting system is essential to report incident events anonymously and confidentially. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Web-based reporting system in Taiwan. User satisfaction and impact of system use were evaluated through a survey answered by 249 nurses. Incident events reported in paper and electronic systems were collected for comparison purposes. Study variables included system user satisfaction, willingness to report, number of reports, severity of the events, and efficiency of the reporting process. Results revealed that senior nurses were less willing to report events, nurses on internal medicine units had higher satisfaction than others, and lowest satisfaction was related to the time it took to file a report. In addition, the Web-based reporting system was used more often than the paper system. The percentages of events reported were significantly higher in the Web-based system in laboratory, environment/device, and incidents occurring in other units, whereas the proportions of reports involving bedsores and dislocation of endotracheal tubes were decreased. Finally, moderate injury event reporting decreased, whereas minor or minimal injury event reporting increased. The study recommends that the data entry process be simplified and the network system be improved to increase user satisfaction and reporting rates.

Goals of Government-Funded Public Domain Software Efforts

PubMed Central

Rishel, Wesley J.

1980-01-01

The development of public domain software under Federal aegis and support has made possible a broadly competitive field of computer - oriented management information system consulting organizations with high technical competence and the potential for strong user orientation and loyalty. The impact of this assumption of major “front-end costs” by the Federal government has additional spin-off effects in terms of standardization and transportability features as well as reduced capital costs to the user.

Factors affecting satisfaction with cancer information provided through the social networking services of the National Cancer Information Center in Korea

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to identify the characteristics of social networking service (SNS) users and to assess the relationship of those factors to user satisfaction with the SNSs of the National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) in South Korea. METHODS A Web-based survey was completed by 1,670 users of the NCIC SNSs, who provided data on the sources they consulted for information about cancer, determinants of SNS use, sources of NCIC SNS awareness, the time of day they used the SNS, and their satisfaction level. RESULTS Facebook users mainly became aware of the NCIC SNSs through an acquaintance’s recommendation, while Twitter was accessed through other SNSs or blogs. Users in their 30s were less satisfied with the NCIC SNSs than those in their teens and 20s. Browsing for cancer-related information on the Internet, prioritizing information quality, and engaging in active use were related to a high level of satisfaction with the NCIC SNSs. Individuals who were exposed to the NCIC SNSs through other SNSs or printed materials were less satisfied with their experience of the NCIC SNSs than those who received a recommendation from an acquaintance. CONCLUSIONS These findings may act as a catalyst to guide public health agencies to enhance their use of SNSs. PMID:29228522

Literature Review on Needs of Upper Limb Prosthesis Users.

PubMed

Cordella, Francesca; Ciancio, Anna Lisa; Sacchetti, Rinaldo; Davalli, Angelo; Cutti, Andrea Giovanni; Guglielmelli, Eugenio; Zollo, Loredana

2016-01-01

The loss of one hand can significantly affect the level of autonomy and the capability of performing daily living, working and social activities. The current prosthetic solutions contribute in a poor way to overcome these problems due to limitations in the interfaces adopted for controlling the prosthesis and to the lack of force or tactile feedback, thus limiting hand grasp capabilities. This paper presents a literature review on needs analysis of upper limb prosthesis users, and points out the main critical aspects of the current prosthetic solutions, in terms of users satisfaction and activities of daily living they would like to perform with the prosthetic device. The ultimate goal is to provide design inputs in the prosthetic field and, contemporary, increase user satisfaction rates and reduce device abandonment. A list of requirements for upper limb prostheses is proposed, grounded on the performed analysis on user needs. It wants to (i) provide guidelines for improving the level of acceptability and usefulness of the prosthesis, by accounting for hand functional and technical aspects; (ii) propose a control architecture of PNS-based prosthetic systems able to satisfy the analyzed user wishes; (iii) provide hints for improving the quality of the methods (e.g., questionnaires) adopted for understanding the user satisfaction with their prostheses.

Literature Review on Needs of Upper Limb Prosthesis Users

PubMed Central

Cordella, Francesca; Ciancio, Anna Lisa; Sacchetti, Rinaldo; Davalli, Angelo; Cutti, Andrea Giovanni; Guglielmelli, Eugenio; Zollo, Loredana

2016-01-01

The loss of one hand can significantly affect the level of autonomy and the capability of performing daily living, working and social activities. The current prosthetic solutions contribute in a poor way to overcome these problems due to limitations in the interfaces adopted for controlling the prosthesis and to the lack of force or tactile feedback, thus limiting hand grasp capabilities. This paper presents a literature review on needs analysis of upper limb prosthesis users, and points out the main critical aspects of the current prosthetic solutions, in terms of users satisfaction and activities of daily living they would like to perform with the prosthetic device. The ultimate goal is to provide design inputs in the prosthetic field and, contemporary, increase user satisfaction rates and reduce device abandonment. A list of requirements for upper limb prostheses is proposed, grounded on the performed analysis on user needs. It wants to (i) provide guidelines for improving the level of acceptability and usefulness of the prosthesis, by accounting for hand functional and technical aspects; (ii) propose a control architecture of PNS-based prosthetic systems able to satisfy the analyzed user wishes; (iii) provide hints for improving the quality of the methods (e.g., questionnaires) adopted for understanding the user satisfaction with their prostheses. PMID:27242413

[Is the ICU staff satisfied with the computerized physician order entry? A cross-sectional survey study].

