scholarly journals Development and Evaluation of ‘FH Family Share’— A Web-Based Tool to Increase Uptake of Cascade Testing for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hana Bangash ◽  
Ahmed Makkawy ◽  
Justin H Gundelach ◽  
Alexandra A Miller ◽  
Kimberly A Jacobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Familial Hypercholesterolemia ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Usability Testing ◽  
Web Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Knowledge Resources ◽  
Cascade Testing ◽  
The Us ◽  
Cognitive Walkthrough ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a prevalent genetic disorder, remains significantly underdiagnosed in the United States (US). Cascade testing, whereby diagnosed FH probands can contact their family members and inform them of their risk for FH, has low uptake in the US. Digital tools are needed to facilitate communication between FH probands and their family members and promote sharing of FH-related risk information. OBJECTIVE In this report we describe the creation and evaluation of a web-based tool designed to enhance familial communication and promote cascade testing for FH. METHODS A hybrid type 1 implementation science framework and a user-centered design process were used to develop an interactive web-based tool — ‘FH Family Share,’ that enables FH probands to communicate information about their FH diagnosis with at risk relatives. Probands can also use FH Family Share to draw a family pedigree, learn more about FH through education modules and access curated knowledge resources. Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) were taken into account during the design and development of the tool. The initial prototype underwent a ‘cognitive walkthrough’ conducted by usability experts, which was followed by usability testing with key stakeholders including genetic counselors (GCs) and FH patients. Participants navigated the prototype and employed the ‘Think Aloud’ technique to share feedback that was used to refine features of FH Family Share. Usability testing was informed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Quality Standards for Usability. RESULTS Six key themes emerged from the cognitive walkthrough including: Design, Format, Navigation, Terminology, Instructions and Learnability. Expert feedback from the cognitive walkthrough resulted in a rebuild of the web-tool to align it with institutional standards. Usability testing with GCs and FH patients provided key insights on user experience, satisfaction and interface design and highlighted specific modifications that were made to iteratively refine the features of FH Family Share and facilitate its clinical integration. GCs and FH patients suggested inclusion of the following features in the web-tool: 1) Templated ‘letter to family member’ email; 2) Education modules; and 3) Knowledge resources. Surveys revealed that 66.7% of GCs found information within the FH Family Share tool ‘very easy to find’ and 55.6% found information ‘very easy to understand,’ while 55.6% of patients found information ‘very easy to find’ within the website and 77.8% of patients found information ‘very easy to understand.’ All GCs and patients found FH Family Share to be a resource worth returning to. CONCLUSIONS We describe the creation of FH Family Share, a web-based tool to promote cascade testing for FH by facilitating communication between probands and their relatives. Once informed, at-risk family members have the option to seek testing and treatment for FH.

scholarly journals A Web-Based Interactive Tool to Reduce Childhood Obesity Risk in Urban Minority Youth: Usability Testing Study (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Verdaguer ◽  
Katrina F Mateo ◽  
Katarzyna Wyka ◽  
Tracy A Dennis-Tiwary ◽  
May May Leung
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Usability Testing ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Obesity Risk ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Black African ◽  
Interactive Tool ◽  
Urban Minority ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND Childhood obesity is a serious public health issue among minority youth in the United States. Technology-enhanced approaches can be effective for promoting healthy behavior change. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test the usability of prototypes of a Web-based interactive tool promoting healthy dietary behaviors to reduce childhood obesity risk in urban minority youth. The Web-based tool comprised a manga-style comic with interactive features (eg, sound effects, clickable pop-ups), tailored messaging, and goal setting, and was optimized for use on tablet devices. METHODS Latino and black/African American children ages 9 to 13 years were recruited to participate in two rounds of usability testing. A modified think-aloud method was utilized. Self-reported surveys and field notes were collected. Audio recordings and field notes from usability testing sessions were systematically reviewed by extracting and coding user feedback as either positive comments or usability or negative issues. The quantitative data from self-reported questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Twelve children (four female; eight black/African American) with a mean age of 10.92 (SD 1.16) years participated. Testing highlighted overall positive experiences with the Web-based interactive tool, especially related to storyline, sound effects, and color schemes. Specific usability issues were classified into six themes: appearance, content, special effects, storyline, terminology, and navigation. Changes to the Web-based tool after round 1 included adding a navigation guide, making clickable icons more visible, improving graphic designs, and fixing programming errors. In round 2 of testing (after modifications to the Web-based tool were incorporated), many of the usability issues that were identified in round 1 did not emerge. CONCLUSIONS Results of testing will inform further development and finalization of the tool, which will be tested using a two-group pilot randomized study, with the goal of reducing childhood obesity risk in minority, low-income youth.

