User centered ecological interface design (UCEID): A novel method applied to the problem of safe and user-friendly interaction between drivers and autonomous vehicles

© Springer International Publishing AG 2018. User Centered Ecological Interface Design (UCEID) is a novel Human Factors method that integrates relationships between Ecological Interface Design (EID) and inclusive Human Centered Design. It combines existing methodology from the Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) framework [1–3] and Inclusive User Centered Design [4, 5]. This paper offers a practical guide to UCEID by providing a high-level summary for practitioners using the example of vehicle to driver handover in a BASt Level 3 autonomous vehicle

UCEID - the best of both worlds: Combining ecological interface design with user centered design in a novel HF method applied to automated driving

Drawing together the strengths of Ecological Interface Design (EID) and inclusive User Centred Design (UCD), UCEID is a novel Human Factors (HF) method for complex sociotechnical systems. This method ensures user needs are appropriately represented in the constraints based models provided by the Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) framework. The range of methodological approaches adopted, the advantages, disadvantages, tools and training times of UCEID are described. Examples of how to apply the method to the domain of automated driving to produce design concepts are provided, focusing on interactions between drivers and semi autonomous vehicles for a planned BASt level 3 vehicle to driver handover.</p

Efficiency of Autologous Blood Donation in Combination with a Cell Saver in Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty

The increased blood loss and resulting need for allogenic blood has been a major concern of one-stage bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). One hundred eighteen consecutive patients donating either 2 units (87 patients) or 3 units (31 patients) of autologous blood prior to one-stage bilateral TKA were retrospectively evaluated to determine: (1) how many patients received allogenic transfusion; (2) what percentage of autologous blood was wasted; and (3) whether donating 2 or 3 units of autologous blood before surgery is more cost-effective. Fifteen patients in the 2-units donation group (17.2%) and one patient in the 3-units donation group (3.2%) required allogenic blood transfusions. In the 2-units group, 37.9% of the patients wasted 21.8% of predonated autologous blood, and in the 3-units group, 64.5% of the patients wasted 32.3% of predonated autologous blood. The estimated cost for patients donating 2 or 3 units of blood was $1,814.17 and$1,996.10, respectively. Donating 2 units of autologous blood is more cost-effective; however, patients donating 3 units of blood required less allogenic blood

Does ORTO-15 produce valid data for 'Orthorexia Nervosa'? A mixed-method examination of participants' interpretations of the fifteen test items

Purpose: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is defined as a pathological eating behaviour stemming from being “healthy” or “pure”. Survey-based studies typically rely on the ORTO-15 questionnaire or its variations to detect orthorexia. However, frequent post-hoc adjustments to the ORTO-15 suggest psychometric problems. In this study, we explored people’s cognitions about the ORTO-15 items to (1) identify problems specific to ORTO-15 items and (2) explore participants’ understanding of ON symptoms. Methods: Fifty adult participants (40% male, mean age = 34.0 ± 14.4 years) completed the ORTO-15, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory–Revised edition (OCI-R). Qualitative data were collected using the modified “think aloud” protocol, which asked participants to ‘verbalise’ their responses to the ORTO-15 items. These qualitative responses were first analysed conjunctively with the quantitative responses; then subjected to thematic analysis. Results: ORTO-15 identified 64% of the participants for orthorexic tendencies. In most cases (76%), participants reported no issues completing the ORTO-15. However, in some cases, qualitative responses differed from quantitative ones. When people encountered problems, it was because of poor psychometric construction: lack of clarity, ambiguous wording and multiple statements in a single item. Elaborations around the ORTO-15 items formed four major themes: “preoccupation with physical appearance”, “control”, “food is fuel” and “alone, not isolated”. Conclusion: Even though in the majority of cases there were no issues with completing ORTO-15, thematic analysis revealed several discrepancies between our participants’ perceptions of the ORTO-15 items and the previously proposed diagnostic criteria for ON. The results suggest that ORTO-15 is, at best, a mediocre screening tool for ON, which is sensitive to diet but fails to have sufficient level of specificity to detect the pathological stage. More accurate instruments are needed to further research on ON. Level of evidence: V (cross-sectional descriptive study with qualitative analysis)