Investigating sonic injustice: A review of published research.

Sound has been researched as either an environmental pollutant (noise) with detrimental health effects or an environmental resource with beneficial outcomes for well-being. We define sonic injustice as unjust inequalities in both noise exposure and access to high-quality, beneficial sound environments. We performed a comparative analysis of 34 peer-reviewed studies on sonic injustice. These studies were from Europe, North America, Accra and Hong Kong. We found suggestive evidence of a social inequality in noise exposure, particularly for low income and racial/ethnic groups. In contrast, children were often associated with an underexposure to noise. We did not find any studies on inequalities in access to beneficial sound environments, except for one study on quiet areas. As well, this review identifies trends in European and North American studies; discusses causal mechanisms for sonic inequalities; and presents avenues for future investigations into sonic injustice.

The informed consent form navigator: a tool for producing readable and compliant consent documents.

Background/Objective: Informed consent forms (ICFs) and practices vary widely across institutions. This project expands on previous work at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Center for Health Literacy to develop a plain language ICF template. Our interdisciplinary team of researchers, comprised of biomedical informaticists, health literacy experts, and stakeholders in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process, has developed the ICF Navigator, a novel tool to facilitate the creation of plain language ICFs that comply with all relevant regulatory requirements. Methods: Our team first developed requirements for the ICF Navigator tool. The tool was then implemented by a technical team of informaticists and software developers, in consultation with an informed consent legal expert. We developed and formalized a detailed knowledge map modeling regulatory requirements for ICFs, which drives workflows within the tool. Results: The ICF Navigator is a web-based tool that guides researchers through creating an ICF as they answer questions about their project. The navigator uses those responses to produce a clear and compliant ICF, displaying a real-time preview of the final form as content is added. Versioning and edits can be tracked to facilitate collaborative revisions by the research team and communication with the IRB. The navigator helps guide the creation of study-specific language, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and ensures that the resulting ICF is easy to read and understand. Conclusion: The ICF Navigator is an innovative, customizable, open-source software tool that helps researchers produce custom readable and compliant ICFs for research studies involving human subjects.

Comparison of Road Noise Policies across Australia, Europe, and North America.

Developing innovative noise policies that build on international best practices is difficult when policies around the world differ along many dimensions, ranging from different sources covered to different levels of governance involved. This is particularly critical in the context of road traffic, identified as one of the main culprits leading to noise-associated complaints and health issues. In this article, we document the wide range of specifications observed in road traffic policies and propose a methodology to compare noise limits across noise policies. First, we present the responsibilities of administrative governments according to the scope (e.g., emission vs. exposure). Second, we compare noise limits by scope and geographic areas by separating acoustic indicators (overall and event indicators). Third, we convert overall outdoor noise limits into a common basis using the method described by Brink and his associates (2018) and compare them with the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommendations (2018). Finally, measurement protocols are also compared across outdoor noise policies. This paper shows that road noise is managed at several administrative levels using approaches that are either centralized or decentralized. We also observed disparities in the associated noise limits across geographic areas. The converted outdoor noise limits generally exceeded the WHO's recommendations (2018). Finally, this paper outlines how outdoor measurement protocols vary across geographic areas. However, similarities were identified between state and provincial noise policies within the same country.

A Tale of Three Misters: The Effect of Water Features on Soundscape Assessments in a Montreal Public Space.

The acoustic environments of small, central urban parks are often dominated by traffic sounds. Water sounds can be used to mitigate the negative impacts of unwanted sounds through masking. Studies comparing the effects of different water sounds are typically conducted using recordings in laboratory settings where ecological validity is limited. An urban redesign project in Montreal took the innovative approach of trying three sequential temporary designs of a new public square, each of which included a distinct water feature that produced a lightly-audible mist. Here we report on a field experiment evaluating the effect of the water feature in each of the three designs. Respondents (n = 274) evaluated their experience with the three different designs using questionnaires including soundscape (SSQP) and restorativeness scales, and perceived loudness. The results indicate a significant interaction effect between the water feature and the design of the space, particularly on ratings of chaotic and loud. While two water feature designs had an overall "positive" effect (i.e., less loud and chaotic) on soundscape assessment, the third water feature design produced the opposite effect. These findings hold even after accounting for ambient temperature. This opportunity to test multiple water features in the same space revealed that water features do not automatically improve soundscape assessments. The visual design, function of the space and environmental conditions should be carefully considered and calls for more field studies. We discuss consequences and considerations for the use of water features in public spaces as well as the implications in terms of ecological validity of soundscape studies.

Health Literacy's Impact On Health Law & Policy.

Law and policy are an integral part of any health system, in the U.S. and abroad. This chapter discusses the trend towards incorporating health literacy or patient understanding requirements into the varied laws and policies that impact all parts of healthcare. After reading this chapter, healthcare providers, hospital executives, biomedical researchers, industry sponsors, and public health professionals will better understand the regulatory trend towards health literacy and how they can use these sources of authority to advocate for change in their respective fields.

Readability of Human Subjects Training Materials for Research.

Institutions are required to ensure that persons involved in human subjects research receive appropriate human subjects protections training and education. Several organizations use the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program to fulfill training requirements. Most researchers find the CITI program too complex for community members who collaborate with researchers. This study aimed to determine the readability of CITI modules most frequently used in community-based participatory research (CBPR). The mean readability level of the CITI modules is 14.8 grade; CBPR readability levels ranged from 11.6 to 12.0 grade (sixth- to eighth-grade reading level is recommended). With a baseline objective measure, modifications can be made to improve the plain language quality and understandability of human subjects training modules for community members.

Improving readability of informed consents for research at an academic medical institution.

INTRODUCTION: The final rule for the protection of human subjects requires that informed consent be "in language understandable to the subject" and mandates that "the informed consent must be organized in such a way that facilitates comprehension." This study assessed the readability of Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent forms at our institution, implemented an intervention to improve the readability of consent forms, and measured the first year impact of the intervention. METHODS: Readability assessment was conducted on a sample of 217 Institutional Review Board-approved informed consents from 2013 to 2015. A plain language informed consent template was developed and implemented and readability was assessed again after 1 year. RESULTS: The mean readability of the baseline sample was 10th grade. The mean readability of the post-intervention sample (n=82) was seventh grade. CONCLUSIONS: Providing investigators with a plain language informed consent template and training can promote improved readability of informed consents for research.