Matching Clinicians to Operative Cases

2013 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. 445-453
Author(s):  
J. Wanderer ◽  
A. Was
Keyword(s):  
Risk Stratification ◽  
Operating Room ◽  
Web Tool ◽  
Physical Status ◽  
Billing Data ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Physical Status Classification ◽  
Status Classification ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Web

Summary Background: Patient and surgical case complexity are important considerations in creating appropriate clinical assignments for trainees in the operating room (OR). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System is the most commonly used tool to classify patient illness severity, but it requires manual evaluation by a clinician and is highly variable. A Risk Stratification System for surgical patients was recently published which uses administrative billing codes to calculate four Risk Stratification Indices (RSIs) and provides an objective surrogate for patient complexity that does not require clinical evaluation. This risk score could be helpful when assigning operating room cases. Objective: This is a technical feasibility study to evaluate the process and potential utility of incorporating an automatic risk score calculation into a web-based tool for assigning OR cases. Methods: We created a web service implementation of the RSI model for one-year mortality and automatically calculated the RSI values for patients scheduled to undergo an operation the following day. An analysis was conducted on data availability for the RSI model and the correlation between RSI values and ASA physical status. Results: In a retrospective analysis of 46,740 patients who received surgery in the year preceding the web tool implementation, RSI values were generated for 20,638 patients (44%). The Spear-man’s rank correlation coefficient between ASA physical status classification and one-year mortality RSI values was 0.404. Conclusions: We have shown that it is possible to create a web-based tool that uses existing billing data to automatically calculate risk scores for patients scheduled to undergo surgery. Such a risk scoring system could be used to match patient acuity to physician experience, and to provide improved patient and clinician experiences. The web tool could be improved by expanding the input database or utilizing procedure booking codes rather than billing data.

scholarly journals Data-dependent visualization of biological networks in the web-browser with NDExEdit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Auer ◽  
Simone Mayer ◽  
Frank Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Biological Networks ◽  
Data Model ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Network Data ◽  
Web Tool ◽  
Bioinformatics Analyses ◽  
Web Browser ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Biological Entities ◽  
The Web

Networks are a common methodology used to capture increasingly complex associations between biological entities. They serve as a resource of biological knowledge for bioinformatics analyses, and also comprise the subsequent results. However, the interpretation of biological networks is challenging and requires suitable visualizations dependent on the contained information. The most prominent software in the field for the visualization of biological networks is Cytoscape, a desktop modeling environment also including many features for analysis. A further challenge when working with networks is their distribution. Within a typical collaborative workflow, even slight changes of the network data force one to repeat the visualization step as well. Also, just minor adjustments to the visual representation not only need the networks to be transferred back and forth. Collaboration on the same resources requires specific infrastructure to avoid redundancies, or worse, the corruption of the data. A well-established solution is provided by the NDEx platform where users can upload a network, share it with selected colleagues or make it publicly available. NDExEdit is a web-based application where simple changes can be made to biological networks within the browser, and which does not require installation. With our tool, plain networks can be enhanced easily for further usage in presentations and publications. Since the network data is only stored locally within the web browser, users can edit their private networks without concerns of unintentional publication. The web tool is designed to conform to the Cytoscape Exchange (CX) format as a data model, which is used for the data transmission by both tools, Cytoscape and NDEx. Therefore the modified network can be exported as a compatible CX file, additionally to standard image formats like PNG and JPEG.

scholarly journals Development of semiquantitative ultrasound scoring system to assess cartilage in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 1802-1811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mandl ◽  
Paul Studenic ◽  
Emilio Filippucci ◽  
Artur Bachta ◽  
Marina Backhaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Scoring System ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Percentage Agreement ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Us ◽  
Static Images ◽  
Further Development ◽  
The Web

Abstract Objectives To develop and test the reliability of a new semiquantitative scoring system for the assessment of cartilage changes by ultrasound in a web-based exercise as well as a patient exercise of patients with RA. Methods A taskforce of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Ultrasound Working Group performed a systematic literature review on the US assessment of cartilage in RA, followed by a Delphi survey on cartilage changes and a new semiquantitative US scoring system, and finally a web-based exercise as well as a patient exercise. For the web-based exercise, taskforce members scored a dataset of anonymized static images of MCP joints in RA patients and healthy controls, which also contained duplicate images. Subsequently, 12 taskforce members used the same US to score cartilage in MCP and proximal interphalangeal joints of six patients with RA in in a patient reliability exercise. Percentage agreement and prevalence of lesions were calculated, as intrareader reliability was assessed by weighted kappa and interreader reliability by Light’s kappa. Results The three-grade semiquantitative scoring system demonstrated excellent intrareader reliability (kappa: 0.87 and 0.83) in the web-based exercise and the patient exercise, respectively. Interreader reliability was good in the web-based exercise (kappa: 0.64) and moderate (kappa: 0.48) in the patient exercise. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that ultrasound is a reliable tool for evaluating cartilage changes in the MCP joints of patients with RA and supports further development of a new reliable semiquantitative ultrasound scoring system for evaluating cartilage involvement in RA.

scholarly journals Guidelines for internal Insulation of historic Buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 01004
Author(s):  
Ernst Jan de Place Hansen ◽  
Eva B. Møller ◽  
Morten Ørsager
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Solid Wall ◽  
Historic Buildings ◽  
Web Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Solid Walls ◽  
The Web

