Reflections of affect in studies of information behavior in HIV/AIDS contexts : an exploratory quantitative content analysis

Information seeking and use are critically important for people living with HIV/AIDS and for those who care for people with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the HIV/AIDS context is characterized by significant affective or emotional aspects including stigma, fear, and coping. Thus, studies of information behavior in this context should be expected to take account of emotional variables. In information behavior scholarship, emotional variables have been marginalized in favor of a focus on cognitive aspects, although in recent years greater attention has been paid to the affective realm. This study used quantitative content analysis to explore the degree to which information behavior studies across a range of disciplines actually include affect or emotion in their analyses. Findings suggest that most studies pay little or no attention to these variables, and that attention has not changed over the past 20 years. Those studies that do account for emotion, however, provide excellent examples of information behavior research that can lead the way for future work.http://www.journals.elsevier.com/library-and-information-science-researchhb201

J Biomed Inform

BackgroundMobile technologies are a useful platform for the delivery of health behavior interventions. Yet little work has been done to create a rigorous and standardized process for the design of mobile health (mHealth) apps. This project sought to explore the use of the Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guide for the design of mHealth apps.MethodsOur work was guided by the ISR framework which is comprised of 3 cycles: Relevance, Rigor and Design. In the Relevance cycle, we conducted 5 focus groups with 33 targeted end-users. In the Rigor cycle, we performed a review to identify technology-based interventions for meeting the health prevention needs of our target population. In the ISR Design Cycle, we employed usability evaluation methods to iteratively develop and refine mock-ups for a mHealth app.ResultsThrough an iterative process, we identified barriers and facilitators to the use of mHealth technology for HIV prevention for high-risk MSM, developed \u2018use cases\u2019 and identified relevant functional content and features for inclusion in a design document to guide future app development. Findings from our work support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for designing future mHealth apps.DiscussionResults from this work provide detailed descriptions of the user-centered design and system development and have heuristic value for those venturing into the area of technology-based intervention work. Findings from this study support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for future mobile health (mHealth) app development.ConclusionUse of the ISR framework is a potentially useful approach for the design of a mobile app that incorporates end-users\u2019 design preferences.P30 MH062246/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United StatesT15 LM007079/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States1U01PS00371501/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHS/United StatesP30 MH043520/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United StatesU01 PS003715/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHS/United States2017-04-01T00:00:00Z26903153PMC4837063vault:1685

Investigation of a Novel Formal Model for Mobile User Interface Design

Mobile user interfaces are becoming increasingly complex due to the expanding range of functionalities that they incorporate, which poses significant difficulties in software development. Formal methods are beneficial for highly complex software systems, as they enable the designed behaviour of a mobile user interface (UI) to be modelled and tested for accuracy before implementation. Indeed, assessing the compatibility between the software specification and user requirements and verifying the implementation in relation to the specification are essential procedures in the development process of any type of UI. To ensure that UIs meet users‘ requirements and competences, approaches that are based on interaction between humans and computers employ a variety of methods to address key issues. The development of underlying system functionality and UIs benefit from formal methods as well as from user-interface design specifications. Therefore, both approaches are incorporated into the software development process in this thesis. However, this integration is not an easy task due to the discrepancies between the two approaches. It also includes a method, which can be applied for both simple and complex UI applications. To overcome the issue of integrating both approaches, the thesis proposes a new formal model called the Formal Model of Mobile User Interface Design (FMMUID). This model is devised to characterise the composition of the UI design based on hierarchical structure and a set theory language. To determine its applicability and validity, the FMMUID is implemented in two real-world case studies: the quiz game iPlayCode and the social media application Social Communication (SC). A comparative analysis is undertaken between two case studies, where each case study has three existing applications with similar functionality in terms of structure and numbers of elements, functions and colours. Furthermore, the case studies are also assessed from a human viewpoint, which reveals that they possess better usability. The assessment supports the viability of the proposed model as a guiding tool for software development. The efficiency of the proposed model is confirmed by the result that the two case studies are less complex than the other UI applications in terms of hierarchical structure and numbers of elements, functions and colours, whilst also presenting acceptable usability in terms of the four examined dimensions: usefulness, information quality, interface quality, and overall satisfaction. Hence, the proposed model can facilitate the development process of mobile UI applications

