scholarly journals Mapping of Crowdsourcing in Health: Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. e187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perrine Créquit ◽  
Ghizlène Mansouri ◽  
Mehdi Benchoufi ◽  
Alexandre Vivot ◽  
Philippe Ravaud
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Data Processing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Large Pool ◽  
Median Size

Background Crowdsourcing involves obtaining ideas, needed services, or content by soliciting Web-based contributions from a crowd. The 4 types of crowdsourced tasks (problem solving, data processing, surveillance or monitoring, and surveying) can be applied in the 3 categories of health (promotion, research, and care). Objective This study aimed to map the different applications of crowdsourcing in health to assess the fields of health that are using crowdsourcing and the crowdsourced tasks used. We also describe the logistics of crowdsourcing and the characteristics of crowd workers. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for available reports from inception to March 30, 2016, with no restriction on language or publication status. Results We identified 202 relevant studies that used crowdsourcing, including 9 randomized controlled trials, of which only one had posted results at ClinicalTrials.gov. Crowdsourcing was used in health promotion (91/202, 45.0%), research (73/202, 36.1%), and care (38/202, 18.8%). The 4 most frequent areas of application were public health (67/202, 33.2%), psychiatry (32/202, 15.8%), surgery (22/202, 10.9%), and oncology (14/202, 6.9%). Half of the reports (99/202, 49.0%) referred to data processing, 34.6% (70/202) referred to surveying, 10.4% (21/202) referred to surveillance or monitoring, and 5.9% (12/202) referred to problem-solving. Labor market platforms (eg, Amazon Mechanical Turk) were used in most studies (190/202, 94%). The crowd workers’ characteristics were poorly reported, and crowdsourcing logistics were missing from two-thirds of the reports. When reported, the median size of the crowd was 424 (first and third quartiles: 167-802); crowd workers’ median age was 34 years (32-36). Crowd workers were mainly recruited nationally, particularly in the United States. For many studies (58.9%, 119/202), previous experience in crowdsourcing was required, and passing a qualification test or training was seldom needed (11.9% of studies; 24/202). For half of the studies, monetary incentives were mentioned, with mainly less than US $1 to perform the task. The time needed to perform the task was mostly less than 10 min (58.9% of studies; 119/202). Data quality validation was used in 54/202 studies (26.7%), mainly by attention check questions or by replicating the task with several crowd workers. Conclusions The use of crowdsourcing, which allows access to a large pool of participants as well as saving time in data collection, lowering costs, and speeding up innovations, is increasing in health promotion, research, and care. However, the description of crowdsourcing logistics and crowd workers’ characteristics is frequently missing in study reports and needs to be precisely reported to better interpret the study findings and replicate them.

scholarly journals Mapping of Crowdsourcing in Health: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perrine Créquit ◽  
Ghizlène Mansouri ◽  
Mehdi Benchoufi ◽  
Alexandre Vivot ◽  
Philippe Ravaud
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Data Processing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Large Pool ◽  
Median Size

