End-user Survey Research Articles

The use of a custom-made virtual template for corrective surgeries of asymmetric patients: proof of principle and a multi-center end-user survey.

To evaluate the utility of an individualized template for corrective surgeries for patients suffering from mandibular asymmetry. Twenty patients with history of favorable clinical outcome of the correction of their mandibular asymmetry were chosen. CBCTs were taken before and 6weeks postoperative using NewTom 3G. Each volume is mirrored and registered on the cranial base. Surface models for the mandible and its registered mirror were used to compute a template using deformable fluid registration. Surgery was simulated based of the resulting template. A multi-center survey using "Qualtrics" was conducted to gain clinical feedback of 20 surgeons/orthodontists comparing treatment outcomes. Twenty-three clinicians participated. More clinicians rated simulated outcome to be "Good," whereas the actual surgical outcomes were rated as "fair" and "poor." This was true for regional appraisal for the chin, Rami, and body of the mandible as well as the overall assessment of the outcome of surgeries. The gains of computer-assisted simulation tend to be greater for difficult cases especially for the body of the mandible, then the chin, and then the Ramus correction. This approach has the potential to optimize and increase the predictability of the outcome of craniofacial corrective surgeries for asymmetric patients.

Managing welfare driven supply chains: insights from the Indian PDS

The objectives of this paper are to understand the design, implementation and monitoring of welfare driven food supply chains. As a case in point the Indian public distribution system (PDS) has been investigated. In India a targeted public distribution system (TPDS) was carved out as a novel system of safety net operations for the distribution of scheduled commodities to the targeted citizens. The distribution of commodities is through a network of institutions comprising Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses and fair price shops (FPS). The methodology adopted is a mix of literature review, document analysis, interview with policy makers, officials responsible for distribution of food grains, fair price shop owners and survey of end users. It is inferred that this system is fraught with inefficiency at all stages of the supply chain and service delivery is poor. A hybrid approach is proposed to retain the current PDS supply chain while making suitable process redesigns, introducing ICT-based interventions and involvement of private actors in the service delivery.

Exploring European digital single market: user adoption and preferences for eID services

Digital platforms and electronic identification (eID) based e-Signatures technology paved an uniform network and e-government service development connecting European countries. The international system allows secure identification of identity of any EU citizen and use of any available national e-service. This paper presents the setting of this type of services for home use and cross-border accession with an user profiling study in context of the novel European platform. The study is based on exhaustive end user survey within several EU countries. Random forests models have enabled us to discern between users based on mandatory ownership of eID, eID frequency and purpose of use. Frequency of use provided the strongest model, where access to business platforms, educational institutions and banks were the most discriminatory variables. These services are also prioritised abroad by frequent eID users and should be considered in the future development and marketing of a unified digital market.

Exploring European Digital Single Market: user adoption and preferences for eID services

Digital platforms and electronic identification (eID) based e-Signatures technology paved an uniform network and e-government service development connecting European countries. The international system allows secure identification of identity of any EU citizen and use of any available national e-service. This paper presents the setting of this type of services for home use and cross-border accession with an user profiling study in context of the novel European platform. The study is based on exhaustive end user survey within several EU countries. Random forests models have enabled us to discern between users based on mandatory ownership of eID, eID frequency and purpose of use. Frequency of use provided the strongest model, where access to business platforms, educational institutions and banks were the most discriminatory variables. These services are also prioritised abroad by frequent eID users and should be considered in the future development and marketing of a unified digital market.

Impact of media-related SIFs on QoE for H.265/HEVC video streaming

Long term evolution (LTE) is the fastest-deployed mobile broadband technology driven by demand for improved user experience. It has distinguished itself compared to other mobile broadband technologies in its ability to handle the growth of video traffic that has become an important part of user’s mobile broadband experience. Growing trend of video consumption implies that that media-related system influence factors (SIFs) should be identified and well-understood in order to determine how they affect the user’s quality of experience (QoE). Therefore, this paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of media-related SIFs and their impact on QoE for video streaming. Experimental study has included two phases, i.e., H.265/ high efficiency video coding (HEVC) coded video streaming emulation over LTE network and end-user survey for collecting mean opinion score (MOS). Results obtained from statistical analysis imply that there exists strong and statistically significant impact of individual media-related SIFs and their interaction on QoE for video streaming.

