When staff handle staph : user-driven versus expert-driven communication of infection control guidelines

Health care-associated infections cause thousands of preventable deaths each year. Therefore, it is crucial that health care workers (HCWs) adhere to infection control guidelines. Although most HCWs are aware of the rationale for guidelines, adherence is generally poor, which might be caused by the guidelines’ expert-driven character. Whereas traditional, paper-based guidelines have a strong focus on scientific validation, regulation, and legislation, HCWs’ information need is rather action-oriented.\ud \ud Based on extensive user-centered research involving HCWs (comprised of eight studies including Card Sort, scenario testing with thinking aloud, prototyping, interviewing, etc), a multimodal website was developed that presents evidence-based guidelines as answers to questions that reflect HCWs’ practical informational needs. \ud \ud Evaluation studies showed that the website outperformed the traditional, paper-based guidelines with regard to efficiency (time for task completion decreased significantly from six to two minutes), effectiveness (successful task completion rate increased significantly from 50% to 90%), and user satisfaction. The website appeared to ‘empower’ HCWs since it allowed them to take decisions for daily work practice, and thereby reduced infection control professionals’ workload. \ud \ud Since a website in itself is not enough to change HCWs’ behavioral intention to adhere to the guidelines, the factors that affect adoption of the website in daily work practice were investigated next to the determinants of intention to adhere. These factors were considered during the implementation phase of the website. \ud \ud The studies that together composed the user-centered design process of the website are described in a dissertation (thesis defense October 2nd, 2009). This dissertation provides the methodological steps and design principles necessary to communicate user-driven guidelines via a website and suggests how to optimally implement this website in daily work practice, in order to enhance effective and efficient risk- and crisis communication. Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (also known as “hospital bacteria”) served as a case study for this dissertation research, but the thesis might also serve as a manual for the communication of guidelines regarding all types of infectious diseases, such as Mexican flu (H1N1)). This is subject of future research.\ud \ud Furthermore, future studies will concentrate on the development of e-learning strategies for HCWs and incorporating an advanced dialogue system into the website

Matching Queries to Frequently Asked Questions: Search Functionality for the MRSA Web-Portal

As part of the long-term EUREGIO MRSA-net project a system was developed which enables health care workers and the general public to quickly find answers to their questions regarding the MRSA pathogen. This paper focuses on how these questions can be answered using Information Retrieval (IR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques on a Frequently-Asked-Questions-style (FAQ) database

Implementing supply chain partnering in the construction industry

Although much research has been conducted about advantages and challenges for supply chain partnering (SCP) in the construction sector, focus has been mostly on formal aspects of implementation within organizations. Understanding social aspects, however, might be just as crucial to implementation of SCP as understanding managerial and intraorganizational dynamics. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a study in which a work floor professional together with a researcher tried to contribute to the implementation of SCP within the maintenance and refurbishment processes of a Dutch housing association. The results showed that stakeholders could not come to shared understanding of strategic needs, and that that pattern influences and was influenced by social aspects such as leadership and trust, which confirms the importance of explicit attention for social interactions at work floor level for successful implementation of supply chain partnering

MRSA bestrijden zonder dik protocol

Zorgpersoneel moet zich eerst door dikke protocollen worstelen als er zich in hun ziekenhuis een MRSA-besmetting aandient. Die protocollen zijn gauw vijftig tot soms wel honderdvijftig pagina’s dik. Dat is geen doen, en het vergt bovendien kostbare tijd. Volgens communicatiewetenschapper Fenne Verhoeven hebben experts op het gebied van infectiepreventie een heel andere kijk op de opbouw en presentatie van protocollen dan professionals die ze moeten toepassen. Ze heeft onderzocht hoe dat beter kon en maakte een website: www.mrsa-net.nl. In de bestaande protocollen staat gedetailleerd omschreven hoe om te gaan met patiënten die besmet zijn

POKO-pilot smaakt naar meer: Hoe stimuleer je eten en bewegen?

Om de kans op complicaties te verlagen en de overlevingskans en de kwaliteit van leven te verhogen, is het erg belangrijk dat kinderen met kanker tijdens de behandeling goed blijven eten en bewegen. Dat is echter moeilijk als je je slap en misselijk voert. Het UMCG startte daarom samen met vijf creatieve bureaus en het lectoraat Co-design van de Hogeschool Utrecht (HU) een bijzonder project waarbij kinderen en ouders nauw betrokken waren

Designing for Embodied Empowerment of people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Workshop paper Taking an embodied perspective, we report on the design of two interactive products aimed at empowering people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder in coping with challenges of everyday life. Our Research-through-Design study combined theory with hands-on co-design work and in situ user observation, in close collaboration with clients and their professional caretakers, constructing experienceable prototypes as tangible anchors for reflection. Reflection resulted in guiding principles addressing the design potential of designing for Embodied Empowerment, centering on the client’s embodied-being-in-the-world

To Shed Some Light on Empowerment: Towards Designing for Embodied Functionality

from the article: "We present a case study as part of an investigation into the value of Embodied theory for the design of mixed physical digital interactive products. An interactive light system was designed that empowers an independent living person with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in managing domestic activities. Reflecting on the case we develop our vision of Embodied Functionality (EF). Designing for EF goes beyond ‘distributing’ information technology in the environment. It aims at creating interactive physical digital products that play a functional role (i.e. become part of) a person’s embodied being‐in‐the- world, involving a person’s identity. It does so by utilizing existing structure and by supporting action ‐perception couplings, reflection in- and on action and autonomy in social coordination. EF opens up an alternative design space holding the promise of a more successful appropriation of interactive (assistive) products into people’s everyday lives.

Social media voor een gezonde mond

Uit het artikel: "Social media zijn alle internettoepassingen waarmee het mogelijk is om informatie met elkaar te delen op een gebruiksvriendelijke en aantrekkelijke wijze. Niet alleen informatie in de vorm van tekst, maar ook geluid en beeld worden gedeeld via social media websites. Bekende voorbeelden zijn Facebook, Hyves, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn en Twitter. Onderzoekers van de Universiteit Twente gaan in opdracht van het Ivoren Kruis interviews houden bij dentale praktijken. Met uw kennis en mening worden vervolgens nieuwe methoden ontwikkeld voortoepassing van social media voor het bevorderen van mondgezondheid bij uw patiënten.