Examining the systemic accident analysis research-practice gap

In order to enhance safety and prevent the recurrence of major accidents it is necessary to understand why they occur. This understanding is gained by utilising accident causation theory to explain why a certain combination of events, conditions and actions led to a given outcome: the process of accident analysis. At present, the systems approach to accident analysis is arguably the dominant research paradigm. Based on the concepts of systems theory, it views accidents as the result of unexpected and uncontrolled relationships between a system s components. Various researchers claim that use of the systems approach, via systemic accident analysis, provides a deeper understanding of accidents when compared with traditional theories. However, the systems approach and its analysis techniques are yet to be widely adopted by the practitioner community and, therefore, a research-practice gap exists. The implication of such a gap is that practitioners may be applying outdated accident causation theory and, consequently, producing ineffective safety recommendations. The aim of this thesis was to develop the current understanding of the systemic accident analysis research-practice gap by providing a description of the gap, considering its extent and examining issues associated with bridging it. Four studies were conducted to achieve this aim. The first study involved an evaluation of the systemic accident analysis literature and techniques, in order to understand how their characteristics could influence the research-practice gap. The findings of the study revealed that the systems approach is not presented in a consistent or clear manner within the research literature and that this may hinder its acceptance by practitioners. In addition, a number of issues were identified (e.g. model validation, analyst bias and limited usage guidance) which may influence the use of systemic analysis methods within industry. The examination of how the analysis activities of practitioners may contribute to the gap motivated Study 2. This study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 42 safety professionals and various factors, which affect the awareness, adoption and usage of the systems approach and its analysis methods, were highlighted. The combined findings of Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that the systemic accident analysis research-practice gap is multifaceted in nature. Study 3 investigated the extent of the gap by considering whether the most widely used analysis technique (the Swiss Cheese Model) can provide a systems approach to accident analysis. The analysis of a major rail accident was performed with a model based on the Swiss Cheese Model and two systemic analysis methods. The outputs and usage of the three analysis tools were compared and indicate that the Swiss Cheese Model does provide a means of conducting systemic accident analysis. Therefore, the extent of the research-practice gap may not be as considerable as some proponents of the systems approach suggest. The final study aimed to gain an insight into the application of a systemic accident analysis method by practitioners, in order to understand whether it meets their needs. Six trainee accident investigators took part in an accident investigation simulation and subsequently analysed the data collected during the exercise with the Systems Theoretic Accident Modelling and Processes model. The outputs of the participants analyses were studied along with the evaluation feedback they provided via a questionnaire and focus group. The main findings of the study indicate that the analysis technique does not currently meet the usability or graphical output requirements of practitioners and, unless these issues are addressed, will struggle to gain acceptance within industry. When considering the research findings as a whole a number of issues are highlighted. Firstly, given the benefits of adopting the systems approach, efforts to bridge the systemic accident analysis research-practice gap should be made. However, the systemic analysis methods may not be best suited to analyse every type of accident and, therefore, should be considered as one part of an investigator s analysis toolkit . Adapting the systemic analysis methods to meet the needs of practitioners and communicating the systems approach more effectively represent two options for bridging the gap. However, due to the multidimensional nature of the gap and the wide variety of individuals, organisations and industries that perform accident analysis, it seems likely that tailored solutions will be required. Furthermore, due to the differing needs of the research and practice communities, efforts to bridge the gap should focus on collaboration between the two communities rather than attempting to close the gap entirely

Factors affecting the adoption and use of Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems in cancer treatment services

Background: Healthcare services around the world have developed computerised information systems to gradually replace traditional paper-based medical records. In oncology services, a diverse range of multi-organisational patient record systems are currently undergoing continuous development and improvement. Achieving technology acceptance in clinical environments is a complex aspect of the development and implementation of socio-technical systems. Whilst there has been previous research conducted about technology acceptance in oncology, gaps and limitations remain unexplored, particularly in relation to the full range of EPR system functionality. From a clinical end users’ perspective, this research aimed to discover the factors that influence clinicians’ attitudes towards and their use of oncology EPR systems. Methodology: This mixed methods research comprised two studies. In the first exploratory study, a patient records survey questionnaire was conducted to gather information about participants’ use of patient records and clinical information systems at a large regional cancer hospital. The findings and themes that emerged from the first study were used in conjunction with a social-technical systems theoretical framework to design and structure the second study. In the second study, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with oncologists to further investigate their views and identify key factors that affect their adoption and use of EPR systems. Phenomenography was used as the main qualitative approach for analysing the interview transcripts, and the researcher identified categories of description and the “outcome space” that explains the different ways that oncologists think about EPR systems. Following triangulation of the results, the findings were developed into recommendations for further research and practical guidance for health informatics practitioners in the form of a conceptual reference model, CICERO (Comprehensive, Integrated, Customised Electronic Records for Oncology). Findings: The exploratory study found that while the majority of respondents found the existing EPR systems easy to use, a range of factors affected the full adoption and use of these systems. Medical staff, in particular, reported problems with accessibility, integration, and usability. The qualitative study found that the alignment of technology, tasks, and individuals could be improved with increased emphasis on understanding the fit between oncologists and the clinical tasks they perform. Phenomenographical analyses produced an outcome space that included three categories of description related to the qualitatively different ways in which oncologists think about EPR systems. In the first category, oncologists thought of EPR systems as a simple legal record of a patient’s care and treatment; in the second category, where most oncologists were positioned, they viewed EPR systems as a means of providing information to aid memory and communication; and in the third category, oncologists thought of EPR systems as advanced tools for clinical workflow, decision support, and interoperability. Conclusion: Various socio-technical factors should be considered when designing, developing, and implementing EPR systems in oncology, with a view to maximising technology acceptance by clinical end users. In line with prior studies, the key factors identified were accessibility, integration, and usability. Additional factors included clinical staff participation in system design and development activities. In summary, oncologists are more likely to perceive EPR systems in the third category of description and adopt them if they can see specific benefits being gained from their use. Keywords: Oncology, information systems, electronic patient records, technology acceptance, cancer services, socio-technical systems