Evidence that digital game players neglect age classification systems when deciding which games to play.

This article considers players' experiences seeking out new games to play, and their use of the Australian National Classification Scheme in doing so. The global video game industry is booming, with hundreds of games being released each month across numerous platforms. As a result, players have an unprecedented number of games available when choosing what games to purchase. However, a number of confounding issues around the emergent content of games and the subjective nature of game reviewing makes it difficult to relate what kinds of experiences a given game will facilitate. In this study, we surveyed game players in order to find their game platform and acquisition preferences; strategies and experiences when choosing games; and attitudes towards classification systems. Our findings suggest that players find it difficult to choose what games to purchase, and that existing classification systems are mostly only beneficial when choosing games for minors.

Supporting Patient-Clinician Interaction in Chronic HIV Care: Design and Development of a Patient-Reported Outcomes Software Application.

BACKGROUND: The consideration of health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a hallmark of best practice in HIV care. Information technology offers an opportunity to more closely engage patients with chronic HIV infection in their long-term management and support a focus on HRQL. However, the implementation of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, such as HRQL in routine care, is challenged by the need to synthesize data generated by questionnaires, the complexity of collecting data between patient visits, and the integration of results into clinical decision-making processes. OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to design and pilot-test a multimedia software platform to overcome these challenges and provide a vehicle to increase focus on HRQL issues in HIV management. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team in France and Australia conducted the study with 120 patients and 16 doctors contributing to the design and development of the software. We used agile development principles, user-centered design, and qualitative research methods to develop and pilot the software platform. We developed a prototype application to determine the acceptability of the software and piloted the final version with 41 Australian and 19 French residents using 2 validated electronic questionnaires, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items, and the Patient Reported Outcomes Quality of Life-HIV. RESULTS: Testing of the prototype demonstrated that patients wanted an application that was intuitive and without excessive instruction, so it felt effortless to use, as well as secure and discreet. Clinicians wanted the PRO data synthesized, presented clearly and succinctly, and clinically actionable. Safety concerns for patients and clinicians included confidentiality, and the potential for breakdown in communication if insufficient user training was not provided. The final product, piloted with patients from both countries, showed that most respondents found the application easy to use and comprehend. The usability testing survey administered found that older Australians had reduced scores for understanding the visual interface (P=.004) and finding the buttons organized (P=.02). Three-fourths of the respondents were concerned with confidentiality (P=.007), and this result was more prevalent in participants with higher anxiety and stress scores (P=.01), as measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items. These statistical associations were not observed in 15 French patients who completed the same questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Digital applications in health care should be safe and fit for purpose. Our software was acceptable to patients and shows potential to overcome some barriers to the implementation of PROs in routine care. The design of the clinicians' interface presents a solution to the problem of voluminous data, both synthesizing and providing a snapshot of longitudinal data. The next stage is to conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine whether patients experience increased satisfaction with care and whether doctors perceive that they deliver better clinical care without compromising efficiency.

MASTR-MS: a web-based collaborative laboratory information management system (LIMS) for metabolomics.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of research laboratories and core analytical facilities around the world are developing high throughput metabolomic analytical and data processing pipelines that are capable of handling hundreds to thousands of individual samples per year, often over multiple projects, collaborations and sample types. At present, there are no Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) that are specifically tailored for metabolomics laboratories that are capable of tracking samples and associated metadata from the beginning to the end of an experiment, including data processing and archiving, and which are also suitable for use in large institutional core facilities or multi-laboratory consortia as well as single laboratory environments. RESULTS: Here we present MASTR-MS, a downloadable and installable LIMS solution that can be deployed either within a single laboratory or used to link workflows across a multisite network. It comprises a Node Management System that can be used to link and manage projects across one or multiple collaborating laboratories; a User Management System which defines different user groups and privileges of users; a Quote Management System where client quotes are managed; a Project Management System in which metadata is stored and all aspects of project management, including experimental setup, sample tracking and instrument analysis, are defined, and a Data Management System that allows the automatic capture and storage of raw and processed data from the analytical instruments to the LIMS. CONCLUSION: MASTR-MS is a comprehensive LIMS solution specifically designed for metabolomics. It captures the entire lifecycle of a sample starting from project and experiment design to sample analysis, data capture and storage. It acts as an electronic notebook, facilitating project management within a single laboratory or a multi-node collaborative environment. This software is being developed in close consultation with members of the metabolomics research community. It is freely available under the GNU GPL v3 licence and can be accessed from, https://muccg.github.io/mastr-ms/.