When normal scores don’t equate to independence: Recalibrating ratings of neurobehavioural disability from the ‘St Andrew’s – Swansea Neurobehavioural Outcome Scale’ to reflect context-dependent support

ABSTRACTPrimary objective: Context is critical to the interpretation of measurement instruments that capture acquired brain injury (ABI) outcomes. Ratings reflect behaviours and abilities observed in a particular setting; it cannot be assumed that results are generalizable beyond these. This study explored the utility of a method to convey the impact of context-dependent support given on ratings of neurobehavioural disability (NBD) using the St Andrews-Swansea Neurobehavioural Outcome Scale (SASNOS).Methods and procedures: A supplementary SASNOS scoring system was developed using a mixed-methods approach. Dependency ratings were used to recalibrate standardised SASNOS scores to reflect support received. To aid interpretation, an expert panel reviewed SASNOS ratings for 50 ABI cases participating in residential neurobehavioural rehabilitation programmes. An end-user survey was undertaken to explore some of its psychometric properties. Finally, a representative case study was employed to illustrate its clinical utility.Main outcomes: The expert panel identified three dependency profiles: (1) Normal/Independent; (2) Normal/Dependent; and (3) Abnormal/Review. Survey results supported face and construct validity of the supplementary system; the case study demonstrated benefits of discriminating between dependency profiles.Conclusions: The supplementary scoring system enables SASNOS to convey the impact of support received on ratings of NBD, solidifying its usefulness for measuring outcomes in rehabilitation.

Values, preferences and current hepatitis B and C testing practices in low- and middle-income countries: results of a survey of end users and implementers

BackgroundAccess to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnostics remains a key bottleneck in scale-up of access to HBV and HCV treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that lack laboratory resources and skilled personnel. To inform the development of World Health Organization (WHO) testing guidelines on who to test and how to test, we performed a “values and preferences” survey of end users and implementers of hepatitis testing in LMICs on current hepatitis B and C testing practices and acceptability of diagnostic approaches, as well as preferences for the future.MethodsThe survey consisted of a four-part, 28 question online survey tool using SurveyMonkey software. The invitation to participate was sent via email to a network of contacts in hepatitis clinical care, research, advocacy and industry.ResultsThe survey collected responses on current testing practices from 48 respondents in 23 LMICs. Only a small proportion of hepatitis testing is currently funded through government-supported programmes. Most limit their testing programmes to blood donor screening and although testing is recommended in several populations, this is not well implemented. Also, there is still very limited access to virological testing.ConclusionsThe survey showed that HBV and HCV testing programmes in LMICs are inadequate and/or scarce. Lack of affordable diagnostic tests; lack of funding, public education and awareness; absence of national policies and guidelines; and a dearth of skilled health professionals are the most important barriers to scaling up HBV and HCV diagnosis and treatment.

ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETRIZATION OF UNIFORMS FOR ARMED FORCES

