Human factors in pelvic surgery.

In the pelvis, anatomic complexity and difficulty in visualization and access make surgery a formidable task. Surgeons are prone to work-related musculoskeletal injuries from the frequently poor design and flow of their work environment. This is exacerbated by the strain of surgery in the pelvis. These injuries can result in alterations to a surgeons practice, inadvertent patient injury, and even early retirement. Human factors examines the relationships between the surgeon, their instruments and their environment. By bridging physiology, psychology, and ergonomics, human factors allows a better understanding of some of the challenges posed by pelvic surgery. The operative approach involved (open, laparoscopic, robotic, or perineal) plays an important role in the relevant human factors. Improved understanding of ergonomics can mitigate these risks to surgeons. Other human factors approaches such as standardization, use of checklists, and employing resiliency efforts can all improve patient safety in the operating theatre.

Contemporary biomedical engineering perspective on volitional evolution for human radiotolerance enhancement beyond low-earth orbit.

A primary objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is expansion of humankind's presence outside low-Earth orbit, culminating in permanent interplanetary travel and habitation. Having no inherent means of physiological detection or protection against ionizing radiation, humans incur capricious risk when journeying beyond low-Earth orbit for long periods. NASA has made large investments to analyze pathologies from space radiation exposure, emphasizing the importance of characterizing radiation's physiological effects. Because natural evolution would require many generations to confer resistance against space radiation, immediately pragmatic approaches should be considered. Volitional evolution, defined as humans steering their own heredity, may inevitably retrofit the genome to mitigate resultant pathologies from space radiation exposure. Recently, uniquely radioprotective genes have been identified, conferring local or systemic radiotolerance when overexpressed in vitro and in vivo. Aiding in this process, the CRISPR/Cas9 technique is an inexpensive and reproducible instrument capable of making limited additions and deletions to the genome. Although cohorts can be identified and engineered to protect against radiation, alternative and supplemental strategies should be seriously considered. Advanced propulsion and mild synthetic torpor are perhaps the most likely to be integrated. Interfacing artificial intelligence with genetic engineering using predefined boundary conditions may enable the computational modeling of otherwise overly complex biological networks. The ethical context and boundaries of introducing genetically pioneered humans are considered.

Development and Feasibility Testing of a Contextual Patient Movement Intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Nurses and emergency medical services workers frequently suffer musculoskeletal injuries at a disproportionate rate in relation to the rest of the population. The most common form of this musculoskeletal injury is lumbar spine injury. The purpose of this study was to develop and conduct phase 1 feasibility testing of a contextual lifting intervention that reduces the risks of low back injury. METHODS: This study was an intervention development and phase 1 feasibility test. The intervention was created on the basis of weightlifting techniques to specifically reduce the incidence injury related to valgus knee, asymmetrical lifting technique, and rotation of the trunk and pelvis. Motion capture technology (Xsens; Xsens Technologies) was used while 17 nursing students completed the direct patient lift from the floor, the lift from the floor with a manikin attached to a rigid spine board, the push portion of the horizontal transfer, and the pull portion of the horizontal transfer. Pre- and postintervention data were collected. Linear mixed model regression, with pairwise comparisons, was conducted for each lift at the time points of preintervention, immediately after the intervention, and 1-month postintervention. RESULTS: Significant changes were noted between the initial lifting techniques used and those used after the intervention. The maximum lever arm distance, defined as the distance from L5-S1 to the center of the force applied to the load, showed a significant reduction after the intervention in 3 of the 4 movements. DISCUSSION: Our results support the idea that injury risk can be reduced through appropriate contextual training methods.

