Passing crisis and emergency risk communications: the effects of communication channel, information type, and repetition.

Three experiments explore several factors which influence information transmission when warning messages are passed from person to person. In Experiment 1, messages were passed down chains of participants using five different modes of communication. Written communication channels resulted in more accurate message transmission than verbal. In addition, some elements of the message endured further down the chain than others. Experiment 2 largely replicated these effects and also demonstrated that simple repetition of a message eliminated differences between written and spoken communication. In a final field experiment, chains of participants passed information however they wanted to, with the proviso that half of the chains could not use telephones. Here, the lack of ability to use a telephone did not affect accuracy, but did slow down the speed of transmission from the recipient of the message to the last person in the chain. Implications of the findings for crisis and emergency risk communication are discussed

Learning medical alarms whilst performing other tasks.

Two studies are reported which first observe, and then attempt to replicate, the cognitive demands of intensive care unit (ICU) activity whilst concurrently learning audible alarms. The first study, an observational study in an ICU ward, showed that the alarms are very frequent and co-occur with some activities more than others. The three most frequently observed activities observed in the ICU were drugs (calculation, preparation and administration), patient observation and talking. The cognitive demands of these activities were simulated in a second, laboratory-based experiment in which alarms were learned. The results showed that performance in the alarm task generally improved as participants were exposed to more repetitions of those alarms, but that performance decrements were observed in the secondary tasks, particularly when there were two or three of them. Some confusions between the alarms persisted to the end of the study despite prolonged exposure to the alarms, confusions which were likely caused by both acoustic and verbal labelling similarities. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: The cognitive demands of working in an ICU were observed and simulated whilst alarms were learned. Alarms should generally avoid sharing similar rhythmic (and other) characteristics. The simulation task described here could be used for testing alarm learning without requiring a clinical environment

The effects of label design characteristics on perceptions of genetically modified food

Objective. To explore the effects on perceptions of labelling food for genetically modified content. Background: there is increasing public pressure for the compulsory labelling of genetically modified food content on all food products, and yet little is known about how the design and content of such food labels will influence product perceptions. The current research draws upon warning label research - a field in which the effect of label design manipulations on perceptions of, and responses to, potential or perceived risks is well documented. Method. Two experiments are reported that investigate how label design features influence the perception of genetically modified foods. The effects of label colour (red, blue and green), wording style (definitive vs. probabilistic and explicit vs. non-explicit) and information source (government agency, consumer group and manufacturer) on hazard perceptions and purchase intentions were measured. Results. Hazard perceptions and purchase intentions were both influenced by label design characteristics in predictable ways. Any reference to genetic modification, even if the label is stating that the product is free of genetically modified ingredients, increased hazard perception, and decreased purchase intentions, relative to a no-label condition. Conclusion. Label design effects generalise from warning label research to influence the perception of genetically modified foods in predictable ways. Application. The design of genetically modified food labels. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Interaction between Musical and Poetic Form Affects Song Popularity: The Case of the Genevan Psalter

Differences in the popularity of individual psalms and melodies from the Genevan Psalter, both in The Netherlands and elsewhere, offer an interesting case study for investigating factors that might influence the popularity of a song. The Genevan psalms form a relatively small set of hymns (N = 150) that has long played an important role in Dutch cultural life, and it is clear that some psalms are more popular than others. Previous researchers have shown that contents and musical mode influence popularity. In this paper we present evidence that interaction between melodic and poetical features also affects song popularity, presumably by affecting processing fluency. Pilot studies generated a set of preference rules, operationalized in two multinomial factors repetition and balanced motion. These were tested in three subsequent studies, in regression analyses on scales indicating the popularity of Genevan psalms or melodies in specific ‘arenas’ (i.e. countries, denominations, and era), both separate regressions and regressions with full models including variables concerning contents, mode, and length. Both repetition and balanced motion turned out to be significant predictors in all regressions. Furthermore, the specific way many Dutch protestants have sung the psalms through the ages plays a part in this interaction

Alarm fatigue in the ward

This article addresses the need of including acoustical perspectives in the debate on alarm fatigue within the healthcare domain. We show how conceptualisations and proposed solutions to alarm fatigue are unequally distributed across what could be called the ‘alarm chain’: a generic model of the core structural elements and dynamic relations that constitute any alarm scenario. A focal point in the alarm chain – the ‘alarm mediation cleft’ – seems to divide the alarm fatigue literature from the segment of the alarm literature that deals with auditory alarm design. The current healthcare discourse on alarm fatigue is centred around the ‘premediated alarm phase’, which has the consequence of an unfortunate dichotomous approach to the functionality of sound. We address some shortcomings of this approach and outline some methodological implications and potentials of searching for signs of alarm fatigue in the ‘post-mediated alarm phase’

A review of human factors principles for the design and implementation of medication safety alerts in clinical information systems.