PubMed

Fumis, Renata Rego Lins; Costa, Eduardo Leite Vieira; Martins, Paulo Sergio; Pizzo, Vladimir; Souza, Ivens Augusto; Schettino, Guilherme de Paula Pinto

2014-01-01

To evaluate the satisfaction of the intensive care unit staff with a computerized physician order entry and to compare the concept of the computerized physician order entry relevance among intensive care unit healthcare workers. We performed a cross-sectional survey to assess the satisfaction of the intensive care unit staff with the computerized physician order entry in a 30-bed medical/surgical adult intensive care unit using a self-administered questionnaire. The questions used for grading satisfaction levels were answered according to a numerical scale that ranged from 1 point (low satisfaction) to 10 points (high satisfaction). The majority of the respondents (n=250) were female (66%) between the ages of 30 and 35 years of age (69%). The overall satisfaction with the computerized physician order entry scored 5.74±2.14 points. The satisfaction was lower among physicians (n=42) than among nurses, nurse technicians, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists and diet specialists (4.62±1.79 versus 5.97±2.14, p<0.001); satisfaction decreased with age (p<0.001). Physicians scored lower concerning the potential of the computerized physician order entry for improving patient safety (5.45±2.20 versus 8.09±2.21, p<0.001) and the ease of using the computerized physician order entry (3.83±1.88 versus 6.44±2.31, p<0.001). The characteristics independently associated with satisfaction were the system's user-friendliness, accuracy, capacity to provide clear information, and fast response time. Six months after its implementation, healthcare workers were satisfied, albeit not entirely, with the computerized physician order entry. The overall users' satisfaction with computerized physician order entry was lower among physicians compared to other healthcare professionals. The factors associated with satisfaction included the belief that digitalization decreased the workload and contributed to the intensive care unit quality with a user-friendly and accurate system and that digitalization provided concise information within a reasonable time frame.

Electromagnetic interference-aware transmission scheduling and power control for dynamic wireless access in hospital environments.

PubMed

Phunchongharn, Phond; Hossain, Ekram; Camorlinga, Sergio

2011-11-01

We study the multiple access problem for e-Health applications (referred to as secondary users) coexisting with medical devices (referred to as primary or protected users) in a hospital environment. In particular, we focus on transmission scheduling and power control of secondary users in multiple spatial reuse time-division multiple access (STDMA) networks. The objective is to maximize the spectrum utilization of secondary users and minimize their power consumption subject to the electromagnetic interference (EMI) constraints for active and passive medical devices and minimum throughput guarantee for secondary users. The multiple access problem is formulated as a dual objective optimization problem which is shown to be NP-complete. We propose a joint scheduling and power control algorithm based on a greedy approach to solve the problem with much lower computational complexity. To this end, an enhanced greedy algorithm is proposed to improve the performance of the greedy algorithm by finding the optimal sequence of secondary users for scheduling. Using extensive simulations, the tradeoff in performance in terms of spectrum utilization, energy consumption, and computational complexity is evaluated for both the algorithms.

Brain-controlled applications using dynamic P300 speller matrices.

PubMed

Halder, Sebastian; Pinegger, Andreas; Käthner, Ivo; Wriessnegger, Selina C; Faller, Josef; Pires Antunes, João B; Müller-Putz, Gernot R; Kübler, Andrea

2015-01-01

Access to the world wide web and multimedia content is an important aspect of life. We present a web browser and a multimedia user interface adapted for control with a brain-computer interface (BCI) which can be used by severely motor impaired persons. The web browser dynamically determines the most efficient P300 BCI matrix size to select the links on the current website. This enables control of the web browser with fewer commands and smaller matrices. The multimedia player was based on an existing software. Both applications were evaluated with a sample of ten healthy participants and three end-users. All participants used a visual P300 BCI with face-stimuli for control. The healthy participants completed the multimedia player task with 90% accuracy and the web browsing task with 85% accuracy. The end-users completed the tasks with 62% and 58% accuracy. All healthy participants and two out of three end-users reported that they felt to be in control of the system. In this study we presented a multimedia application and an efficient web browser implemented for control with a BCI. Both applications provide access to important areas of modern information retrieval and entertainment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

User satisfaction and forces generated during laryngoscopy using disposable Miller blades: a manikin study.

PubMed

Sudhir, G; Wilkes, A R; Clyburn, P; Aguilera, I; Hall, J E

2007-10-01

Increasing awareness of prion-related diseases has led to an increase in the number of disposable laryngoscope blades available. We compared 11 disposable and standard re-usable Miller size 1 blades. In this manikin-based study, we studied user satisfaction for field of view at laryngoscopy, build quality and users' willingness to use the blade in an emergency situation. These were found to be better with metal disposable blades (p

The duration perception of loading applications in smartphone: Effects of different loading types.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenguo; Ge, Yan; Qu, Weina; Zhang, Kan; Sun, Xianghong

2017-11-01

The loading time of a smartphone application is an important issue, which affects the satisfaction of phone users. This study evaluated the effects of black loading screen (BLS) and animation loading screen (ALS) during application loading on users' duration perception and satisfaction. A total of 43 volunteers were enrolled. They were asked to complete several tasks by clicking the icons of each application, such as camera or message. The duration of loading time for each application was manipulated. The participants were asked to estimate the duration, evaluate the loading speed and their satisfaction. The results showed that the estimated duration increased and the satisfaction for loading period declined along with the loading time increased. Compared with the BLS, the ALS prolonged the estimated duration, and lowered the evaluation of speed and satisfaction. We also discussed the tendency and key inflection points of the curves involving the estimated duration, speed evaluation and satisfaction with the loading time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From photons to big-data applications: terminating terabits

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Computer architectures have entered a watershed as the quantity of network data generated by user applications exceeds the data-processing capacity of any individual computer end-system. It will become impossible to scale existing computer systems while a gap grows between the quantity of networked data and the capacity for per system data processing. Despite this, the growth in demand in both task variety and task complexity continues unabated. Networked computer systems provide a fertile environment in which new applications develop. As networked computer systems become akin to infrastructure, any limitation upon the growth in capacity and capabilities becomes an important constraint of concern to all computer users. Considering a networked computer system capable of processing terabits per second, as a benchmark for scalability, we critique the state of the art in commodity computing, and propose a wholesale reconsideration in the design of computer architectures and their attendant ecosystem. Our proposal seeks to reduce costs, save power and increase performance in a multi-scale approach that has potential application from nanoscale to data-centre-scale computers. PMID:26809573

From photons to big-data applications: terminating terabits.