Speech intelligibility in respiratory protective equipment - Implications for verbal communication in critical care.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) such as filtering facepiece respirators, elastomeric respirators and powered air-purifying respirators are routinely worn in the critical care unit as a component of personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is the authors' anecdotal experience that RPE may, however, inadvertently interfere with verbal communication between critical care staff. The literature pertaining to the effects of RPE wear on verbal communication was therefore reviewed. A literature search returned 98 articles, and 4 records were identified from other sources; after screening for content relevancy, 15 experimental studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Previous studies in both healthcare and other occupational settings suggest a detrimental impact on speech intelligibility, varying according to RPE type and test conditions. The effects of background noise and potential for increased cognitive load through compensatory behaviours are also identified. The clinical significance of these effects remains uncertain though, as evidence measuring clinical outcomes or errors is lacking. Mitigating strategies include increasing speech intelligibility through environmental changes and technology; modifying verbal communication strategies; and decreasing reliance on verbal communication where possible.

[Effects of loupes and microscope on the prosthodontist's posture from ergonomic aspects].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of loupes and microscope on the posture of prosthodontists when preparing the laminate veneer, and to assess the clinical value of loupes and microscope from the ergonomic aspects. METHODS: Twenty young prosthodontists from Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology were recruited into this study, which was a prospective, single blind, self-control trials. The research hypothesis was concealed and the participants were deceived about the precise purpose of the study to counterbalance the lack of direct blinding. The prosthodontists prepared laminate veneers of open window type in the artificial dental model, under routine visual field (control group), 2.5× headwear loupes (loupes group), and 8× operating microscope (microscopic group) by turning. The participants were photographed from profile view and front view. Thereafter, the subjective assessment was performed by themselves using the visual analogue score (VAS). The expert assessment was performed by two professors using modified-dental operator posture assessment instrument on the basis of photographs of the profile view and front view. RESULTS: The subjective assessment scores for the control group, loupes group and microscopic group were 4.55±1.96, 7.90±1.12, and 9.00±0.92, respectively. There was significant difference between the three groups' subjective scores (P < 0.05). The expert assessment scores for the control group, loupes group and microscopic group were 16.38±1.52, 15.15±1.30, and 13.60±0.88, respectively. There was significant difference between the three groups' expert assessment scores (P < 0.05). Specifically, the three groups' expert assessment scores were significantly different (P < 0.05) in trunk position (front to back) (1.33±0.41, 1.03±0.11, 1.00±0.00), head and neck position (front to back) (2.75±0.38, 2.13±0.36, 1.23±0.38), elbows level (1.38±0.43, 1.40±0.45, 1.13±0.22), and shoulders level (1.43±0.41, 1.23±0.34, 1.13±0.28). Thereinto, the microscopic group was better than loupes group in head and neck position (front to back) and elbows level (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Loupes and microscope improve the posture of the prosthodontist when preparing the laminate veneer, in which the microscope is better than loupes. Therefore, the magnification devices have clinical value from the ergonomic aspects.

Contributions of activity ergonomics to the design of an electronic health record to support collaborative mental care of children and youth: Preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: The use of electronic health records (EHR) is related to the improvement of service quality and care coordination. The design of this platform generally focuses on the individual use of the system and does not integrate the specific needs of workers to provide support for collaborative activities. OBJECTIVE: The study investigated how activity ergonomics (AE) contributed to improve the design of an EHR that supports the collaborative mental health care of children and youth. METHODS: This qualitative study, based on the theoretical framework of AE, used individual and group interviews and document analysis as research procedures. The data collection occurred between March and September 2017 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. RESULTS: The study highlighted the following points: the characteristics that marked the different perceptions of workers regarding the use of a communication tool for collaborative care; the problems related to spreadsheet usability; and the desirable attributes that should be considered in the conception of a new EHR. CONCLUSIONS: The research indicated that AE favors improving the design of an EHR by incorporating the work dimension into the project.

Heuristics for designing user-centric drug products: Lessons learned from Human Factors and Ergonomics.

