Digital Data Entry Research Articles

Enhancing Property Valuation in Ruwa, Harare, Zimbabwe, using Kobo Collect and GIS

The escalating urbanization of Ruwa, a burgeoning suburb on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe, has catalyzed an exigent demand for precise property valuation. Traditional valuation methods have struggled amidst the challenges of manual data collection, data inaccuracies, and protracted analyses. To address these constraints, a pioneering solution emerged at the crossroads of modern data collection and geospatial analysis. The fusion of Kobo Collect and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) presents a transformative avenue to surmount these challenges. The conventional practices faced hurdles marked by manual data collection's limitations. Inherent subjectivity and potential errors from pen-and-paper surveys posed challenges to data integrity. Moreover, as Ruwa underwent rapid changes, the inability to update data in real-time diminished valuation accuracy. Slow analysis processes also constrained timely access to property valuation insights. The integration of Kobo Collect and GIS provides a solution aligned with Ruwa's urban evolution. Kobo Collect's agile data collection forms, accessible on mobile devices, amplify data accuracy and practicality. The assimilation of GIS adds a spatial layer, and geotagging properties, and facilitates spatial analyses, unraveling intricate interplays of property values and geographic context. The outcomes encompass heightened data accuracy, as digital data entry minimizes errors. Efficiency gains result from real-time data entry and expedited analyses. Spatial insights from GIS analysis divulge patterns influencing property values. Stakeholders, empowered with informed decision-making capabilities, envision strategic urban planning and property development. The endeavor was not without challenges. Technical training ensured optimal tool utilization, while data privacy measures secured sensitive information.

Опыт автоматизации физиологических экспериментов

The article describes experiences accumulated over the past decades by I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology RAS. They are related to the development and implementation of automation systems for physiological experiments. The article provides examples of developing hardware tools for measuring signals, converting them into digital form, data entry and accumulation to be used on general-purpose computers as well as systems of mini-computers, micro-computers, personal computers and custom-made problem-oriented hardware modules for automating physiological experiments in the main areas of research conducted at Pavlov Institute of Physiology. The article also focuses on the conceptual development of problem-oriented software, data base management systems, and graphical display of results. In particular, it discusses several cases of the development of hardware and software modules for various physiological experiments: modules used in the system for the assessment of the functional state of human respiratory muscles, the examination of contractile function of blood vessels and nodes of the circulatory and lymphatic systems, for monitoring changes in the frequency of impulse activity of neurons, for organizing a controlled electrical effect on a laboratory animal in behavioral experiments, for measuring the vital parameters of laboratory animals in experiments on the mechanisms of visceral pain.

An Electronic Registry for Improving the Quality of Antenatal Care in Rural Bangladesh (eRegMat): Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundDigital health interventions (DHIs) can alleviate several barriers to achieving better maternal and child health. The World Health Organization’s guideline recommendations for DHIs emphasize the need to integrate multiple DHIs for maximizing impact. The complex health system of Bangladesh provides a unique setting for evaluating and understanding the role of an electronic registry (eRegistry) for antenatal care, with multiple integrated DHIs for strengthening the health system as well as improving the quality and utilization of the public health care system.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the effect of an eRegistry with DHIs compared with a simple digital data entry tool without DHIs in the community and frontline health facilities.MethodsThe eRegMat is a cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in the Matlab North and Matlab South subdistricts in the Chandpur district, Bangladesh, where health facilities are currently using the eRegistry for digital tracking of the health status of pregnant women longitudinally. The intervention arm received 3 superimposed data-driven DHIs: health worker clinical decision support, health worker feedback dashboards with action items, and targeted client communication to pregnant women. The primary outcomes are appropriate screening as well as management of hypertension during pregnancy and timely antenatal care attendance. The secondary outcomes include morbidity and mortality in the perinatal period as well as timely first antenatal care visit; successful referrals for anemia, diabetes, or hypertension during pregnancy; and facility delivery.ResultsThe eRegistry and DHIs were co-designed with end users between 2016 and 2018. The eRegistry was implemented in the study area in July 2018. Recruitment for the trial started in October 2018 and ended in June 2020, followed by an 8-month follow-up period to capture outcome data until February 2021. Trial results will be available for publication in June 2021.ConclusionsThis trial allows the simultaneous assessment of multiple integrated DHIs for strengthening the health system and aims to provide evidence for its implementation. The study design and outcomes are geared toward informing the living review process of the guidelines for implementing DHIs.Trial RegistrationISRCTN Registry ISRCTN69491836; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN69491836International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/26918

A timed tally counter for microscopic examination of thick blood smears in malaria studies