PubMed

Zilberman, Noa; Moore, Andrew W; Crowcroft, Jon A

2016-03-06

Computer architectures have entered a watershed as the quantity of network data generated by user applications exceeds the data-processing capacity of any individual computer end-system. It will become impossible to scale existing computer systems while a gap grows between the quantity of networked data and the capacity for per system data processing. Despite this, the growth in demand in both task variety and task complexity continues unabated. Networked computer systems provide a fertile environment in which new applications develop. As networked computer systems become akin to infrastructure, any limitation upon the growth in capacity and capabilities becomes an important constraint of concern to all computer users. Considering a networked computer system capable of processing terabits per second, as a benchmark for scalability, we critique the state of the art in commodity computing, and propose a wholesale reconsideration in the design of computer architectures and their attendant ecosystem. Our proposal seeks to reduce costs, save power and increase performance in a multi-scale approach that has potential application from nanoscale to data-centre-scale computers. © 2016 The Authors.

Reliability and Validity of Assessing User Satisfaction With Web-Based Health Interventions.

PubMed

Boß, Leif; Lehr, Dirk; Reis, Dorota; Vis, Christiaan; Riper, Heleen; Berking, Matthias; Ebert, David Daniel

2016-08-31

The perspective of users should be taken into account in the evaluation of Web-based health interventions. Assessing the users' satisfaction with the intervention they receive could enhance the evidence for the intervention effects. Thus, there is a need for valid and reliable measures to assess satisfaction with Web-based health interventions. The objective of this study was to analyze the reliability, factorial structure, and construct validity of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire adapted to Internet-based interventions (CSQ-I). The psychometric quality of the CSQ-I was analyzed in user samples from 2 separate randomized controlled trials evaluating Web-based health interventions, one from a depression prevention intervention (sample 1, N=174) and the other from a stress management intervention (sample 2, N=111). At first, the underlying measurement model of the CSQ-I was analyzed to determine the internal consistency. The factorial structure of the scale and the measurement invariance across groups were tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analyses. Additionally, the construct validity of the scale was examined by comparing satisfaction scores with the primary clinical outcome. Multigroup confirmatory analyses on the scale yielded a one-factorial structure with a good fit (root-mean-square error of approximation =.09, comparative fit index =.96, standardized root-mean-square residual =.05) that showed partial strong invariance across the 2 samples. The scale showed very good reliability, indicated by McDonald omegas of .95 in sample 1 and .93 in sample 2. Significant correlations with change in depressive symptoms (r=-.35, P<.001) and perceived stress (r=-.48, P<.001) demonstrated the construct validity of the scale. The proven internal consistency, factorial structure, and construct validity of the CSQ-I indicate a good overall psychometric quality of the measure to assess the user's general satisfaction with Web-based interventions for depression and stress management. Multigroup analyses indicate its robustness across different samples. Thus, the CSQ-I seems to be a suitable measure to consider the user's perspective in the overall evaluation of Web-based health interventions.

Expanding Internationally: OCLC Gears Up.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chepesiuk, Ron

1997-01-01

Describes the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) efforts in China, Germany, Canada, Scotland, Jamaica and Brazil. Discusses FirstSearch, an end-user reference service, and WorldCat, a bibliographic database. Highlights international projects developing increased OCLC online availability, database loading software, CD-ROM cataloging,…

AN AUDITING FRAMEWORK TO SUBSTANTIATE ELECTRONIC RECORDKEEPING PRACTICES

EPA Science Inventory

Quality assurance audits of computer systems help to ensure that the end data meet the needs of the user. Increasingly complex systems require the stepwise procedures outlined below.

The areas reviewed in this paper include both technical and evidentiary criteria. I...

[Goals, goal attainment, and patient satisfaction in psychosomatic rehabilitation].

PubMed

Richter, Matthias; Schmid-Ott, Gerhard; Muthny, Fritz A

2011-01-01

The study assesses patient satisfaction and investigates the correlation between patient satisfaction and the setting and attainment of goals. Cross-sectional questionnaire-based assessment data were provided anonymously by 276 patients at the end of their inpatient stay in psychosomatic rehabilitation. Patient satisfaction as well as sociodemographic, disease-related, and outcome parameters including rehabilitation goals were assessed at the beginning of rehabilitation and their attainment at the end of rehabilitation. Goal-attainment scales based on factor analysis showed a high degree of goal-attainment with respect to "lifestyle and priorities" and "psychotherapeutic goals." Patient satisfaction correlated most significantly with the goal-attainment level at the end of rehabilitation (r=.62) and the subscale "attainment of psychotherapeutic goals" (r=.57). Nonattainment of goals (r=-.55) was more closely related with patient satisfaction than the attainment (r=.40). The results confirm the central role of goal-setting and goal-attainment in rehabilitation, and reveal the necessity of goal-setting assessment of goal-attainment in the process of rehabilitation.