Even the most effective drug product may be used improperly and thus ultimately prove ineffective if it does not meet the perceptual, motor and cognitive capacities of its target users. Currently, no comprehensive guideline for systematically designing user-centric drug products that would help prevent such limitations exists. We have compiled a list of approximate but nonetheless useful strategies-heuristics-for implementing a user-centric design of drug products and drug product portfolios. First, we present a general heuristic for user-centric design based on the framework of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E). Then we demonstrate how to implement this general heuristic for older drug users (i.e., patients and caregivers aged 65 years and older) and with respect to three specific challenges (use-cases) of medication management: (A) knowing what drug product to take/administer, (B) knowing how and when to take/administer it, and (C) actually taking/administering it. The presented heuristics can be applied prospectively to include existing knowledge about user-centric design at every step during drug discovery, pharmaceutical drug development, and pre-clinical and clinical trials. After a product has been released to the market, the heuristics may guide a retrospective analysis of medication errors and barriers to product usage as a basis for iteratively optimizing both the drug product and its portfolio over their life cycle.

Interrupções de atividades de enfermeiros: contribuições para a segurança do paciente e do profissional / Interrupciones de actividades de los enfermeros: contribuciones para la seguridad del paciente y del profesional / Interruptions of nursing activities: contributions to patient and professional safety

Resumo Objetivo Classificar atividades realizadas por enfermeiros, identificar interrupções e verificar fatores humanos e ambientais associados às interrupções. Métodos Estudo observacional realizado com amostra composta por 25 enfermeiros que trabalham em unidades pediátricas ou de adultos, cirúrgicas ou de terapia intensiva de um hospital universitário. Resultados Observamos 2.295 atividades, a maioria classificada como assistência indireta ao paciente (38,6%) e assistência direta ao paciente (22,5%). Setecentos e dezenove (31,3%) atividades interrompidas foram identificadas, com média de 1,6 interrupções na mesma atividade, totalizando 1.180 interrupções. Houve maior número de interrupções durante o cuidado indireto (44,7%), e suas principais fontes foram equipe de enfermagem (43,3%) e médicos e residentes (16,5%). O número de indivíduos nas unidades (profissionais e familiares/acompanhantes), a proporção de pacientes em alta dependência e o número de profissionais de saúde influenciaram o número de interrupções. Conclusão Houve interrupções em todos os tipos de atividades realizadas pelos enfermeiros, mesmo naquelas caracterizadas como intervenções à beira do leito, o que pode comprometer a segurança do paciente.

Resumen Objetivo Clasificar actividades realizadas por enfermeros, identificar interrupciones y verificar factores humanos y ambientales asociados a las interrupciones. Métodos Estudio observacional realizado con muestra compuesta por 25 enfermeros que trabajan en unidades pediátricas o de adultos, quirúrgicas o de cuidados intensivos de un hospital universitario. Resultados Observamos 2.295 actividades, la mayoría clasificada como atención indirecta al paciente (38,6%) y atención directa al paciente (22,5%). Se identificaron 719 (31,3%) actividades interrumpidas, con un promedio de 1,6 interrupciones de la misma actividad, totalizando 1.180 interrupciones. Hubo mayor número de interrupciones durante el cuidado indirecto (44,7%) y sus principales fuentes fueron el equipo de enfermería (43,3%) y médicos y residentes (16,5%). El número de individuos en las unidades (profesionales y familiares/acompañantes), la proporción de pacientes de alta dependencia y el número de profesionales de la salud influyeron en el número de interrupciones. Conclusión Hubo interrupciones en todos los tipos de actividades realizadas por los enfermeros, inclusive en aquellas caracterizadas como intervenciones a pie de cama, lo que puede comprometer la seguridad del paciente.

Abstract Objective To classify activities performed by nurses, to identify interruptions and to verify human and environmental factors associated with interruptions. Methods Observational study conducted with a sample comprising 25 nurses working in pediatric or adult, surgical or intensive care units of a university hospital. Results We observed 2,295 activities, most of them were classified as indirect patient care (38.6%) and direct patient care (22.5%). Seven hundred and nineteen (31.3%) interrupted activities were identified, with mean of 1.6 interruptions in the same activity, thus totaling 1,180 interruptions. There was greater number of interruptions during the indirect care (44.7%), and their main sources were the nursing (43.3%), and the physicians and residents (16.5%) staffs. The number of individuals in the units (staff and family/visitors), the proportion of patients under high-dependency, the number of healthcare and allied professionals influenced the number of interruptions. Conclusion There were interruptions in all types of activities performed by the nurses, even in those characterized as bedside interventions, which can jeopardize patient safety.