Planning manufacture of uniforms decisions must be taken as to how many and in what size a particular model series should be manufactured, how they should be labeled and to what body-dimensions garment sizes should correspond. The purpose of anthropometric parametrization is to introduce garment size classification for mass production clothing, so as to representatively depict wearers’ body figure diversity. It is in the interests of manufacturers (design time and costs, logistics etc.) and buyers/procurement service alike to confine themselves with a minimum garment sizes and to use a possibly less complicated garment size classification. The aim of this research is to gather different impact factors for anthropometric parametrization for Uniforms of Armed Forces.
 Research is formed from anthropometric data and end user survey exploring data set of 150 soldiers. Anthropometrics are performed by non-contact anthropometric methods (3D anthropometrical scanner Vitus Smart XXL® is used in the study), data processing automation systems, pattern making CAD/CAM systems, etc. National Armed Forces (NAF) technical specification provides for manufacture of a wide range of garment sizes (by height indifference interval of 6 cm). Manufacturers labeling system and charts of finished products are subjected to comparative analysis and evaluation of corresponding standard recommendations is included.
 The study indicates the need to optimize the currently used anthropometry method in the Latvian Army, anthropometric data registration and application, thus improving the performance of military personnel and the procurement process and the use of resources, thus promoting resource planning and environmental protection. Also improvements are needed in uniform labeling and instructing of the military personnel on selection of uniform and equipment components. 
 Proper anthropometric parametrization and labeling of Uniforms for Armed Forces would minimize expenses of Uniforms as well as the negative waste impact to the environment.

Task-specific usability requirements of electronic medical records systems: Lessons learned from a national survey of end-users

ABSTRACTBackground: There are various approaches to evaluating the usability of electronic medical record (EMR) systems. User perspectives are an integral part of evaluation. Usability evaluations efficiently and effectively contribute to user-centered design and supports tasks and increase user satisfaction. This study determined the main usability requirements for EMRs by means of an end-user survey. Method: A mixed-method strategy was conducted in three phases. A qualitative approach was employed to collect and formulate EMR usability requirements using the focus group method and the modified Delphi technique. Classic Delphi technique was used to evaluate the proposed requirements among 380 end-users in Iran. Results: The final list of EMR usability requirements was verified and included 163 requirements divided into nine groups. The highest rates of end-user agreement relate to EMR visual clarity (3.65 ± 0.61), fault tolerance (3.58 ± 0.56), and suitability for learning (3.55 ± 0.54). The lowest end-user agreement was for auditory presentation (3.18 ± 0.69). Conclusion: The highest and lowest agreement among end-users was for visual clarity and auditory presentation by EMRs, respectively. This suggests that user priorities in determination of EMR usability and their understanding of the importance of the types of individual tasks and context characteristics differ.

Large-Scale Occupational Skills Normalization for Online Recruitment

Job openings often go unfulfilled despite a surfeit of unemployed or underemployed workers. One of the main reasons for this is a mismatch between the skills required by employers and the skills that workers possess. This mismatch, also known as the skills gap, can pose socio-economic challenges for an economy. A first step in alleviating the skills gap is to accurately detect skills in human capital data such as resumes and job ads. Comprehensive and accurate detection of skills facilitates analysis of labor market dynamics. It also helps bridge the divide between supply and demand of labor by facilitating reskilling and workforce training programs. In this paper, we describe SKILL, a Named Entity Normalization (NEN) system for occupational skills. SKILL is composed of 1) A skills tagger which uses properties of semantic word vectors to recognize and normalize relevant skills, and 2) A skill entity sense disambiguation component which infers the correct meaning of an identified skill by leveraging Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms. Datadriven evaluation using end-user surveys demonstrates that SKILL achieves 90% precision and 73% recall for skills tagging. SKILL is currently used by various internal teams at CareerBuilder for big data workforce analytics, semantic search, job matching, and recommendations.ch.

A qualitative analysis of prescribers' and dispensers' views on improving prescription drug monitoring programs.

