An Investigation into the usability of Europe PubMed Central Database.

Healthcare professionals and lay people are challenged by the availability and plethora of health information particularly web based which has become increasingly important when diagnosing, advising of preventive measures and in prescribing future care. Access to accurate, reliable and current information in a useable format is becoming essential particularly at the point of care and if patients are to be part of that process. Method: Three volunteers were observed carrying out three separate queries to better evaluate the search engine. Ease of access, user experience, relevance of results and an analysis of the usability method were evaluated. (Appendix 1 Blank Observation Sheet). Participants were questioned after the task and asked to grade the usability of the database, its layout and help facilities. (Appendix 3 Questionnaire Sheet). Results: Volunteers experienced a wide range of difficulties in accessing relevant information reflecting their medical and IT background. The professional clinician accessed results more quickly, but accessed other databases when information on a particular query was difficult to find and then use this information to return to PubMed. Conclusions: PubMed is a specialized medical database that is particularly suitable for medical professionals as all articles are peer reviewed whereas other search engines for example, Google have a wider search base, but their relevance and authenticity is more questionable. It is suggested that lay users should explore multiple search engines to search different types of health information and medical knowledge for their own needs as articles containing less specialised vocabulary can be accessed

An Investigation into the usability of Europe PubMed Central Database.

Healthcare professionals and lay people are challenged by the availability and plethora of health information particularly web based which has become increasingly important when diagnosing, advising of preventive measures and in prescribing future care. Access to accurate, reliable and current information in a useable format is becoming essential particularly at the point of care and if patients are to be part of that process. Method: Three volunteers were observed carrying out three separate queries to better evaluate the search engine. Ease of access, user experience, relevance of results and an analysis of the usability method were evaluated. (Appendix 1 Blank Observation Sheet). Participants were questioned after the task and asked to grade the usability of the database, its layout and help facilities. (Appendix 3 Questionnaire Sheet). Results: Volunteers experienced a wide range of difficulties in accessing relevant information reflecting their medical and IT background. The professional clinician accessed results more quickly, but accessed other databases when information on a particular query was difficult to find and then use this information to return to PubMed. Conclusions: PubMed is a specialized medical database that is particularly suitable for medical professionals as all articles are peer reviewed whereas other search engines for example, Google have a wider search base, but their relevance and authenticity is more questionable. It is suggested that lay users should explore multiple search engines to search different types of health information and medical knowledge for their own needs as articles containing less specialised vocabulary can be accessed

An evaluation framework for virtual reality safety training systems in the South African Mining Industry

The mining industry in South Africa contributes significantly to the national economy. Despite stringent safety legislation, mining accidents cause numerous fatalities and injuries. Inadequate or insufficient training is often cited as a root cause of accidents. Conventional class-based safety training has not reduced the incidence of accidents significantly. By contrast, virtual reality training tools can provide simulated exposure to real-world working conditions without the associated risks. This study describes the application of design-based research (DBR) in the design and development of two desktop virtual reality (VR) systems for safety training in the South African mining industry. The results of a usability context analysis were applied in the design of a VR prototype on generic hazards recognition and rectification, which was used and evaluated at South Africa‘s largest platinum mine site. A case study was conducted to investigate the causes and occurrences of falls of ground, which resulted in the design and development of a second VR prototype focusing on identifying and addressing underground geological conditions. DBR was also used in the generation of an evaluation framework for evaluating VR training systems, namely the Desktop VR Evaluation Framework (DEVREF), which is the major deliverable of the research. DEVREF can make a major contribution to the domain of e-training in mines and is transferable and customisable beyond its initial application. The process flow of the research thus moved beyond merely providing a solution to a complex real-world problem and became a classic DBR study with dual outcomes, namely a practical real-world solution in the form of two VR training systems and a theoretical contribution in the form of the DEVREF evaluation framework. DEVREF evaluates the design of desktop VR training systems in the categories of instructional design, usability, VR systems design, and context-specific criteria for mining. The use of DEVREF is demonstrated by reporting the application of its criteria in evaluating the two VR training systems. Heuristic evaluation, end-user surveys, and interviews were used as evaluation methods. A third contribution is methodological, in that this work proposes a new DBR process model and an interaction design lifecycle model suitable for VR training systems.ComputingD. Phil. (Information Systems