Doenças ocupacionais e princípios ergonômicos voltados à formação de profissionais da Odontologia / Occupational diseases and ergonomic principles aimed at training dentistry professionals

Introdução: a alta demanda diária para desempenhar os serviços, aliada ao descuido com o bem-estar laboral, acaba causando uma má postura na hora dos atendimentos, acarretando problemas osteomusculares, dor e, consequentemente, doenças ocupacionais. Objetivo: avaliar o conhecimento dos acadêmicos nos diferentes semestres do curso de Odontologia de uma instituição de ensino superior situada na cidade de Vitória da Conquista ­ Bahia, acerca dos princípios ergonômicos aplicados à prática clínica, além de investigar sintomas associados às doenças ocupacionais. Metodologia: foram selecionados, de forma aleatória, 186 alunos matriculados nas clínicas da faculdade, os quais foram convidados a responder a dois questionários contendo perguntas relacionadas ao conceito de ergonomia e a doenças ocupacionais na Odontologia. Foi aplicado o teste qui-quadradro de Pearson; nos casos em que a frequência esperada foi menor que cinco (n < 5), foi utilizado o teste exato de Fisher (p<0,05). Resultados: cerca de 69% dos graduandos demonstraram total insciênciasobre a ergonomia, 87% apresentaram pouco conhecimento a respeito das doenças ocupacionais da Odontologia, 75% consideraram insatisfatório o conhecimento sobre ergonomia na faculdade e cerca de 76% queixaram-se de dores osteomusculares em pelo menos um local anatômico do seu corpo. Conclusão: o presente estudo demonstrou o pouco conhecimento dos estudantes Oe odontologia a respeito dessa temática e o possível desenvolvimento de doenças osteomusculares ainda na graduação.

Introduction: The high daily demand to perform the services allied to the carelessness with the job well-being lead to a bad posture at the appointments, causing musculoskeletal problems, pain, and, consequently, occupational diseases. Objective: to evaluate the knowledge of students in the different semesters of the Dentistry course of a Higher Education Institution located in the city of Vitória da Conquista - Bahia, on the ergonomic principles applied to clinical practice, and investigate the symptoms associated with occupational diseases. Methodology: 186 students enrolled in the college clinics were randomly selected and invited to answer two questionnaires, containing questions related to the concept of ergonomics and occupational diseases in dentistry. Pearson's chi-square test was applied; in cases that the expected frequency was less than five (n<5), Fisher´s exact test was used (p<0.05). Results: around 69% of the undergraduates demonstrated total unawareness about ergonomics, 87% had little knowledge about occupational diseases in Dentistry, 75% consider the knowledge about ergonomics in college unsatisfactory, and about 76% complained of musculoskeletal pain in at least one anatomical site of their body. Conclusion: the presente study demonstrated Dentistry students have little knowledge about this theme and the possible development of musculoskeletal diseases while still in the undergraduate course.

Effects of loupes and microscope on the prosthodontist's posture from ergonomic aspects / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the effects of loupes and microscope on the posture of prosthodontists when preparing the laminate veneer, and to assess the clinical value of loupes and microscope from the ergonomic aspects.@*METHODS@#Twenty young prosthodontists from Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology were recruited into this study, which was a prospective, single blind, self-control trials. The research hypothesis was concealed and the participants were deceived about the precise purpose of the study to counterbalance the lack of direct blinding. The prosthodontists prepared laminate veneers of open window type in the artificial dental model, under routine visual field (control group), 2.5× headwear loupes (loupes group), and 8× operating microscope (microscopic group) by turning. The participants were photographed from profile view and front view. Thereafter, the subjective assessment was performed by themselves using the visual analogue score (VAS). The expert assessment was performed by two professors using modified-dental operator posture assessment instrument on the basis of photographs of the profile view and front view.@*RESULTS@#The subjective assessment scores for the control group, loupes group and microscopic group were 4.55±1.96, 7.90±1.12, and 9.00±0.92, respectively. There was significant difference between the three groups' subjective scores (P < 0.05). The expert assessment scores for the control group, loupes group and microscopic group were 16.38±1.52, 15.15±1.30, and 13.60±0.88, respectively. There was significant difference between the three groups' expert assessment scores (P < 0.05). Specifically, the three groups' expert assessment scores were significantly different (P < 0.05) in trunk position (front to back) (1.33±0.41, 1.03±0.11, 1.00±0.00), head and neck position (front to back) (2.75±0.38, 2.13±0.36, 1.23±0.38), elbows level (1.38±0.43, 1.40±0.45, 1.13±0.22), and shoulders level (1.43±0.41, 1.23±0.34, 1.13±0.28). Thereinto, the microscopic group was better than loupes group in head and neck position (front to back) and elbows level (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Loupes and microscope improve the posture of the prosthodontist when preparing the laminate veneer, in which the microscope is better than loupes. Therefore, the magnification devices have clinical value from the ergonomic aspects.