Prescription drug abuse is epidemic in the United States (US). To help address the problem, most states operate prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). PDMPs are designed to monitor and help control the distribution of controlled therapeutic medications and to assist prescribers and dispensers in making informed clinical decisions. To this end, PDMPs rely on timely and accurate data submission, as well as review of the data. Consequently, provider acceptance of these systems is essential to maximize their effectiveness. This article explores licensed prescribers' and dispensers' opinions regarding prescription drug monitoring. The study surveyed licensed prescribers and dispensers about their experiences and views on drug monitoring, prescribing and dispensing practices, and on prescription drug abuse in general. Two open-ended questions were posed as part of a larger, end-user survey. The analysis culled thematically-coded excerpts to these two questions. Respondents offered a range of comments that unearthed important disagreements among prescribers and dispensers over the administration and ethics pertaining to PDMPs. At the same time, some respondents suggested means to enhance PDMPs functionality. Attending to and rectifying providers' views, while considering their improvement suggestions may boost PDMPs effectiveness by maximizing buy-in and utilization. The potential speaks to advancing a tool that intends to help address alarming rates of prescription drug abuse.

Mobile work: Ergonomics in a rapidly changing work environment.

Places of work have been completely transformed by innovations in mobile work tools and ever-present access to internet data. This article characterizes use patterns and provides preliminary considerations for productive and comfortable use of common mobile devices. Two surveys described trends in mobile work. In the first, ergonomics professionals who oversee programs reported common mobile devices, their users and what data is accessed. The second, an end user survey, explored common activities performed on mobile devices, duration of use and locations where mobile work is common. The survey results provide a baseline data point for the status of mobile work in early 2014. Research indicates that additional risks have been introduced to the neck, thumbs and hands when using mobile devices. Possible trends regarding device use and work locations emerge. Intervention studies provide some direction for the practitioner. Practical strategies are outlined to reduce exposure intensity and duration. Contemporary mobile work presents tremendous change and opportunity for ergonomists and researchers to keep pace with fitting the changing models of work to the person. Continued research is needed on current mobile device use patterns to better understand ergonomic risk exposure in this rapidly changing realm.

Proficiency testing for bacterial whole genome sequencing: an end-user survey of current capabilities, requirements and priorities

The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionised public health microbiology. Given the potential impact of NGS, it is paramount to ensure standardisation of ‘wet’ laboratory and bioinformatic protocols and promote comparability of methods employed by different laboratories and their outputs. Therefore, one of the ambitious goals of the Global Microbial Identifier (GMI) initiative (http://www.globalmicrobialidentifier.org/) has been to establish a mechanism for inter-laboratory NGS proficiency testing (PT). This report presents findings from the survey recently conducted by Working Group 4 among GMI members in order to ascertain NGS end-use requirements and attitudes towards NGS PT. The survey identified the high professional diversity of laboratories engaged in NGS-based public health projects and the wide range of capabilities within institutions, at a notable range of costs. The priority pathogens reported by respondents reflected the key drivers for NGS use (high burden disease and ‘high profile’ pathogens). The performance of and participation in PT was perceived as important by most respondents. The wide range of sequencing and bioinformatics practices reported by end-users highlights the importance of standardisation and harmonisation of NGS in public health and underpins the use of PT as a means to assuring quality. The findings of this survey will guide the design of the GMI PT program in relation to the spectrum of pathogens included, testing frequency and volume as well as technical requirements. The PT program for external quality assurance will evolve and inform the introduction of NGS into clinical and public health microbiology practice in the post-genomic era.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-015-0902-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Description and pilot evaluation of the Metabolic Irregularities Narrowing down Device software: a case analysis of physician programming

BackgroundThere is a gap between the abilities and the everyday applications of Computerized Decision Support Systems (CDSSs). This gap is further exacerbated by the different ‘worlds’ between the software designers and the clinician end-users. Software programmers often lack clinical experience whereas practicing physicians lack skills in design and engineering.ObjectiveOur primary objective was to evaluate the performance of Metabolic Irregularities Narrowing down Device (MIND) intelligent medical calculator and differential diagnosis software through end-user surveys and discuss the roles of CDSS in the inpatient setting.SettingA tertiary care, teaching community hospital.Study participantsThirty-one responders answered the survey. Responders consisted of medical students, 24%; attending physicians, 16%, and residents, 60%.ResultsAbout 62.5% of the responders reported that MIND has the ability to potentially improve the quality of care, 20.8% were sure that MIND improves the quality of care, and only 4.2% of the responders felt that it does not improve the quality of care. Ninety-six percent of the responders felt that MIND definitely serves or has the potential to serve as a useful tool for medical students, and only 4% of the responders felt otherwise. Thirty-five percent of the responders rated the differential diagnosis list as excellent, 56% as good, 4% as fair, and 4% as poor.DiscussionMIND is a suggesting, interpreting, alerting, and diagnosing CDSS with good performance and end-user satisfaction. In the era of the electronic medical record, the ongoing development of efficient CDSS platforms should be carefully considered by practicing physicians and institutions.