BACKGROUND Crowdsourcing involves obtaining ideas, needed services, or content by soliciting Web-based contributions from a crowd. The 4 types of crowdsourced tasks (problem solving, data processing, surveillance or monitoring, and surveying) can be applied in the 3 categories of health (promotion, research, and care). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to map the different applications of crowdsourcing in health to assess the fields of health that are using crowdsourcing and the crowdsourced tasks used. We also describe the logistics of crowdsourcing and the characteristics of crowd workers. METHODS MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for available reports from inception to March 30, 2016, with no restriction on language or publication status. RESULTS We identified 202 relevant studies that used crowdsourcing, including 9 randomized controlled trials, of which only one had posted results at ClinicalTrials.gov. Crowdsourcing was used in health promotion (91/202, 45.0%), research (73/202, 36.1%), and care (38/202, 18.8%). The 4 most frequent areas of application were public health (67/202, 33.2%), psychiatry (32/202, 15.8%), surgery (22/202, 10.9%), and oncology (14/202, 6.9%). Half of the reports (99/202, 49.0%) referred to data processing, 34.6% (70/202) referred to surveying, 10.4% (21/202) referred to surveillance or monitoring, and 5.9% (12/202) referred to problem-solving. Labor market platforms (eg, Amazon Mechanical Turk) were used in most studies (190/202, 94%). The crowd workers’ characteristics were poorly reported, and crowdsourcing logistics were missing from two-thirds of the reports. When reported, the median size of the crowd was 424 (first and third quartiles: 167-802); crowd workers’ median age was 34 years (32-36). Crowd workers were mainly recruited nationally, particularly in the United States. For many studies (58.9%, 119/202), previous experience in crowdsourcing was required, and passing a qualification test or training was seldom needed (11.9% of studies; 24/202). For half of the studies, monetary incentives were mentioned, with mainly less than US $1 to perform the task. The time needed to perform the task was mostly less than 10 min (58.9% of studies; 119/202). Data quality validation was used in 54/202 studies (26.7%), mainly by attention check questions or by replicating the task with several crowd workers. CONCLUSIONS The use of crowdsourcing, which allows access to a large pool of participants as well as saving time in data collection, lowering costs, and speeding up innovations, is increasing in health promotion, research, and care. However, the description of crowdsourcing logistics and crowd workers’ characteristics is frequently missing in study reports and needs to be precisely reported to better interpret the study findings and replicate them.

scholarly journals Status of global health fellowship training in the United States and Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e80-e95
Author(s):  
Ann Evensen ◽  
Sean Duffy ◽  
Russell Dawe ◽  
Andrea Pike ◽  
Brett Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Program Directors ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fellowship Training ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Median Size ◽  
Fellowship Programs ◽  
Program Characteristics ◽  
Clear Objective

Background: Increasing numbers of residency graduates desire global health (GH) fellowship training. However, the full extent of training options is not clear. Objective: To identify clinical GH fellowships in all specialties in the U.S. and Canada and to describe their demographics, innovative features, and challenges. Methods: The authors surveyed program directors or designees from GH fellowships with a web-based tool in 2017. Program directors reported demographics and program characteristics. Results: The authors identified 85 potential programs. Fifty-four programs (63.5%) responded confirming 50 fellowships. The number of U.S. GH fellowship programs increased by 89.7% since 2010. One-third of fellowships accepted graduates from more than one specialty. The most common single-specialty programs were Emergency Medicine or Family Medicine. Fellowship duration was most commonly 24 months. Median size was one fellow per year. Funding and lack of qualified applicants were significant challenges. Most programs were funded through fellow billing for patient care or other means of self-support.   Conclusions: The number of U.S. and Canadian GH fellowship programs has nearly doubled since 2010. Programs reported lack of funding and qualified applicants as their most significant challenges. Consensus amongst stakeholders regarding training requirements may improve outcomes for future fellows, their employers, and the patients they serve.

scholarly journals The effect of deadlines on cancer screening completion: a randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicea Lieberman ◽  
Ayelet Gneezy ◽  
Emily Berry ◽  
Stacie Miller ◽  
Mark Koch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The United States ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Crc Screening ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Prevention And Early Detection

AbstractCancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Although screening facilitates prevention and early detection and is one of the most effective approaches to reducing cancer mortality, participation is low—particularly among underserved populations. In a large, preregistered field experiment (n = 7711), we tested whether deadlines—both with and without monetary incentives tied to them—increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We found that all screening invitations with an imposed deadline increased completion, ranging from 2.5% to 7.3% relative to control (ps < .004). Most importantly, individuals who received a short deadline with no incentive were as likely to complete screening (9.7%) as those whose invitation included a deadline coupled with either a small (9.1%) or large declining financial incentive (12.0%; ps = .57 and .04, respectively). These results suggest that merely imposing deadlines—especially short ones—can significantly increase CRC screening completion, and may also have implications for other forms of cancer screening.

scholarly journals Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based HPV Vaccination Intervention for Young Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul L. Reiter ◽  
Amy L. Gower ◽  
Dale E. Kiss ◽  
Molly A. Malone ◽  
Mira L. Katz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
Text Message ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hpv Infection ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Sex With Men