A contribuição de Robert Yerkes para a engenharia humana como instrumento de dominação de classe: uma primeira aproximação / Robert Yerkes' contribution to human engineering as an instrument of class domination: a first approximation / La contribuición de Robert Mearns Yerkes para la ingeniería humana como instrumento de dominación de clase: una primera aproximación

O período de 1870 a 1920 é conhecido como aquele no qual diversos teóricos da psicologia estadunidense estabelecem as diretrizes teóricas e políticas da independência da disciplina frente às demais ciências e às reflexões filosóficas. A psicologia comparada proposta por Robert Mearns Yerkes é uma das mais importantes do final do século XIX e das duas primeiras décadas do século seguinte. As obras do autor referentes à evolução do sistema nervoso central e periférico e suas relações com a inteligência, em conjunto com a psicologia militar e a eugenia, possibilitam, ao menos em parte, a concretização da engenharia humana e de suas futuras aplicações em diversos setores da sociedade estadunidense como instrumento de dominação da classe dominante. Como se trata de uma obra vasta e variadas aplicações na vida cotidiana, pensamos que essa primeira aproximação seja aprofundada em futuras investigações acerca dos movimentos da classe trabalhadora durante o processo de modernização da indústria e da grande reforma social pela qual a sociedade estadunidense à época. Movimentos amplamente desprezados pela historiografia da psicologia estadunidense.(AU)

The period from 1870 to 1920 is known as the one in which several theorists of American psychology establish the theoretical and political guidelines of the discipline's independence from other sciences and philosophical domain. The comparative psychology proposed by Robert Mearns Yerkes is one of the most important of the late nineteenth century and the first two decades of the following century. The author's works on the evolution of the central and peripheral nervous system and its relations with intelligence, taken together with military psychology and eugenics, enable, at least in part, the concretization of human engineering and its future applications in various sectors of the American society as an instrument of domination of the ruling class. As it is a vast work and of varied applications in everyday life, we think that this first approximation will be deepened in future investigations about the movements of the working class during the process of modernization of the industry and of the great social reform by which the American society happened to the time. These movements were widely neglected by the historiography of American psychology.(AU)

El período de 1870 a 1920 es conocido como aquel en el cual diversos teóricos de la psicología estadounidense establecen las directrices teóricas y políticas de la independencia de la disciplina frente a las demás ciencias y reflexiones filosóficas. La psicología comparada propuesta por Robert Mearns Yerkes es una de las más importantes del fin del siglo XIX y de las dos primeras décadas del siglo siguiente. Las obras del autor referentes a la evolución del sistema nervioso central y periférico y sus relaciones con la inteligencia, en conjunto con la psicología militar y la eugenesia, posibilitan, al menos en parte, la concreción de la ingeniería humana y de sus futuras aplicaciones en diversos sectores de la sociedad estadounidense como instrumento de dominación de la clase dominante. Como se trata de una obra vasta y de variadas aplicaciones en la vida cotidiana, esperamos que esa primera aproximación sea profundizada en futuras investigaciones acerca de los movimientos de la clase trabajadora durante el proceso de modernización de la industria y de la gran reforma social por la que la sociedad estadounidense pasaba en esa época. Estos movimientos fueron ampliamente despreciados por la historiografía de la psicología estadounidense.(AU)