Impact of an online medical internet site on knowledge and practice of health care providers: a mixed methods study of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence project.

BackgroundIt is not known whether ongoing access to a broad-based Internet knowledge resource can influence the practice of health care providers. We undertook a study to evaluate the impact of a Web-based knowledge resource on increasing access to evidence and facilitating best practice of health care providers.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate (1) the impact of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence (SCIRE) project on access to information for health care providers and researchers and (2) how SCIRE influenced health care providers' management of clients.MethodsA 4-part mixed methods evaluation was undertaken: (1) monitoring website traffic and utilization using Google Analytics, (2) online survey of users who accessed the SCIRE website, (3) online survey of targeted end-users, that is, rehabilitation health care providers known to work with spinal cord injury (SCI) clients, as well as researchers, and (4) focus groups with health care providers who had previously accessed SCIRE.ResultsThe online format allowed the content for a relatively specialized field to have far reach (eg, 26 countries and over 6500 users per month). The website survey and targeted end-user survey confirmed that health care providers, as well as researchers perceived that the website increased their access to SCI evidence. Access to SCIRE not only improved knowledge of SCI evidence but helped inform changes to the health providers’ clinical practice and improved their confidence in treating SCI clients. The SCIRE information directly influenced the health providers’ clinical decision making, in terms of choice of intervention, equipment needs, or assessment tool.ConclusionsA Web-based knowledge resource may be a relatively inexpensive method to increase access to evidence-based information, increase knowledge of the evidence, inform changes to the health providers’ practice, and influence their clinical decision making.

Using Fuzzy Analytic Network Process to assess the risks in enterprise resource planning system implementation

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the risk level for both intra-organizational cultures and for different industries in implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This study adopts the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) method to assess ERP implementation risks, which were categorized into four dimensions: management and execution, software system, users, and technology planning. An empirical survey was conducted that utilized the collected survey data of 20 ERP experts in Taiwan to assess, rank, and improve the critical risks of ERP implementation via the FANP method. Based on the results of the FANP method, a follow-up survey of ERP end-users in different departments of three industries was conducted to assess how intra-organizational cultures and cross-industries affect users’ perceived risks a real world scenario. Our research results demonstrated that “lack of management support and assistance” is vital risk for a successful ERP implementation. Top management support and involvement are crucial and essential factors to the success of a firm's ERP implementation. “Ineffective communication with users” was found to be the second highest risk factor. The benefits of using the FANP method for evaluating the risk factors come from the clear priority weights between alternatives. Finally, this study provides suggestions to help enterprises decrease ERP risks, and enhance the chances of success of ERP implementations among intra-organizational cultures and across-industries.

End-user survey results as contribution to energy performance assessment of precast panel housing stock

The paper presents an analysis of a survey among residents of a housing district in Lublin, Poland. The survey, conducted by means of a bespoke questionnaire, was aimed not only at collecting the end-user input on the effects of maintenance and retrofitting actions completed so far and preferences on future actions, but also to arouse interest in participating in the decision-making process related with improving energy performance of the housing stock. The investigations, being a part of a larger research project started in 2004, are focused on assessing the potential for improvement of the precast panel housing stock which is a typical feature of Poland’s building environment.