BACKGROUND Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men experience several disparities related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, including high incidence rates of anal cancer. HPV vaccine is currently recommended for young adults, yet HPV vaccine coverage is low among young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YGBMSM). OBJECTIVE We describe the design and methods for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to rigorously evaluate Outsmart HPV, a population-targeted, individually-tailored web-based HPV vaccination intervention for YGBMSM. The RCT is designed to determine the efficacy of the intervention, the mechanism by which the intervention has an effect (i.e., mediation), and whether efficacy varies by participant characteristics (i.e., moderation). METHODS Outsmart HPV was previously developed and pilot-tested. The current study is a three-arm prospective RCT that will enroll a projected 1995 YGBMSM who are ages 18-25, live in the United States, and have not received any doses of HPV vaccine. Participants will be recruited via paid advertisements on social media sites and randomized to receive either: (a) standard information online about HPV vaccine (control group); (b) Outsmart HPV content online with monthly unidirectional vaccination reminders sent via text message; or (c) Outsmart HPV content online with monthly interactive vaccination reminders sent via text message. Participants will complete online surveys at four time points during the study: baseline; immediately after engaging with online content; three months after randomization; and nine months after randomization. Primary outcomes will include both HPV vaccine initiation (i.e., receipt of one or more doses of HPV vaccine) and completion (receipt of all three doses recommended for this age range). We will examine constructs from the intervention’s theoretical framework as potential mediators, and we will examine demographic and health-related characteristics as potential moderators of intervention effects. RESULTS The Institutional Review Board at The Ohio State University has approved the study. Materials have been developed and finalized for all study groups. Recruitment for the RCT is scheduled to begin in Fall 2019. CONCLUSIONS If shown to be efficacious, Outsmart HPV has the potential to fill an important gap by promoting HPV vaccination among a population at increased risk of HPV infection and HPV-related disease. CLINICALTRIAL The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04032106 (available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04032106).

scholarly journals Effectiveness of the Fun for Wellness Web-Based Behavioral Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Adults With Obesity (or Overweight): Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/15919 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e15919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas D Myers ◽  
Adam McMahon ◽  
Isaac Prilleltensky ◽  
Seungmin Lee ◽  
Samantha Dietz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The United States ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Insufficient Physical Activity

Background Insufficient physical activity in the adult population is a global pandemic. Fun for Wellness (FFW) is a self-efficacy theory- and Web-based behavioral intervention developed to promote growth in well-being and physical activity by providing capability-enhancing opportunities to participants. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FFW to increase physical activity in adults with obesity in the United States in a relatively uncontrolled setting. Methods This was a large-scale, prospective, double-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited through an online panel recruitment company. Adults with overweight were also eligible to participate, consistent with many physical activity–promoting interventions for adults with obesity. Also consistent with much of the relevant literature the intended population as simply adults with obesity. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (ie, FFW) or the usual care (ie, UC) group via software code that was written to accomplish equal allocations to the FFW and UC groups. Data collection was Web based, fully automated, and occurred at three time points: baseline, 30 days after baseline (T2), and 60 days after baseline (T3). Participants (N=461) who were assigned to the FFW group (nFFW=219) were provided with 30 days of 24-hour access to the Web-based intervention. A path model was fit to the data consistent with the FFW conceptual model for the promotion of physical activity. Results There was evidence for a positive direct effect of FFW on transport-related physical activity self-efficacy (beta=.22, P=.02; d=0.23), domestic-related physical activity self-efficacy (beta=.22, P=.03; d=0.22), and self-efficacy to regulate physical activity (beta=.16, P=.01; d=0.25) at T2. Furthermore, there was evidence for a positive indirect effect of FFW on physical activity at T3 through self-efficacy to regulate physical activity at T2 (beta=.42, 95% CI 0.06 to 1.14). Finally, there was evidence for a null direct effect of FFW on physical activity (beta=1.04, P=.47; d=0.07) at T3. Conclusions This study provides some initial evidence for both the effectiveness (eg, a positive indirect effect of FFW on physical activity through self-efficacy to regulate physical activity) and the ineffectiveness (eg, a null direct effect of FFW on physical activity) of the FFW Web-based behavioral intervention to increase physical activity in adults with obesity in the United States. More broadly, FFW is a scalable Web-based behavioral intervention that may effectively, although indirectly, promote physical activity in adults with obesity and therefore may be useful in responding to the global pandemic of insufficient physical activity in this at-risk population. Self-efficacy to regulate physical activity appears to be a mechanism by which FFW may indirectly promote physical activity in adults with obesity. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03194854.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Effectiveness of Identity-Based Public Health Announcements in Increasing the Likelihood of Complying With COVID-19 Guidelines: Randomized Controlled Cross-sectional Web-Based Study