Análise dos sintomas de distúrbios osteomusculares em endodontistas, relacionados à técnica de instrumentação dos canais radiculares / Analysis of osteomuscular disorders symptoms in endodontists, related to root canals instrumentation technique

Introdução: a prática da Endodontia exige do profissional longas sessões clínicas e movimentos repetitivos na execução de manobras que exigem esforço excessivo e, muitas vezes, manutenção de postura inadequada, fatores que contribuem de forma significativa para o surgimento de sintomas dolorosos relacionados a distúrbios osteomusculares referentes ao trabalho (DORTs). Métodos: o presente estudo consistiu na aplicação de um instrumento de coleta de dados ­ que constou de dois questionários compostos por questões abertas, fechadas e mistas ­ em vinte e cinco profissionais da Odontologia com especialidade de Endodontia do município de Maringá/ PR. Os dados foram tabulados e analisados estatisticamente com o auxílio do software Statistica 8.0 e realizado o teste Exato de Fisher. Resultados: as regiões relatadas com presença de dor foram: região lombar, pescoço, braços e ombros. Os profissionais que usavam somente instrumentação rotatória não relataram dor nos braços, cotovelos, punho / dedo / mão e quadril; porém, todos apresentaram dor na região lombar e no pescoço. Entre os que utilizam somente instrumentação manual, todos afirmaram sentir dor nos locais apresentados, principalmente na região dorsal e lombar. Conclusão: o presente estudo sugere que os endodontistas estão expostos a fatores de risco em adquirir algum tipo de LER/DORT, estando diretamente associado à atividade profissional e, também, à técnica de instrumentação utilizada, sendo que as regiões mais acometidas estão relacionadas com a rotação do corpo durante o procedimento e de posturas inadequadas (AU).

Introduction: The practice of endodontics involves of long sessions and repetitive movements during the execution of maneuvers that require considerable effort often in an uncomfortable position. Such factors exert a significant influence on the emergence of symptoms related to musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: Two questionnaires were administered to 25 endodontists in the city of Maringá, Brazil. Data analysis involved Fisher's exact test with the aid of Statistica 8.0. Results: Pain was more frequent in the lower back, neck, arms and shoulders. Endodontists who used rotary equipment did not report pain in the arms, elbows, wrist/fingers/hand or hips, but all participants reported low back and neck pain. Those who only used manual instruments reported pain in all sites, especially the back. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that endodontists are exposed to risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, which are directly associated with the professional activity and the use of manual instruments. The most affected anatomic regions are related to the rotation of the body during theprocedure and inadequate posture (AU).

Problematic Use of Mobile Phones in Australia Is It Getting Worse?

Rapid technological innovations over the past few years have led to dramatic changes in today's mobile phone technology. While such changes can improve the quality of life of its users, problematic mobile phone use can result in its users experiencing a range of negative outcomes such as anxiety or, in some cases, engagement in unsafe behaviors with serious health and safety implications such as mobile phone distracted driving. The aims of the present study are two-fold. First, this study investigated the current problem mobile phone use in Australia and its potential implications for road safety. Second, based on the changing nature and pervasiveness of mobile phones in Australian society, this study compared data from 2005 with data collected in 2018 to identify trends in problem mobile phone use in Australia. As predicted, the results demonstrated that problem mobile phone use in Australia increased from the first data collected in 2005. In addition, meaningful differences were found between gender and age groups in this study, with females and users in the 18-25 year-old age group showing higher mean Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS) scores. Additionally, problematic mobile phone use was linked with mobile phone use while driving. Specifically, participants who reported high levels of problem mobile phone use, also reported handheld and hands-free mobile phone use while driving.

Driving Safety and Real-Time Glucose Monitoring in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes.