BackgroundDespite many technological advances for malaria parasite detection (e.g. high resolution image acquisition), microscopic reading of thick blood smear (TBS) remains the gold standard. Even though available in low technology environment, the microscopy of TBS is slow and time consuming. Moreover microscopy may induce errors at many levels and has no quality control.MethodsA electronic extension of the mechanical tally counter is proposed. In addition to the counting process it includes the process of counting itself that relies on the time elapsed between two successive pressures of the counting button leading to a timed tally counter (TTC). The microscopist performs the reading with the specific instruction starting by counting, in each high power fields, leucocytes first and then parasites. The time-stamp of all pressures of counting buttons are recorded along with the nature of the count. The data are recorded internally in CSV format and are exportable. The detection of HPFs locations and leukocyte/parasite counts per HPFs is performed through a hidden semi-Markov model (with outliers) allowing both to take into account the known distribution of leukocyte per HPFs (using a negative binomial distribution) and the pauses and hesitation of the microscopist during the reading. Parameters are estimated via the expectation-maximization algorithm. Hyper-parameters are calibrated using expert annotations. Forward/backward recursions are used to obtain the HPFs locations.ResultsThis approach provides richer data at no extra cost. It has been demonstrated that the method can derive parasites per HPF, leukocytes per HPF, and parasite/leukocyte ratio with robust non-parametric confidence intervals. Moreover a direct digital data entry leads to a less expensive process and decreased time-consuming and error-prone manual data entry. Lastly the TTC allows detecting possible protocol break during reading and prevents the risk of fraud.Discussion and conclusionIntroducing a programmed digital device in the data acquisition of TBS reading gives the opportunity to develop easily new (possible adaptive) reading protocols that will be easily followed by the reader since they will be embedded directly in the device. With the TTC the reader only has to read HPFs, counting leukocytes first and parasites second, and the counter will beep when the protocol is completed.

Association between Gender and Prevalence of Pit and Fissure Caries among Patients Visiting Private Dental College - A Retrospective study

Oral health contributes to personal well being and overall quality of life of an individual. Adequate knowledge regarding oral health is mandatory as it is directly related to general health, so the Aim of our study was to determine the association between Gender and Prevalence of Pit and Fissure caries among the patients visiting Private Dental College. A retrospective study was conducted among the patients visiting private dental colleges using their case records in the electronic information management system. The subjects were selected randomly from the digital data entry and the data required was collected. The records were collected from the month of June 2019 to March 2020, with a total of 24,525 case sheets were retrieved. Age of the patients was categorized into 18 to 25 years, 26 to 35 years and 36 to 45 years. Case sheets which recorded Class 1 occlusal pit and fissure caries and gender of the patients were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, chi-square statistical tests were conducted using the SPSS software version 23.0. In our sample, 60.4% of males had 7-12 occlusal pit and fissure caries, and 58.3% had 4-6 Occlusal Pit and Fissure caries followed by 58.4% had 0-3 occlusal pit and Fissure caries. Comparatively the females had a lesser number of occlusal Pit and Fissure caries, and there was no statistically significant association between gender and occlusal pit and fissure caries (P<0.05) in our study. In conclusion, the prevalence of occlusal Pit and Fissure caries was higher among males compared to females with the highest distribution in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

Digital contact tracing technologies in epidemics: a rapid review.

Digital contact tracing technologies in epidemics: a rapid review.

The role of digital data entry in participatory environmental monitoring.

Many argue that monitoring conducted exclusively by scientists is insufficient to address ongoing environmental challenges. One solution entails the use of mobile digital devices in participatory monitoring (PM) programs. But how digital data entry affects programs with varying levels of stakeholder participation, from nonscientists collecting field data to nonscientists administering every step of a monitoring program, remains unclear. We reviewed the successes, in terms of management interventions and sustainability, of 107 monitoring programs described in the literature (hereafter programs) and compared these with case studies from our PM experiences in Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greenland, and Vietnam (hereafter cases). Our literature review showed that participatory programs were less likely to use digital devices, and 2 of our 3 more participatory cases were also slow to adopt digital data entry. Programs that were participatory and used digital devices were more likely to report management actions, which was consistent with cases in Ethiopia, Greenland, and Australia. Programs engaging volunteers were more frequently reported as ongoing, but those involving digital data entry were less often sustained when data collectors were volunteers. For the Vietnamese and Canadian cases, sustainability was undermined by a mismatch in stakeholder objectives. In the Ghanaian case, complex field protocols diminished monitoring sustainability. Innovative technologies attract interest, but the foundation of effective participatory adaptive monitoring depends more on collaboratively defined questions, objectives, conceptual models, and monitoring approaches. When this foundation is built through effective partnerships, digital data entry can enable the collection of more data of higher quality. Without this foundation, or when implemented ineffectively or unnecessarily, digital data entry can be an additional expense that distracts from core monitoring objectives and undermines project sustainability. The appropriate role of digital data entry in PM likely depends more on the context in which it is used and less on the technology itself.