A Socio-Technical Approach to Preventing, Mitigating, and Recovering from Ransomware Attacks.

PubMed

Sittig, Dean F; Singh, Hardeep

2016-01-01

Recently there have been several high-profile ransomware attacks involving hospitals around the world. Ransomware is intended to damage or disable a user's computer unless the user makes a payment. Once the attack has been launched, users have three options: 1) try to restore their data from backup; 2) pay the ransom; or 3) lose their data. In this manuscript, we discuss a socio-technical approach to address ransomware and outline four overarching steps that organizations can undertake to secure an electronic health record (EHR) system and the underlying computing infrastructure. First, health IT professionals need to ensure adequate system protection by correctly installing and configuring computers and networks that connect them. Next, the health care organizations need to ensure more reliable system defense by implementing user-focused strategies, including simulation and training on correct and complete use of computers and network applications. Concomitantly, the organization needs to monitor computer and application use continuously in an effort to detect suspicious activities and identify and address security problems before they cause harm. Finally, organizations need to respond adequately to and recover quickly from ransomware attacks and take actions to prevent them in future. We also elaborate on recommendations from other authoritative sources, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Similar to approaches to address other complex socio-technical health IT challenges, the responsibility of preventing, mitigating, and recovering from these attacks is shared between health IT professionals and end-users.

Usability of eyetracking computer systems and impact on psychological wellbeing in patients with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Linse, Katharina; Rüger, Wolfgang; Joos, Markus; Schmitz-Peiffer, Henning; Storch, Alexander; Hermann, Andreas

2018-05-01

Restrictions in communicative abilities are well known in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but only few approaches in terms of evaluation of supportive technologies have been made. We aimed to assess the use and perceived usability of eye-tracking computer devices (ETCS) of severely impacted patients with ALS in an independent, direct manner and relate it to psychological well-being. ETCS enable active communication and social participation in the quadriplegic and anarthric disease state. Therefore, ETCS-based versions of widely used psychosocial questionnaires (ADI-12, SeiQoL-DW, WHO-5) as well as structured questions on communicative functioning and ETCS usage were developed to assess ALS patients, their next of kin and professional caregivers. Eleven patients (ALSFRS-R: 5.3 ± 5.9; ALS duration: 6.5 ± 3.8 years, range 1‒12; 82% invasively ventilated), nine next of kin and 10 professional caregivers could be assessed. Patients reported a mean use of their personal ETCS of 9.1 h per d (range 0.5‒16), with a high user satisfaction, preservation of communicative abilities and subjective indispensability of the ETCS. ETCS use was associated with higher psychological well-being. Next of kin and professional caregivers also nominated some critical aspect, which remains to be clarified. Our results strengthen the evidence that preserved mental autonomy influences psychological well-being in ALS and might even modify disease course and end-of-life-decisions in ALS.

[Quality perceived by users of minor surgery according to care level and the professionals that carried it out].

PubMed

Oltra Rodríguez, Enrique; Fernández García, Benjamín; Cabiedes Miragaya, Laura; Riestra Rodríguez, Rosario; González Aller, Cristina; Osorio Álvarez, Sofía

2018-04-26

Nowadays minor surgery is performed by di- fferent professionals at primary as well as specialized care. Being a healthcare technology, minor surgery must be assessed in order to achieve an organizational efficiency. User's satisfaction must be one of the quality criteria. That is why an analysis of the quality perceived by users according to where minor surgery takes place and who carries it out is made. This study explores, conducting telephone surveys, the satisfaction of a sample of 275 minor surgery patients of two hospitals and three primary healthcare areas of Asturias. The survey is based on the SERVQUAL model adapting the one used by the Spanish Ministry of Health in 1977. A behavior pattern of satisfaction was established in terms of the variables that increase or diminish it. In every item, satisfaction was perceived as good or very good at least in 84% of the survey users and in the majority was over 95%. There was a significant difference in favour of primary care with respect to waiting time (p less than 0,001), explanations received (p=0,002) and security perceived (p=0,015). The more explanatory variables of excellent satisfaction were the sense of security and the staff attention. The kind of professional did not represent a conditioning factor and the level of healthcare only appeared to be so among those who did not feel safe showing to be less satisfied those treated in primary care. Good quality perceived by users does not seem to be penalized by the fact that minor surgery can be carried out at different healthcare levels or which specialist performs it.

Impact of Doctors' Resistance on Success of Drug Utilization Review System

PubMed Central

Choi, Jong Soo; Yun, Seong Hyeon; Kim, Dongsoo

2014-01-01

Objectives The drug utilization review (DUR) system, which checks any conflict event of medications, contributes to improve patient safety. One of the important barriers in its adoption is doctors' resistance. This study aimed to analyze the impacts of doctors' resistance on the success of the DUR system. Methods This study adopted an augmented the DeLone and McLean Information System (D&M IS) Success Model (2003), which used doctors' resistance as a socio-technological measure. This study framework is the same as that of the D&M IS Success Model in that it is based on qualities, such as system, information, and services. The major difference is that this study excluded the variable 'use' because it was not statistically significant for mandatory systems. A survey of doctors who used computers to enter prescriptions was conducted at a Korean tertiary hospital in February 2012. Results This study is very meaningful in that it is the first study to explore the success factors of the DUR system associated with doctors' resistance. Doctors' resistance to the DUR system was not statistically associated with user usefulness, whereas it affected user satisfaction. Conclusions The results indicate that doctors still complain of discomfort in using the DUR system in the outpatient clinical setting, even though they admit that it contributes to patient safety. To mitigate doctors' resistance and raise user satisfaction, more opinions from doctors regarding the DUR system have to be considered and have to be reflected in the system. PMID:24872908

