Relative persuasiveness of health infographics, The

2019 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.This study explores the persuasiveness of infographics, as a quantitative communication strategy to support medical decision making and health risk appraisal. compared to its equivalent text-based condition, within in the context of promoting STD and STI prevention and screening among young adults. This work uses the ELM as the guiding theoretical framework in a web-based experiment which utilizes a 2 x 1 posttest only experimental design investigates the influence manipulated visual content and message formats have on health-related persuasive message processing among young adults within in the context of promoting STD and STI prevention and screening among young adults. Predictions based on previous literature and empirical testing suggest that enhancing the vividness of the appearance of a health-related message in an infographic format will enhance elaborative processing, resulting in desired health behavior outcomes. To make these predictions, the study poses research questions that explore the cognitive processing and the number of positive thoughts generated by recipients randomly assigned to the infographic condition. In addition to these research questions, this study poses hypotheses that predict elaborative processing, knowledge, and attitude will be greater in the infographic condition, rather than its text-based equivalent, consistent with previous empirical findings. The results of this study can inform further investigations between these pathways and applications to future health communication strategies

The Digitisation of Sanitation: Transformation to Smart, Scalable and Aspirational Sanitation for All

In 2016 the Toilet Board Coalition ran a Feasibility Study to explore the potential role of mobile and digital applications to drive efficiencies and consumer demand in sanitation business models operating in low-income markets. The following questions were at the centre of our inquiry:- How are sanitation businesses operating in low-income markets using mobile and digital applications in their businesses today?- How are sanitation businesses and entrepreneurs thinking about next generation opportunities for mobile and digital applications for their businesses in the future?- What is needed to build the ecosystem for the digitisation of sanitation for the low income markets?Is there commercial interest and demand from large industrial operations to become buyers and investors into the system? This paper presents the findings of our study in the form of a thought piece on the topic of the digitisation of sanitation for all. Our intent is to present a number of business opportunity spaces, where we believe that value has been left on the table and customer needs unmet, to be explored further in the decade ahead.

T for Toilets: The case for sanitation in schools

Across India, 4,19,092 toilets need to be built or repaired to ensure 100% sanitation coverage in schools. Better school sanitation increases attendance in schools by 11%. Dasra's whitepaper, T for Toilets, outlines the rationale for better school sanitation, highlights government initiatives that foreground sanitation as a national priority, and draws a roadmap for private sector investment in the sanitation sector

Big Data in Science and Healthcare: A Review of Recent Literature and Perspectives

Objectives: As technology continues to evolve and rise in various industries, such as healthcare, science, education, and gaming, a sophisticated concept known as Big Data is surfacing. The concept of analytics aims to understand data. We set out to portray and discuss perspectives of the evolving use of Big Data in science and healthcare and, to examine some of the opportunities and challenges. Methods: A literature review was conducted to highlight the implications associated with the use of Big Data in scientific research and healthcare innovations, both on a large and small scale. Results: Scientists and health-care providers may learn from one another when it comes to understanding the value of Big Data and analytics. Small data, derived by patients and consumers, also requires analytics to become actionable. Connectivism provides a framework for the use of Big Data and analytics in the areas of science and healthcare. This theory assists individuals to recognize and synthesize how human connections are driving the increase in data. Despite the volume and velocity of Big Data, it is truly about technology connecting humans and assisting them to construct knowledge in new ways. Concluding Thoughts: The concept of Big Data and associated analytics are to be taken seriously when approaching the use of vast volumes of both structured and unstructured data in science and health-care. Future exploration of issues surrounding data privacy, confidentiality, and education are needed. A greater focus on data from social media, the quantified self-movement, and the application of analytics to small data would also be useful

Greenovate Boston: 2014 Climate Action Plan Update

The Greenovate Boston 2014 Climate Action Plan Update builds upon seven years of work in reducing citywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preparing for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Beginning with the 2007 Executive Order, the City of Boston set GHG reduction goals of 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 for municipal operations, and requires the City to plan and prepare for the impacts of climate change. In 2011, the City released A Climate of Progress, Boston's first community-wide plan, which set the same GHG reduction goals for all of Boston, while continuing to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Boston has made significant progress toward these goals. Citywide, GHG emissions are 17 percent lower than they were in 2005. Emissions from City government operations have been reduced by almost 25 percent since 2005. Meanwhile, it has become increasingly clear that Boston must also prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change

Visualizing COVID-19 with data: the effects of individual differences on perception of data in news

Mass media and public health organizations' efforts play a significant role in disseminating information and reducing the morbidity and mortality of infectious disease outbreaks. The vast amount of data generated about the pandemic led to the enormous spread of various data visualizations and infographics. Visuals served as the main tools that helped experts and journalists explain the consequences of the pandemic, communicate the facts, and persuade people to follow safety measures. Current research investigates how various formats of news messages such as data visualization and textual content affect an individual's perception of the message, such as message acceptance (positive attitudes about the message, intentions to follow prevention measures, and self-efficacy measure for behavior change), message rejection measures (defensive avoidance, negative attitudes about the message, reactance, anger) as well as credibility and effectiveness of the message. Political partisanship, need for cognition, and graphicacy were used as moderators. Results have demonstrated that the format of the message does not affect acceptance or rejection of the message, while moderators were significant predictors for dependent variables. The computational textual analysis illustrates the differences in topics between partisan groups where Democrats expressed more hope, positive sentiment, and more trust in vaccination, government, media, and science than independents and Republicans who were more prone to conspiracy theory thinking.Includes bibliographical references

Business Intelligence Competencies: Making Healthcare Data Come Alive

Business Intelligence Competencies: Making Healthcare Data Come Alive While a wealth of healthcare related data exists, nurse leaders (NL) have yet to understand its implications and adopt analytical skills to lead in the transformation of care delivery. Information science is at a new frontier for nursing to embrace. It is critical for nursing leadership to advance and support business intelligence (BI) and interactive data visualization (IDV) skills across the organization and advocate for greater engagement of nurses in health system decision making. With these new tools and competencies, nursing and other health professions can innovate best practices, providing enhanced quality, safety, and value in healthcare. The aim of this Doctor of Nursing evidence-based project was to engage NL’s to improve and extend competencies in BI and IDV. A survey was administered to NL’s to assess their knowledge and use of these analytic tools and then guide a process for skill development via two workshops presenting an overview of BI and IDV to NL’s. The use of BI is still in its’ infancy, dashboards tools are beginning to be deployed across healthcare organization, however, data in real time is not readily available, nor is the ability to interact and conduct data discovery. The effectiveness of the education program was evaluated by the attendees’ willingness to participate in workshops covering the basic uses of BI and IDV and understanding of the opportunities to incorporate them into their current leadership role