Online Information-Seeking Behaviours of Men Experiencing Fertility Difficulties

This thesis aims to understand the online information-seeking behaviours of men and how they make sense of and find meaning during their fertility journeys. This research contributes to understanding how online digital tools can support men to fulfil their sense-making and meaning-making needs when they experience fertility difficulties. Research that explores support for pregnancy planning and fertility has predominantly focused on women, and men’s views and experiences are often excluded. A review of existing literature revealed that men were likely to seek digital sources of health-related information for ease and privacy. However, it is yet to be understood how digital tools can best support this population or the opportunities where digital tools would be preferred and used by men. Therefore, this thesis used a qualitative approach to investigate men’s needs when they experienced fertility difficulties and how these needs could be fulfilled using digital tools. Men were found to mainly want information and both practical and emotional support during this time, which led to an instantiation of the ‘finding a new normal’ model based on the analysis of online forum data. Further analysis revealed that this model is also relevant for men outside online forums. Findings from the interview study led to the development of a novel presentation of the fertility journey represented by 9 stages from trying to conceive to conception, through interactions with health services as experienced by men. I highlight how men’s information needs evolve along their fertility journey and how they make sense of and find meaning in information to support the acceptance of a new normal. Participants identified their preference for information to be presented and made available through digital means; therefore, men’s needs were translated into requirements for a digital tool. An evaluation study found that existing digital tools do not completely fulfil men’s evolving requirements for information and support and there is an opportunity for digital tools to be better designed to support men to make sense of, and find meaning in, online information when they experience fertility difficulties

Remi: An AI Conversational Agent to Reminisce with Photos

We propose a conversational AI agent design concept called Remi to signify and celebrate reminiscence. Remi would be a networked digital photo frame. It can engage with older adults and simulate interactions with their loved ones through recognition of uploaded photos, conversation generation around the photographs and interactivity through natural language processing. Remi will allow users to upload old and recent photographs and videos into the device and even voice record anecdotes and memories around the imagery. Old photographs could be restored and turned into a few seconds of ‘live photos’ based on conversations with the user to reminisce with them. Beyond this processing, Remi will have a built-in personality to simulate and prompt conversations around a photograph. This would mean that older adults can interact and talk to Remi whenever they want and converse on demand

Design Recommendations for an Inclusive Online Sexual Health Clinic for Blind and Partially Sighted People

Sexually transmitted infections are highly prevalent in the United Kingdom, and chlamydia, which is largely asymptomatic, is the most common. Digital health is being integrated into health service provision to support the increasing demand for testing and treatment. However, with this integration, there is a need to ensure that the design, development, and deployment of digital health platforms are inclusive and accessible for all. This paper explores the needs of blind and partially sighted people when using an online sexual health clinic through interviews with seven blind and partially sighted people. The findings identified key barriers and facilitators that impact the accessibility of online sexual health clinics, including the accessibility of the visual content, particularly for self-testing and the need to consider the privacy of disclosing sexual health information. We align with the principles of Universal Design and, as such, present design recommendations to inform the design of inclusive online sexual health interventions

Mapping Assistive Technology Start-ups

Assistive technology (AT) is the application of organised knowledge and skills related to assistive products, systems and services designed to maintain or improve an individ-ual’s functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being [1]. We can enable life-changing differences in millions of lives worldwide using and enabling ac-cess to assistive technology. However, with all the incredible innovation, development and distribution of assistive products, there is still a significant gap between design and awareness to access and use of assistive products [2]. This was corroborated through our project to understand the met and unmet needs of AT through a country-capacity assessment [3]. As a part of this project, we carried out 5 focus group discussions with AT Users, policy stakeholders, AT developers, providers and those that work in AT distribution and support (n=31). We explored their experiences of providing and ac-cessing AT, including procurement strategies, adoption of new technologies and provi-sion pathways. Overall, we found that there is still a substantial knowledge gap in as-sistive products, how to access products and funding for needed products. These dis-cussions also enlightened us that word-of-mouth and peer networks are the main ave-nues through which knowledge of assistive products is shared. Difficulties in keeping up with the expanding innovative landscape was raised as a key concern

"It's come around way too quickly!" Can technology help parents provide support during menarche?