How happy is your web browsing? A model to quantify satisfaction of an Internet user searching for desired information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerji, Anirban; Magarkar, Aniket

2012-09-01

We feel happy when web browsing operations provide us with necessary information; otherwise, we feel bitter. How to measure this happiness (or bitterness)? How does the profile of happiness grow and decay during the course of web browsing? We propose a probabilistic framework that models the evolution of user satisfaction, on top of his/her continuous frustration at not finding the required information. It is found that the cumulative satisfaction profile of a web-searching individual can be modeled effectively as the sum of a random number of random terms, where each term is a mutually independent random variable, originating from ‘memoryless’ Poisson flow. Evolution of satisfaction over the entire time interval of a user’s browsing was modeled using auto-correlation analysis. A utilitarian marker, a magnitude of greater than unity of which describes happy web-searching operations, and an empirical limit that connects user’s satisfaction with his frustration level-are proposed too. The presence of pertinent information in the very first page of a website and magnitude of the decay parameter of user satisfaction (frustration, irritation etc.) are found to be two key aspects that dominate the web user’s psychology. The proposed model employed different combinations of decay parameter, searching time and number of helpful websites. The obtained results are found to match the results from three real-life case studies.

Evaluating Nurses' Satisfaction With Two Nursing Information Systems.

PubMed

Khajouei, Reza; Abbasi, Reza

2017-06-01

Evaluating user satisfaction is one of the methods to ensure the usability of information systems. Considering the importance of nursing information systems in patient health, the objective of this study is to evaluate nurses' satisfaction with two widely used nursing information systems (Peyvand Dadeh and Tirazhe) in Iran. This descriptive-analytical study was done on 230 nurses in all teaching hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Data were collected using an augmented version of a questionnaire developed by IBM. Data were analyzed by SPSS.16 using descriptive and analytical statistical methods including t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient. The mean of overall satisfaction with the two systems was 61 ± 2.2 and 74 ± 2.4, respectively. The mean of satisfaction with different systems dimensions, that is, ease of use, information quality, and interface quality, was, respectively, 24 ± 1.9, 26 ± 9.7, and 12 ± 4.7 for Tirazhe and 29 ± 1.1, 39 ± 1.04 and 13 ± 5.3 for Peyvand Dadeh system. Nurses' satisfaction with both systems was at a medium level. The majority of nurses were relatively satisfied with the information quality and user interface quality of these systems. The results suggest that designing nursing information systems in accordance with their users' need improves usability. Hence, policy and decision makers of healthcare institutions should invest on usability when purchasing such systems.

Evaluation of users' satisfaction on pedestrian facilities using pair-wise comparison approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainol, R.; Ahmad, F.; Nordin, N. A.; Aripin, A. W. M.

2014-02-01

Global climate change issues demand people of the world to change the way they live today. Thus, current cities need to be redeveloped towards less use of carbon in their day to day operations. Pedestrianized environment is one of the approaches used in reducing carbon foot print in cities. Heritage cities are the first to be looked into since they were built in the era in which motorized vehicles were minimal. Therefore, the research explores users' satisfaction on assessment of physical attributes of pedestrianization in Melaka Historical City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It aims to examine users' satisfaction on pedestrian facilities provided within the study area using pair wise questionnaire comparison approach. A survey of 200 respondents using random sampling was conducted in six different sites namely Jonker Street, Church Street, Kota Street, Goldsmith Street, Merdeka Street to Taming Sari Tower and Merdeka Street to River Cruise terminal. The survey consists of an assessment tool based on a nine-point scale of users' satisfaction level of pathway properties, zebra pedestrian crossing, street furniture, personal safety, adjacent to traffic flow, aesthetic and amenities. Analytical hierarchical process (AHP) was used to avoid any biasness in analyzing the data collected. Findings show that Merdeka Street to Taming Sari Tower as the street that scores the highest satisfaction level that fulfils all the required needs of a pedestrianized environment. Similar assessment elements can be used to evaluate existing streets in other cities and these criteria should also be used in planning for future cities.

Treatment of scalp psoriasis with clobetasol-17 propionate 0.05% shampoo: a study on daily clinical practice.

PubMed

Bovenschen, H J; Van de Kerkhof, P C M

2010-04-01

Safety and clinical effectiveness of clobetasol-17 propionate 0.05% shampoo have been shown in patients with scalp psoriasis. First, to evaluate treatment satisfaction, user convenience safety and effectiveness of clobetasol-17 propionate 0.05% shampoo treatment in daily clinical practice. Second, to identify subgroup variables that may predict treatment success or failure. A total of 56 patients with scalp psoriasis were treated with short-contact clobetasol-17 propionate 0.05% shampoo once daily for 4 weeks. Data on treatment satisfaction, user convenience, safety and effectiveness were assessed on a 7-point Likert scale using postal questionnaires. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify variables that may predict treatment outcome. A total of 41 patients returned both questionnaires (73%). Positive treatment satisfaction and user convenience were reported by 66% and 79% of patients respectively. Patient-rated indicators for disease severity improved by 39-46% (P < 0.05%). No major side-effects were reported. Subgroup analyses did not reveal any statistically significant patient variable that may predict treatment outcome. However, a tendency towards improved treatment satisfaction was observed in patients who had received fewer topical antipsoriatic treatments previously (P > 0.05). Short-contact treatment with clobetasol-17 propionate 0.05% shampoo has high user convenience and patient satisfaction rates. Moreover, the treatment is well-tolerated and efficacious from patients' perspective. Subgroup analyses did not reveal factors predicting treatment outcome, although treatment success tended to be more evident in patients who had received fewer treatments previously.