The objective of this review is to describe the implementation of human factors principles for the design of alerts in clinical information systems. First, we conduct a review of alarm systems to identify human factors principles that are employed in the design and implementation of alerts. Second, we review the medical informatics literature to provide examples of the implementation of human factors principles in current clinical information systems using alerts to provide medication decision support. Last, we suggest actionable recommendations for delivering effective clinical decision support using alerts. A review of studies from the medical informatics literature suggests that many basic human factors principles are not followed, possibly contributing to the lack of acceptance of alerts in clinical information systems. We evaluate the limitations of current alerting philosophies and provide recommendations for improving acceptance of alerts by incorporating human factors principles in their design

Evaluating the application of research-based guidance to the design of an emergency preparedness leaflet

UNLABELLED: Guidelines for the design of emergency communications were derived from primary research and interrogation of the literature. The guidelines were used to re-design a nuclear emergency preparedness leaflet routinely distributed to households in the local area. Pre-test measures of memory for, and self-reported understanding of, nuclear safety information were collected. The findings revealed high levels of non-receipt of the leaflet, and among those who did receive it, memory for safety advice was poor. Subjective evaluations of the trial leaflet suggested that it was preferred and judged easier to understand than the original. Objective measures of memory for the two leaflets were also recorded, once after the study period, and again one week or four weeks later. Memory for the advice was better, at all time periods, when participants studied the trial leaflet. The findings showcase evaluation of emergency preparedness literature and suggest that extant research findings can be applied to the design of communications to improve memory and understandability. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Studies are described that showcase the use of research-based guidelines to design emergency communications and provide both subjective and objective data to support designing emergency communications in this way. In addition, the research evaluates the effectiveness of emergency preparedness leaflets that are routinely distributed to households. This work is of relevance to academics interested in risk communication and to practitioners involved in civil protection and emergency preparedness

A formal approach to discovering simultaneous additive masking between auditory medical alarms

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: A formal approach to discovering simultaneous additive masking between auditory medical alarms journaltitle: Applied Ergonomics articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2016.07.008 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The Recognizability and Localizability of Auditory Alarms: Setting Global Medical Device Standards.

Objective Four sets of eight audible alarms matching the functions specified in IEC 60601-1-8 were designed using known principles from auditory cognition with the intention that they would be more recognizable and localizable than those currently specified in the standard. Background The audible alarms associated with IEC 60601-1-8, a global medical device standard, are known to be difficult to learn and retain, and there have been many calls to update them. There are known principles of design and cognition that might form the basis of more readily recognizable alarms. There is also scope for improvement in the localizability of the existing alarms. Method Four alternative sets of alarms matched to the functions specified in IEC 60601-1-8 were tested for recognizability and localizability and compared with the alarms currently specified in the standard. Results With a single exception, all prototype sets of alarms outperformed the current IEC set on both recognizability and localizability. Within the prototype sets, auditory icons were the most easily recognized, but the other sets, using word rhythms and simple acoustic metaphors, were also more easily recognized than the current alarms. With the exception of one set, all prototype sets were also easier to localize. Conclusion Known auditory cognition and perception principles were successfully applied to an existing audible alarm problem. Application This work constitutes the first (benchmarking) phase of replacing the alarms currently specified in the standard. The design principles used for each set demonstrate the relative ease with which different alarm types can be recognized and localized

A comparison of linear and logarithmic auditory tones in pulse oximeters

This study compared the ability of forty anaesthetists to judge absolute levels of oxygen saturation, direction of change, and size of change in saturation using auditory pitch and pitch difference in two laboratory-based studies that compared a linear pitch scale with a logarithmic scale. In the former the differences in saturation become perceptually closer as the oxygenation level becomes higher whereas in the latter the pitch differences are perceptually equivalent across the whole range of values. The results show that anaesthetist participants produce significantly more accurate judgements of both absolute oxygenation values and size of oxygenation level difference when a logarithmic, rather than a linear, scale is used. The line of best fit for the logarithmic function was also closer to x ¼ y than for the linear function. The results of these studies can inform the development and standardisation of pulse oximetry tones in order to improve patient safety