10.2196/25762 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e25762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S Dennis ◽  
Patricia L Moravec ◽  
Antino Kim ◽  
Alan R Dennis
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Christian Identity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Identity Based

Background Public health campaigns aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 are important in reducing disease transmission, but traditional information-based campaigns have received unexpectedly extreme backlash. Objective This study aimed to investigate whether customizing of public service announcements (PSAs) providing health guidelines to match individuals’ identities increases their compliance. Methods We conducted a within- and between-subjects, randomized controlled cross-sectional, web-based study in July 2020. Participants viewed two PSAs: one advocating wearing a mask in public settings and one advocating staying at home. The control PSA only provided information, and the treatment PSAs were designed to appeal to the identities held by individuals; that is, either a Christian identity or an economically motivated identity. Participants were asked about their identity and then provided a control PSA and treatment PSA matching their identity, in random order. The PSAs were of approximately 100 words. Results We recruited 300 social media users from Amazon Mechanical Turk in accordance with usual protocols to ensure data quality. In total, 8 failed the data quality checks, and the remaining 292 were included in the analysis. In the identity-based PSA, the source of the PSA was changed, and a phrase of approximately 12 words relevant to the individual’s identity was inserted. A PSA tailored for Christians, when matched with a Christian identity, increased the likelihood of compliance by 12 percentage points. A PSA that focused on economic values, when shown to individuals who identified as economically motivated, increased the likelihood of compliance by 6 points. Conclusions Using social media to deliver COVID-19 public health announcements customized to individuals’ identities is a promising measure to increase compliance with public health guidelines. Trial Registration ISRCTN Registry 22331899; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN22331899.

scholarly journals POP4Teens: Results of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based program to prevent adolescent prescription opioid misuse (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Marsch ◽  
Sarah K. Moore ◽  
Michael Grabinski ◽  
Sarah E. Bessen ◽  
Jacob Borodovsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The United States ◽  
Prescription Opioid ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Prescription opioid use is not uncommon among adolescents in the United States. Despite recent declines from unprecedented peaks in adolescent prescription opioid (PO) use, there is seemingly paradoxical evidence that prescription opioid-related consequences (e.g., opioid use disorder and overdoses) are increasing. These trends and their possible consequences emphasize the importance of prevention efforts targeting PO misuse. To our knowledge, we have developed the first interactive, web-based program focused specifically on prevention of PO misuse among adolescents. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based program designed to prevent adolescent prescription opioid (PO) misuse, Pop4Teens (P4T) compared to an active control website, Just Think Twice (JTT) on impacting PO-related attitudes, knowledge, risk perception and intentions to use. METHODS We conducted an online, randomized controlled trial in 2018. A total of 406 adolescents (aged 12-17) were randomly assigned to P4T or JTT. The outcome variables were attitudes, knowledge, and risk perceptions associated with PO misuse, intentions to use POs, and program feedback. Data were collected at baseline, 1-, 3-, and 6-months. RESULTS Both programs produced significant and sustained improvements on intentions to use POs, increased perceived risk, impacted expectancies consistent with prevention, and improved PO refusal skills. P4T produced significantly greater increases in PO-related knowledge compared to JTT and was reportedly easier to use and more liked. Baseline scores for youth reporting past-year medical use of POs, friends who engage in non-medical use of prescription opioids, and/or poor mental health underscored their at-risk status compared to youth who were not in those groups. CONCLUSIONS P4T positively impacted all study variables consistent with preventing PO misuse among teens. P4Ts online nature simplifies dissemination and implementation of this novel tool designed to help meet the challenges of the evolving national opioid crisis. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02737696; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02737696?term=marsch&rank=6

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