Developing a tool to measure pharmacoeconomic outcomes of post-surgical pain management interventions.

PubMed

Keller, Deborah S; Smalarz, Amy; Haas, Eric M

2016-01-01

Financial pressures have limited the ability of providers to use medication that may improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. New interventions are often fraught with resistance from individual cost centers. A value realization tool (VRT) is essential for separate cost centers to communicate and comprehend the overall financial and clinical implications of post-surgical pain management medication interventions (PSMI). The goal was to describe development of a VRT. An evaluation of common in-patient PSMI approaches, impacts, and costs was performed. A multidisciplinary task force guided development of the VRT to ensure appropriate representation and relevance to clinical practice. The main outcome was an Excel-based tool that communicates the overall cost/benefit of PSMI for the post-operative patient encounter. The VRT aggregated input data on costs, clinical impact, and nursing burden of PSMI assessment and monitoring into two high-level outcome reports: Overall Cost Impact and Nurse & Patient Impact. Costs included PSMI specific medication, equipment, professional placement, labor, overall/opioid-related adverse events, re-admissions, and length of stay. Nursing impact included level of practice interference, job satisfaction, and patient care metrics. Patient impact included pain scores, opioid use, PACU time, and satisfaction. Reference data was provided for individual institutions that may not collect all variables included in the VRT. The VRT is a valuable way for administrators to assess PSMI cost/benefits and for individual cost centers to see the overall value of individual interventions. The user-friendly, decision-support tool allows the end-user to use built-in referenced or personalized outcome data, increasing relevance to their institutions. This broad picture could facilitate communication across cost centers and evidence-based decisions for appropriate use and impacts of PSMI.

Shell stability analysis in a computer aided engineering (CAE) environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arbocz, J.; Hol, J. M. A. M.

1993-01-01

The development of 'DISDECO', the Delft Interactive Shell DEsign COde is described. The purpose of this project is to make the accumulated theoretical, numerical and practical knowledge of the last 25 years or so readily accessible to users interested in the analysis of buckling sensitive structures. With this open ended, hierarchical, interactive computer code the user can access from his workstation successively programs of increasing complexity. The computational modules currently operational in DISDECO provide the prospective user with facilities to calculate the critical buckling loads of stiffened anisotropic shells under combined loading, to investigate the effects the various types of boundary conditions will have on the critical load, and to get a complete picture of the degrading effects the different shapes of possible initial imperfections might cause, all in one interactive session. Once a design is finalized, its collapse load can be verified by running a large refined model remotely from behind the workstation with one of the current generation 2-dimensional codes, with advanced capabilities to handle both geometric and material nonlinearities.

Computer Animated Representations to Optically Observe Numerical Evaluations (CARTOONE). Computer Generated Animations of Solid Bodies.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

20. it diferent hrem Report) IS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES It. KEY WORDS (Conthu on revere* side if neceeemy md Identify by bock number) Computer Generated...ABSTRACT (Continue an revere side If neceeary end Identity by block mmbr) This report documents the work done in-house by personnel of ASD/ENFTC to develop a...unfamiliar with the system. This report contains a User’s Guide and documents the work done to develop CARTOONE. The work was accomplished from

Machine-assisted editing of user-generated content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremer, Markus; Cook, Randall

2009-02-01

Over recent years user-generated content has become ubiquitously available and an attractive entertainment source for millions of end-users. Particularly for larger events, where many people use their devices to capture the action, a great number of short video clips are made available through appropriate web services. The objective of this presentation is to describe a way to combine these clips by analyzing them, and automatically reconstruct the time line in which the individual video clips were captured. This will enable people to easily create a compelling multimedia experience by leveraging multiple clips taken by different users from different angles, and across different time spans. The user will be able to shift into the role of a movie director mastering a multi-camera recording of the event. To achieve this goal, the audio portion of the video clips is analyzed, and waveform characteristics are computed with high temporal granularity in order to facilitate precise time alignment and overlap computation of the user-generated clips. Special care has to be given not only to the robustness of the selected audio features against ambient noise and various distortions, but also to the matching algorithm used to align the user-generated clips properly.

Analysis of User Interaction with a Brain-Computer Interface Based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials: Case Study of a Game

PubMed Central

de Carvalho, Sarah Negreiros; Costa, Thiago Bulhões da Silva; Attux, Romis; Hornung, Heiko Horst; Arantes, Dalton Soares

2018-01-01

This paper presents a systematic analysis of a game controlled by a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP). The objective is to understand BCI systems from the Human-Computer Interface (HCI) point of view, by observing how the users interact with the game and evaluating how the interface elements influence the system performance. The interactions of 30 volunteers with our computer game, named “Get Coins,” through a BCI based on SSVEP, have generated a database of brain signals and the corresponding responses to a questionnaire about various perceptual parameters, such as visual stimulation, acoustic feedback, background music, visual contrast, and visual fatigue. Each one of the volunteers played one match using the keyboard and four matches using the BCI, for comparison. In all matches using the BCI, the volunteers achieved the goals of the game. Eight of them achieved a perfect score in at least one of the four matches, showing the feasibility of the direct communication between the brain and the computer. Despite this successful experiment, adaptations and improvements should be implemented to make this innovative technology accessible to the end user. PMID:29849549

Analysis of User Interaction with a Brain-Computer Interface Based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials: Case Study of a Game.