A new digital field data collection system for dendrochronology

A wide variety of information or ‘metadata’ is required when undertaking dendrochronological sampling. Traditionally, researchers record observations and measurements on field notebooks and/or paper recording forms, and use digital cameras and hand-held GPS devices to capture images and record locations. In the lab, field notes are often manually entered into spreadsheets or personal databases, which are then sometimes linked to images and GPS waypoints. This process is both time consuming and prone to human and instrument error. Specialised hardware technology exists to marry these data sources, but costs can be prohibitive for small scale operations (>$2000USD). Such systems often include proprietary software that is tailored to very specific needs and might require a high level of expertise to use. We report on the successful testing and deployment of a dendrochronological field data collection system utilising affordable off-the-shelf devices ($100–300USD). The method builds upon established open source software that has been widely used in developing countries for public health projects as well as to assist in disaster recovery operations. It includes customisable forms for digital data entry in the field, and a marrying of accurate GPS location with geotagged photographs (with possible extensions to other measuring devices via Bluetooth) into structured data fields that are easy to learn and operate. Digital data collection is less prone to human error and efficiently captures a range of important metadata. In our experience, the hardware proved field worthy in terms of size, ruggedness, and dependability (e.g., battery life). The system integrates directly with the Tellervo software to both create forms and populate the database, providing end users with the ability to tailor the solution to their particular field data collection needs.

A Randomized Trial of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Administration: Tablet Computer Versus Paper and Pencil

To compare the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) patient-reported outcome measure as administered by tablet computer to the traditional paper format. In a prospective, randomized study design, 223 consecutive adult patients who presented to the clinic of a single hand surgeon at a tertiary medical center were randomized by visit time to receive the DASH by either paper or tablet computer. Test completeness, time to completion, DASH score, and diagnostic and demographic data were collected and compared between the two cohorts. In total, 120 participants took the DASH using the tablet and 103 using paper. 43% of the paper surveys had at least one question that was omitted, compared with 13% in the tablet group; 14% of the paper surveys were not scoreable (<27 questions answered) compared with 4% of the tablet surveys. The mean time to complete was 3.1 minutes for the paper version of the DASH and 4.3 minutes for the tablet version. Among our study population, there was no influence of age, sex, or diagnosis category on the time required to complete either version of thetest. The mean DASH score was 45 for the paper version and 32 for the tablet version. The use of digital data entry methods in the arena of health care outcomes research is increasing. Administration of the DASH via a tablet computer resulted in more complete data, slightly increased responder burden, and a lower DASH score. This finding may have important implications for the use of this metric in an electronic format in future research endeavors. Diagnostic II.

The impact of ankle-foot orthoses one year post orthopaedic surgery in children with cerebral palsy

Introduction: Physical examination of neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related functions is commonly performed in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Next to instrumented gait analysis, neuromusculoskeletal physical examination (NMS-PE) is an essential element in clinical decision-making, especially when orthopaedic or neurosurgery is indicated. Taking a complete NMSPE is rather extensive, so the examination and its registration can take quite some time. Accordingly, not all NMS-PE items are always performed, leading to incompleteness of data. Also paper based forms are subjected to data entry mistakes, and might even get lost. Altogether, thismay result in suboptimaldecision-making. The quality of NMSPE will be improved by technology that supports taking a PE. The aim of this project was to develop an innovative, easy touse tool (an “app”) for data entry anddata storageofNMS-PE findings in children with CP. Patients/materials and methods: The content of the NMS-PE tool is based on a recently published guideline book [1]. Requirements and a functional design of the app were drafted in close cooperationwithhealth-careprofessionals. Basedon these requirements, a user interfacewas developed, aswell as a database to store the entered data. A prototype of the NMS-PE app was tested in a pilot study. During the pilot study, NMS-PEs were performed in children with CP whom were seen for a first appointment at the outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Examinations were performed with the old method (manual data entry on paper sheets) and with the new method (digital data entry) on a second cohort. Factors of success and failure were documented during the pilot. Furthermore, efficiency (time to perform the examination), completeness of data registration (% completed items) and satisfaction were evaluated. RESULTS

A tablet computer “app” for neuromusculoskeletal physical examination in children with cerebral palsy