Our goal is to address the need for driver-state detection using wearable and in-vehicle sensor measurements of driver physiology and health. To address this goal, we deployed in-vehicle systems, wearable sensors, and procedures capable of quantifying real-world driving behavior and performance in at-risk drivers with insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). We applied these methodologies over 4 weeks of continuous observation to quantify differences in real-world driver behavior profiles associated with physiologic changes in drivers with DM (N=19) and without DM (N=14). Results showed that DM driver behavior changed as a function of glycemic state, particularly hypoglycemia. DM drivers often drive during at-risk physiologic states, possibly due to unawareness of impairment, which in turn may relate to blunted physiologic responses (measurable heart rate) to hypoglycemia after repeated episodes of hypoglycemia. We found that this DM driver cohort has an elevated risk of crashes and citations, which our results suggest is linked to the DM driver's own momentary physiology. Overall, our findings demonstrate a clear link between at-risk driver physiology and real-world driving. By discovering key relationships between naturalistic driving and parameters of contemporaneous physiologic changes, like glucose control, this study directly advances the goal of driver-state detection through wearable physiologic sensors as well as efforts to develop "gold standard" metrics of driver safety and an individualized approach to driver health and wellness.

Designing a wrist-worn sensor to improve medication adherence: accommodating diverse user behaviors and technology preferences.

OBJECTIVES: High medication adherence is important for HIV suppression (antiretroviral therapy) and pre-exposure prophylaxis efficacy. We are developing sensor-based technologies to detect pill-taking gestures, trigger reminders, and generate adherence reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected interview, observation, and questionnaire data from individuals with and at-risk for HIV (N = 17). We assessed their medication-taking practices and physical actions, and feedback on our initial design. RESULTS: While participants displayed diverse medication taking practices and physical actions, most (67%) wanted to use the system to receive real-time and summative feedback, and most (69%) wanted to share data with their physicians. Participants preferred reminders via the wrist-worn device or mobile app, and summative feedback via mobile app or email. DISCUSSION: Adoption of these systems is promising if designs accommodate diverse behaviors and preferences. CONCLUSION: Our findings may help improve the accuracy and adoption of the system by accounting for user behaviors, physical actions, and preferences.

Evidence-based usability design principles for medication alerting systems.

BACKGROUND: Usability flaws in medication alerting systems may have a negative impact on clinical use and patient safety. In order to prevent the release of alerting systems that contain such flaws, it is necessary to provide designers and evaluators with evidence-based usability design principles. The objective of the present study was to develop a comprehensive, structured list of evidence-based usability design principles for medication alerting systems. METHODS: Nine sets of design principles for medication alerting systems were analyzed, summarized, and structured. We then matched the summarized principles with a list of usability flaws in order to determine the level of underlying evidence. RESULTS: Fifty-eight principles were summarized from the literature and two additional principles were defined, so that each flaw was matched with a principle. We organized the 60 summarized usability design principles into 6 meta-principles, 38 principles, and 16 sub-principles. Only 15 principles were not matched with a usability flaw. The 6 meta-principles respectively covered the improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio, the support for collaborative working, the fit with a clinician's workflow, the data display, the transparency of the alerting system, and the actionable tools to be provided within an alert. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to develop an evidence-based, structured, comprehensive list of usability design principles that are specific to medication alerting systems and are illustrated by the corresponding usability flaws. This list represents an improvement over the current literature. Each principle is now associated with the best available evidence of its violation. This knowledge may help to improve the usability of medication alerting systems and, ultimately, decrease the harmful consequences of the systems' usability flaws.

Effects of biofeedback postural training on pre-existing low back pain in static-posture workers.