PubMed

Leite, Harlei Miguel de Arruda; de Carvalho, Sarah Negreiros; Costa, Thiago Bulhões da Silva; Attux, Romis; Hornung, Heiko Horst; Arantes, Dalton Soares

2018-01-01

This paper presents a systematic analysis of a game controlled by a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP). The objective is to understand BCI systems from the Human-Computer Interface (HCI) point of view, by observing how the users interact with the game and evaluating how the interface elements influence the system performance. The interactions of 30 volunteers with our computer game, named "Get Coins," through a BCI based on SSVEP, have generated a database of brain signals and the corresponding responses to a questionnaire about various perceptual parameters, such as visual stimulation, acoustic feedback, background music, visual contrast, and visual fatigue. Each one of the volunteers played one match using the keyboard and four matches using the BCI, for comparison. In all matches using the BCI, the volunteers achieved the goals of the game. Eight of them achieved a perfect score in at least one of the four matches, showing the feasibility of the direct communication between the brain and the computer. Despite this successful experiment, adaptations and improvements should be implemented to make this innovative technology accessible to the end user.

Discussing Death, Dying, and End-of-Life Goals of Care: A Communication Skills Training Module for Oncology Nurses.

PubMed

Coyle, Nessa; Manna, Ruth; Shen, Megan; Banerjee, Smita C; Penn, Stacey; Pehrson, Cassandra; Krueger, Carol A; Maloney, Erin K; Zaider, Talia; Bylund, Carma L

2015-12-01

Effective communication, particularly at the end of life, is an essential skill for oncology nurses, but few receive formal training in this area. The aim of this article is to adapt an end-of-life care communication skills training (CST) module, originally developed for oncologists, for oncology nurses and to evaluate participants' confidence in using the communication skills learned and their satisfaction with the module. The adapted end-of-life care module consisted of a 45-minute didactic, exemplary video and 90 minutes of small group interaction and experiential role play with a simulated patient. Using a five-point Likert-type scale, 247 inpatient oncology nurses completed pre-/post-workshop surveys rating their confidence in discussing death, dying, and end-of-life goals of care with patients, as well as overall satisfaction with the module. Nurses' confidence in discussing death, dying, and end-of-life goals of care increased significantly after attending the workshop. Nurse participants indicated satisfaction with the module by agreeing or strongly agreeing to all six items assessing satisfaction 90%-98% of the time. Nurses' CST in discussing death, dying, and end-of-life care showed feasibility, acceptability, and potential benefit at improving confidence in having end-of-life care discussions.

Towards a Citizen-Centered E-Government: Exploring Citizens' Satisfaction with E-Government in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jianchuan

2013-01-01

E-government research has been practical and utilitarian, lacking theoretical concerns. Based on the literature of customer satisfaction with private-sector services, citizen/user satisfaction with public services, and information systems management, this study systematically investigates the following factors and their effects on citizen…

Security Aspects of Computer Supported Collaborative Work

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

unstructured tasks at one end 11 and prescriptive tasks at the other. Unstructured tasks are those requiring creative input from a number of users and...collaborative technology begun to mature, it has begun to outstrip prevailing management attitudes. One barrier to telecommuting is the perception that

Towards a Scalable and Adaptive Application Support Platform for Large-Scale Distributed E-Sciences in High-Performance Network Environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Chase Qishi; Zhu, Michelle Mengxia

The advent of large-scale collaborative scientific applications has demonstrated the potential for broad scientific communities to pool globally distributed resources to produce unprecedented data acquisition, movement, and analysis. System resources including supercomputers, data repositories, computing facilities, network infrastructures, storage systems, and display devices have been increasingly deployed at national laboratories and academic institutes. These resources are typically shared by large communities of users over Internet or dedicated networks and hence exhibit an inherent dynamic nature in their availability, accessibility, capacity, and stability. Scientific applications using either experimental facilities or computation-based simulations with various physical, chemical, climatic, and biological models featuremore » diverse scientific workflows as simple as linear pipelines or as complex as a directed acyclic graphs, which must be executed and supported over wide-area networks with massively distributed resources. Application users oftentimes need to manually configure their computing tasks over networks in an ad hoc manner, hence significantly limiting the productivity of scientists and constraining the utilization of resources. The success of these large-scale distributed applications requires a highly adaptive and massively scalable workflow platform that provides automated and optimized computing and networking services. This project is to design and develop a generic Scientific Workflow Automation and Management Platform (SWAMP), which contains a web-based user interface specially tailored for a target application, a set of user libraries, and several easy-to-use computing and networking toolkits for application scientists to conveniently assemble, execute, monitor, and control complex computing workflows in heterogeneous high-performance network environments. SWAMP will enable the automation and management of the entire process of scientific workflows with the convenience of a few mouse clicks while hiding the implementation and technical details from end users. Particularly, we will consider two types of applications with distinct performance requirements: data-centric and service-centric applications. For data-centric applications, the main workflow task involves large-volume data generation, catalog, storage, and movement typically from supercomputers or experimental facilities to a team of geographically distributed users; while for service-centric applications, the main focus of workflow is on data archiving, preprocessing, filtering, synthesis, visualization, and other application-specific analysis. We will conduct a comprehensive comparison of existing workflow systems and choose the best suited one with open-source code, a flexible system structure, and a large user base as the starting point for our development. Based on the chosen system, we will develop and integrate new components including a black box design of computing modules, performance monitoring and prediction, and workflow optimization and reconfiguration, which are missing from existing workflow systems. A modular design for separating specification, execution, and monitoring aspects will be adopted to establish a common generic infrastructure suited for a wide spectrum of science applications. We will further design and develop efficient workflow mapping and scheduling algorithms to optimize the workflow performance in terms of minimum end-to-end delay, maximum frame rate, and highest reliability. We will develop and demonstrate the SWAMP system in a local environment, the grid network, and the 100Gpbs Advanced Network Initiative (ANI) testbed. The demonstration will target scientific applications in climate modeling and high energy physics and the functions to be demonstrated include workflow deployment, execution, steering, and reconfiguration. Throughout the project period, we will work closely with the science communities in the fields of climate modeling and high energy physics including Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) projects to mature the system for production use.« less

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Consumer-Focused Health Information Technology Systems Through eHealth Literacy: A Framework for Understanding Users' Needs.