Introduction: Physical examination of neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related functions is commonly performed in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Next to instrumented gait analysis, neuromusculoskeletal physical examination (NMS-PE) is an essential element in clinical decision-making, especially when orthopaedic or neurosurgery is indicated. Taking a complete NMSPE is rather extensive, so the examination and its registration can take quite some time. Accordingly, not all NMS-PE items are always performed, leading to incompleteness of data. Also paper based forms are subjected to data entry mistakes, and might even get lost. Altogether, thismay result in suboptimaldecision-making. The quality of NMSPE will be improved by technology that supports taking a PE. The aim of this project was to develop an innovative, easy touse tool (an “app”) for data entry anddata storageofNMS-PE findings in children with CP. Patients/materials and methods: The content of the NMS-PE tool is based on a recently published guideline book [1]. Requirements and a functional design of the app were drafted in close cooperationwithhealth-careprofessionals. Basedon these requirements, a user interfacewas developed, aswell as a database to store the entered data. A prototype of the NMS-PE app was tested in a pilot study. During the pilot study, NMS-PEs were performed in children with CP whom were seen for a first appointment at the outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Examinations were performed with the old method (manual data entry on paper sheets) and with the new method (digital data entry) on a second cohort. Factors of success and failure were documented during the pilot. Furthermore, efficiency (time to perform the examination), completeness of data registration (% completed items) and satisfaction were evaluated. RESULTS

Fully digital survey systems for property

Realistic digital data entry and data handling is the key to unlocking the power of modern computer tools for all forms of building management functions. A survey system is needed to get the vital data about property collected and entered into any management database. Three discrete usage areas for computer technology are identified: data collection, manipulation and presentation. The key differences between the various types of building survey are outlined. The conceptual and actual challenges in each survey system area are explored. Past problems and mistakes in applying technology are discussed. Innovative automated, efficient, and integrated solutions are suggested. A new multi‐media and completely digital approach is recommended for applying new computer‐based tools to all kinds of property inspection. The future tools for super‐efficient building surveys in the next century are considered and predicted.

A survey of glove-based input

Clumsy intermediary devices constrain our interaction with computers and their applications. Glove-based input devices let us apply our manual dexterity to the task. We provide a basis for understanding the field by describing key hand-tracking technologies and applications using glove-based input. The bulk of development in glove-based input has taken place very recently, and not all of it is easily accessible in the literature. We present a cross-section of the field to date. Hand-tracking devices may use the following technologies: position tracking, optical tracking, marker systems, silhouette analysis, magnetic tracking or acoustic tracking. Actual glove technologies on the market include: Sayre glove, MIT LED glove, Digital Data Entry Glove, DataGlove, Dexterous HandMaster, Power Glove, CyberGlove and Space Glove. Various applications of glove technologies include projects into the pursuit of natural interfaces, systems for understanding signed languages, teleoperation and robotic control, computer-based puppetry, and musical performance. >

Angularity and Capture of the Cartographic Line During Digital Data Entry

Angularity and Capture of the Cartographic Line During Digital Data Entry

The Design and Evaluation of Complex Systems: Application to a Man-Machine Interface for Aerial Navigation

Systematic and economic design and evaluation strategies were applied to a computer-generated 4-D aerial navigation system. During the evaluation each of 24 experienced instrument pilots received training in a PLATO-based digital flight simulator using either a keyboard entry/static map, keyboard entry/dynamic map, or touch entry/dynamic map system. Tasks performed during the execution of an area navigation course included continuous flight control, navigation data updating, digital data entry, and amended course plotting. Digital data entry training time was comparable for all three systems but the touch-map proved superior for the plotting tasks, greatly reducing training and task execution times while virtually eliminating errors. Subsequent performance evaluation showed that the touch-map reduced flight path tracking error, increased processing rates on a digit-cancelling secondary task, and increased the accuracy of manual plotting operations. It was concluded that a touch entry system could significantly reduce cockpit workload across a wide range of operational environments.

The Design and Evaluation of Complex Systems: Application to a Man-Machine Interface for Aerial Navigation

Systematic and economic design and evaluation strategies were applied to a computer-generated 4-D aerial navigation system. During the evaluation each of 24 experienced instrument pilots received training in a PLATO-based digital flight simulator using either a keyboard entry/static map, keyboard entry/dynamic map, or touch entry/dynamic map system. Tasks performed during the execution of an area navigation course included continuous flight control, navigation data updating, digital data entry, and amended course plotting. Digital data entry training time was comparable for all three systems but the touch-map proved superior for the plotting tasks, greatly reducing training and task execution times while virtually eliminating errors. Subsequent performance evaluation showed that the touch-map reduced flight path tracking error, increased processing rates on a digit-cancelling secondary task, and increased the accuracy of manual plotting operations. It was concluded that a touch entry system could significantly reduce cockpit workload across a wide range of operational environments.

An improved electronic pantograph.

A device was developed to permit simultaneous observations of a microscopic field, under any light optic conditions, and permanent recording of the relative X-Y coordinates of the center of the field. A modification is described that allows gray scale values to be assigned to the plots. The system can be readily adapted to digital computer data entry.