BACKGROUND: Many studies report a relationship between poor static posture (SP) and low back pain (LBP). This study examined the effects of a biofeedback postural training program on pre-existing LBP, changes to level of physical activity and workability in participants. OBJECTIVE: To determine if static posture training with biofeedback alleviates LBP. METHODS: The control group wore a pedometer to track level of physical activity and the experimental group wore the postural training device, Lumo Lift, for three weeks. Participants completed the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) and completed pre- and post-intervention side-view pictures to evaluate changes in posture. Participants were predominately-sedentary work environment (N= 31; 13 men, 18 women; age = 33.1 ± 13.3 years; height = 170.2 ± 9.7 cm; mass = 71.6 ± 17.5 kg). RESULTS: LBP discomfort was statistically significant when comparing pretest and posttest CMDQ mean score in all subjects [F(1, 18) = 6.25, p= 0.02]. There was no significant evidence of reducing LBP experience and LBP interference at work when comparing all subjects. There was no statistical difference in level of physical activity by analyzing average steps between the experimental and control groups (95% CI =-1040.4-1845.4, p= 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Postural training with biofeedback application helps with LBP management by decreasing level of LBP discomfort. People with LBP should be aware of their static posture and develop good muscle strength and endurance in order to maintain performance at work, school, or sports.

Preliminary Evaluation of an Electronic Patient Prioritization Tool for Pediatric Emergency Department.

The study presents the evaluation of the reliability of the information displayed on the user interface of a homegrown electronic patient prioritization tool dedicated to pediatric emergency department (namely Optimum). Two ergonomists shadowed physicians and nurses throughout their shift in order to (i) identify consistencies and discrepancies between the actual step of the patients in the care process and their assigned step in Optimum and (ii) to understand the causes of the discrepancies. Even if some discrepancies are noted, results show that Optimum provides a quite good reflection of the actual position of the patients in the care process. The use of ethnographic methods allows to understand the cause of the discrepancies.

Physical ability of people with rheumatoid arthritis and age-sex matched controls to use four commonly prescribed inhaler devices.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory disease is a common co-morbidity with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA commonly affects the hands, but there is little research investigating whether these patients are physically able to operate inhalers. AIM: To compare the physical ability of people with and without RA to use four commonly prescribed inhaler devices (pressurised metered dose inhaler (pMDI), Easi-Breathe®, HandiHaler® and Turbohaler®). METHODS: Adults with RA and an equal number of age-sex matched controls were observed using placebo inhaler devices. Maximum inhalation flow rate was measured with an In-Check Dial device. Dichotomous data were compared (RA versus control) using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Thirty four participants were recruited for each group. For all inhalers, fewer participants with RA were able to complete all the steps necessary to operate the device: pMDI (50% vs. 91%), Easi-Breathe® (77% vs. 97%), HandiHaler® (15% vs. 94%) and Turbohaler® (85% vs. 100%). This difference was significant (p < .05) for the pMDI, Easi-Breathe® and HandiHaler®. Significantly fewer people (p < .05) with RA were able to depress the pMDI canister, or to complete three steps in the operation of the Handihaler® (open the dust cap, remove the capsule from its blister, pierce the capsule). Only one participant (RA group) was unable to achieve the minimum flow rates required to operate the Turbohaler® and HandiHaler® (p = 1.000). CONCLUSIONS: People with RA have varying physical abilities to use inhalers effectively. A person-centred approach is required to assess which inhaler device is appropriate for each individual patient.

Combining usability evaluations to highlight the chain that leads from usability flaws to usage problems and then negative outcomes.

Poor usability of health technology is thought to diminish work system performance, increase error rates and, potentially, harm patients. The present study (i) used a combination of usability evaluation methods to highlight the chain that leads from usability flaws to usage problems experienced by users and, ultimately, to negative patient outcomes, and (ii) validated this approach by studying two different discharge summary production systems. To comply with quality guidelines, the process of drafting and sending discharge summaries is increasingly being automated. However, the usability of these systems may modify their impact (or the absence thereof) in terms of production times and quality, and must therefore be evaluated. Here, we applied three successive techniques for usability evaluation (heuristic evaluation, user testing and field observation) to two discharge summary production systems (underpinned by different technologies). The systems' main usability flaws led respectively to an increase in the time need to produce a discharge summary and the risk of patient misidentification. Our results are discussed with regard to the possibility of linking the usability flaws, usage problems and the negative outcomes by successively applying three methods for evaluating usability (heuristic evaluation, user testing and in situ observations) throughout the system development life cycle.