PubMed

Kayser, Lars; Kushniruk, Andre; Osborne, Richard H; Norgaard, Ole; Turner, Paul

2015-05-20

eHealth systems and applications are increasingly focused on supporting consumers to directly engage with and use health care services. Involving end users in the design of these systems is critical to ensure a generation of usable and effective eHealth products and systems. Often the end users engaged for these participatory design processes are not actual representatives of the general population, and developers may have limited understanding about how well they might represent the full range of intended users of the eHealth products. As a consequence, resulting information technology (IT) designs may not accommodate the needs, skills, cognitive capacities, and/or contexts of use of the intended broader population of health consumers. This may result in challenges for consumers who use the health IT systems, and could lead to limitations in adoption if the diversity of user attributes has not been adequately considered by health IT designers. The objective of this paper is to propose how users' needs and competences can be taken into account when designing new information and communications technology solutions in health care by expanding the user-task-context matrix model with the domains of a new concept of eHealth literacy. This approach expands an existing method for supporting health IT system development, which advocates use of a three-dimensional user-task-context matrix to comprehensively identify the users of health IT systems, and what their needs and requirements are under differing contexts of use. The extension of this model involved including knowledge about users' competences within the seven domains of eHealth literacy, which had been identified based on systematic engagement with computer scientists, academics, health professionals, and patients recruited from various patient organizations and primary care. A concept map was constructed based on a structured brainstorm procedure, card sorting, and computational analysis. The new eHealth literacy concept (based on 7 domains) was incorporated as a key factor in expanding the user-task-context matrix to describe and qualify user requirements and understanding related to eHealth literacy. This resulted in an expanded framework and a five-step process, which can support health IT designers in understanding and more accurately addressing end-users' needs, capabilities, and contexts to improve effectiveness and broader applicability of consumer-focused health IT systems. It is anticipated that the framework will also be useful for policy makers involved in the planning, procuring, and funding of eHealth infrastructure, applications, and services. Developing effective eHealth products requires complete understanding of the end-users' needs from multiple perspectives. In this paper, we have proposed and detailed a framework for modeling users' needs for designing eHealth systems that merges prior work in development of a user-task-context matrix with the emerging area of eHealth literacy. This framework is intended to be used to guide design of eHealth technologies and to make requirements explicitly related to eHealth literacy, enabling a generation of well-targeted, fit-for-purpose, equitable, and effective products and systems.

TmoleX--a graphical user interface for TURBOMOLE.

PubMed

Steffen, Claudia; Thomas, Klaus; Huniar, Uwe; Hellweg, Arnim; Rubner, Oliver; Schroer, Alexander

2010-12-01

We herein present the graphical user interface (GUI) TmoleX for the quantum chemical program package TURBOMOLE. TmoleX allows users to execute the complete workflow of a quantum chemical investigation from the initial building of a structure to the visualization of the results in a user friendly graphical front end. The purpose of TmoleX is to make TURBOMOLE easy to use and to provide a high degree of flexibility. Hence, it should be a valuable tool for most users from beginners to experts. The program is developed in Java and runs on Linux, Windows, and Mac platforms. It can be used to run calculations on local desktops as well as on remote computers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Comparison of Web-based and Small-Group Palliative and End-of-Life Care Curricula: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Study at One Institution

PubMed Central

Day, Frank C.; Srinivasan, Malathi; Der-Martirosian, Claudia; Griffin, Erin; Hoffman, Jerome R.; Wilkes, Michael S.

2014-01-01

Purpose Few studies have compared the effect of web-based eLearning versus small-group learning on medical student outcomes. Palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) education is ideal for this comparison, given uneven access to PEOL experts and content nationally. Method In 2010, the authors enrolled all third-year medical students at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine into a quasi-randomized controlled trial of web-based interactive education (eDoctoring) compared to small-group education (Doctoring) on PEOL clinical content over two months. All students participated in three 3-hour PEOL sessions with similar content. Outcomes included a 24-item PEOL-specific self-efficacy scale with three domains (diagnosis/treatment [Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92, CI: 0.91–0.93], communication/prognosis [alpha = 0.95; CI: 0.93–0.96], and social impact/self-care [alpha = 0.91; CI: 0.88–0.92]); eight knowledge items; ten curricular advantage/disadvantages, and curricular satisfaction (both students and faculty). Results Students were randomly assigned to web-based eDoctoring (n = 48) or small-group Doctoring (n = 71) curricula. Self-efficacy and knowledge improved equivalently between groups: e.g., prognosis self-efficacy, 19%; knowledge, 10–42%. Student and faculty ratings of the web-based eDoctoring curriculum and the small group Doctoring curriculum were equivalent for most goals, and overall satisfaction was equivalent for each, with a trend towards decreased eDoctoring student satisfaction. Conclusions Findings showed equivalent gains in self-efficacy and knowledge between students participating in a web-based PEOL curriculum, in comparison to students learning similar content in a small-group format. Web-based curricula can standardize content presentation when local teaching expertise is limited, but may lead to decreased user satisfaction. PMID:25539518