Menarche is an important milestone and time of transition, where children and adolescents need information and support. Parents provide significant support, but barriers such as parents’ own lack of confidence and information interfere. Existing technology for menstrual health is not always appropriate or accessible to younger adolescents and children. We ran two studies: Study1, an interview and design study explored how parents support children for menarche, their use of technology for this, and to understand the gaps. Study2 evaluated a design concept based on Study1, to gain further insights. Our findings show that menarche is an emotional time for parents and children; parents provide support and shared sensemaking but there is space for technology in providing scaffolding for parents to provide further support. However, there is a balance between sharing or support and privacy or control that needs to be negotiated between parents and children. We conclude with some reflections

"Like a candy shop with forbidden fruits": Exploring Sexual Desire of Cohabiting Millennial Couples with Technology

Many cohabiting millennials report dissatisfaction about declining levels of sexual desire. Barriers such as desire discrepancy, lack of communication, changing needs, and habituality interfere with sexual desire and relationship satisfaction. This paper explores whether technology has a role in supporting and increasing sexual desire or developing an understanding of different individual needs towards sexual desire within couples’ relationships and how it can do so. To explore this, we conducted a survey (n=77) and interview study (n=12). Results show that participants wanted a shared, dedicated, and protected space to playfully explore their individual desire with each other. They felt technology could facilitate a better understanding of their evolving needs as a couple, motivate open sexual communication, bring spontaneity, and hands-on exploration; however, technology should not inflict judgement or obligations on desire levels; it should help to understand and situate differing needs in a relationship meaningfully. We share our reflections on the role of technology and raise important considerations in such technology design

Information-Seeking, Finding Identity: Exploring the Role of Online Health Information in Illness Experience

The identities we hold have a relationship with how we come to express and understand our experiences of illness. Language forms a means for us to express this understanding and experience to others, and receive information to clarify our own experiences. Having access to new information when undergoing an illness experience can be integral in supporting decision-making for one’s health and well-being and change how we understand ourselves and our experience. Individuals are exposed to information about experiences of illness via search engines, social media, and other platforms online. This online health information may thus significantly influence the decision-making process. Research is needed to understand how the affordances of diverse online hubs for health information influence how people understand illness experiences and seek care. How people use the internet for information-seeking is often researched in individual health conditions. This workshop aims to explore the different methods researchers have used to understand online information-seeking journeys and to identify how the internet is, or can be, used to help users make sense of, and give meaning to, their experiences. Through convening a methodologically diverse set of researchers, we hope to generate a foundation and cohesive field of inquiry and community within HCI

How do women prepare for pregnancy? Preconception experiences of women attending antenatal services and views of health professionals

Copyright: © 2014 Stephenson et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Main objective - To determine the extent to which women plan and prepare for pregnancy. Methods - Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of pregnant women attending three maternity services in London about knowledge and uptake of preconception care; including a robust measure of pregnancy planning, and phone interviews with a range of health care professionals. Main results - We recruited 1173/1288 (90%) women, median age of 32 years. 73% had clearly planned their pregnancy, 24% were ambivalent and only 3% of pregnancies were unplanned. 51% of all women and 63% of those with a planned pregnancy took folic acid before pregnancy. 21% of all women reported smoking and 61% reported drinking alcohol in the 3 months before pregnancy; 48% of smokers and 41% of drinkers reduced or stopped before pregnancy. The 51% of all women who reported advice from a health professional before becoming pregnant were more likely to adopt healthier behaviours before pregnancy [adjusted odds ratios for greatest health professional input compared with none were 2.34 (95% confidence interval 1.54–3.54) for taking folic acid and 2.18 (95% CI 1.42–3.36) for adopting a healthier diet before pregnancy]. Interviews with 20 health professionals indicated low awareness of preconception health issues, missed opportunities and confusion about responsibility for delivery of preconception care. Significance of the findings - Despite a high level of pregnancy planning, awareness of preconception health among women and health professionals is low, and responsibility for providing preconception care is unclear. However, many women are motivated to adopt healthier behaviours in the preconception period, as indicated by halving of reported smoking rates in this study. The link between health professional input and healthy behaviour change before pregnancy is a new finding that should invigorate strategies to improve awareness and uptake of pre-pregnancy health care, and bring wider benefits for public health.Department of Healt

General practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes and views of providing preconception care: a qualitative investigation

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=iups2