Internal insulation is often the only possible solution when improving the thermal performance of solid walls of historic buildings, as many of these have architectural or cultural values. However, as internal insulation is regarded risky from a moisture perspective, guidelines are needed. The paper presents a new set of guidelines that combine written guidelines, a web-based preliminary assessment tool and a website that can be used independently of each other. The website provides simple ways of assessing the building to determine whether internal insulation is feasible in the specific case and what needs to be done before it can be applied. It also describes different failure mechanisms. The website includes links to information (written guidelines), described for different types of users, depending on their level of expertise. The web tool is based on an extensive number of simulations of hygrothermal conditions within a solid wall depending on location, orientation, wall type and thickness, and insulation type and thickness. The web tool determines the risk for mould and algae growth in a probabilistic way and determines heat loss and CO2 emission before and after renovation through 1 m² of the wall. The guidelines, the website and the web tool are developed in RIBuild, a research project funded by the European Commission, running from 2015 to 2020.

scholarly journals Acceptability, feasibility and implementation of a web-based U.S. Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT)

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caiwei Zheng ◽  
Alberto J. Caban-Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Web Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Navigation Tool ◽  
The Web

Abstract Objective In the U.S., health insurance is a crucial determinant of the affordability of healthcare services and access to care. Population-based studies indicate Americans do not have an adequate understanding of their insurance plans and face difficulties navigating their health insurance coverage. The purpose of this pilot study is to collect qualitative data using a key informant interview format to learn about the acceptability, feasibility and implementation of a newly devised online health insurance navigation tool (HINT). Results A total of 57 Florida residents completed the 18-item HINT web-based survey tool and provided feedback on their experience, of which 63.2% were women, 40.7% Black race, and had average sample age of 46.9 years. Participants reported the web tool to be of good length, easy readability, relevant, and overall helpful for insurance selection. All respondents reported that they would use the tool themselves should they find themselves in the process of selecting an insurance plan and 98.2% of respondents reported that they would suggest the web tool to a family or friend. The average time it took to complete the questionnaire was 4 min and 20 s.The HINT tool met study criteria on feasibility, implementation, and acceptability among study participants.

scholarly journals Tobacco-Smoking, Alcohol-Drinking, and Betel-Quid-Chewing Behaviors: Development and Use of a Web-Based Survey System (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo-Yao Hsu ◽  
Yun-Fang Tsai ◽  
Chu-Ching Huang ◽  
Wen-Ling Yeh ◽  
Kai-Ping Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Betel Quid ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Drinking Alcohol ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Betel Quid Chewing ◽  
Survey System ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND Smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, and chewing betel quid are health-risk behaviors for several diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, with severe impacts on health. However, health care providers often have limited time to assess clients’ behaviors regarding smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, and chewing betel quid and intervene, if needed. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop a Web-based survey system; determine the rates of tobacco-smoking, alcohol-drinking, and betel-quid-chewing behaviors; and estimate the efficiency of the system (time to complete the survey). METHODS Patients and their family members or friends were recruited from gastrointestinal medical–surgical, otolaryngology, orthopedics, and rehabilitation clinics or wards at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Data for this descriptive, cross-sectional study were extracted from a large series of research studies. A Web-based survey system was developed using a Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP stack solution. The Web survey was set up to include four questionnaires: the Chinese-version Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire, the Chinese-version Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Betel Nut Dependency Scale, and a sociodemographic form with several chronic diseases. After the participants completed the survey, the system automatically calculated their score, categorized their risk level for each behavior, and immediately presented and explained their results. The system also recorded the time each participant took to complete the survey. RESULTS Of 782 patient participants, 29.6% were addicted to nicotine, 13.3% were hazardous, harmful, or dependent alcohol drinkers, and 1.5% were dependent on chewing betel quid. Of 425 family or friend participants, 19.8% were addicted to nicotine, 5.6% were hazardous, harmful, or dependent alcohol drinkers, and 0.9% were dependent on chewing betel quid. Regarding the mean time to complete the survey, patients took 7.9 minutes (SD 3.0; range 3-20) and family members or friends took 7.7 minutes (SD 2.8; range 3-18). Most of the participants completed the survey within 5-10 minutes. CONCLUSIONS The Web-based survey was easy to self-administer. Health care providers can use this Web-based survey system to save time in assessing these risk behaviors in clinical settings. All smokers had mild-to-severe nicotine addiction, and 5.6%-12.3% of patients and their family members or friends were at risk of alcohol dependence. Considering that these three behaviors, particularly in combination, dramatically increase the risk of esophageal cancer, appropriate and convenient interventions are necessary for preserving public health in Taiwan.

scholarly journals Development and Evaluation of ‘FH Family Share’: A Web-Based Tool to Increase Uptake of Cascade Testing for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (Preprint)

10.2196/32568 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hana Bangash ◽  
Ahmed Makkawy ◽  
Justin H Gundelach ◽  
Alexandra A Miller ◽  
Kimberly A Jacobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Familial Hypercholesterolemia ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Cascade Testing
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