Who cares wins? A comparative analysis of household waste medicines and batteries reverse logistics systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine how best to reduce, reuse and dispose of household waste medicines in the National Health Service (NHS) (UK). Design/methodology/approach – Through a combination of literature review and empirical work, this research investigates the existing household waste medicines reverse logistics (RL) system and makes recommendations for improvement by benchmarking it against household waste batteries RL. The viability and feasibility of these recommendations are evaluated through in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals and end user surveys. Findings – The batteries RL system appears to be a more structured and effective system with more active engagement from actors/stakeholders in instigating RL practices and for this very reason is an excellent comparator for waste medicines RL practices. Appropriate best practices are recommended to be incorporated into the waste medicines RL system, including recapturing product value, revised processing approaches, system cooperation and enforcement, drivers and motivations and system design and facilitation. Research limitations/implications – This study offers academics and professionals an improved insight into the current household waste medicines RL system and provides a step towards reducing an existing gap in this under-researched area. A limitation is that only a small sample of healthcare professionals were involved in subjectively evaluating the feasibility of the recommendations, so the applicability of the recommendations needs to be tested in a wider context and the cost effectiveness of implementing the recommendations needs to be analysed. Practical implications – Reducing, reusing and properly disposing of waste medicines contribute to economic sustainability, environmental protection and personal and community safety. The information retrieved from analysing returned medicines can be used to inform prescribing practice so as to reduce unnecessary medicine waste and meet the medicine optimisation agenda. Originality/value – This paper advocates learning from best practices in batteries RL to improve the waste medicines RL design and execution and supports the current NHS agenda on medicine waste reduction (DoH, 2012). The recommendations made in the paper not only aim to reduce medicine waste but also to use medicines effectively, placing the emphasis on improving health outcomes.

Evaluating a Web-Based Health Risk Assessment With Tailored Feedback: What Does an Expert Focus Group Yield Compared to a Web-Based End-User Survey?

BackgroundIncreasingly, Web-based health applications are developed for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. However, their reach and utilization is often disappointing. Qualitative evaluations post-implementation can be used to inform the optimization process and ultimately enhance their adoption. In current practice, such evaluations are mainly performed with end-user surveys. However, a review approach by experts in a focus group may be easier to administer and might provide similar results.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess whether industrial design engineers in a focus group would address the same issues as end users in a Web-based survey when evaluating a commercial Web-based health risk assessment (HRA) with tailored feedback.MethodsSeven Dutch companies used the HRA as part of their corporate health management strategy. Employees using the HRA (N=2289) and 10 independent industrial designers were invited to participate in the study. The HRA consisted of four components: (1) an electronic health questionnaire, (2) biometric measurements, (3) laboratory evaluation, and (4) individually tailored feedback generated by decision support software. After participating in the HRA as end users, both end users and designers evaluated the program. End users completed an evaluation questionnaire that included a free-text field. Designers participated in a focus group discussion. Constructs from user satisfaction and technology acceptance theories were used to categorize and compare the remarks from both evaluations.ResultsWe assessed and qualitatively analyzed 294 remarks of 189 end users and 337 remarks of 6 industrial designers, pertaining to 295 issues in total. Of those, 137 issues were addressed in the end-user survey and 148 issues in the designer focus group. Only 7.3% (10/137) of the issues addressed in the survey were also addressed in the focus group. End users made more remarks about the usefulness of the HRA and prior expectations that were not met. Designers made more remarks about how the information was presented to end users, quality of the feedback provided by the HRA, recommendations on the marketing and on how to create more unity in the design of the HRA, and on how to improve the HRA based on these issues.ConclusionsEnd-user surveys should not be substituted for expert focus groups. Issues identified by end users in the survey and designers in the focus group differed considerably, and the focus group produced a lot of new issues. The issues addressed in the focus group often focused on different aspects of user satisfaction and technology acceptance than those addressed by the survey participants; when they did focus on the same aspects, then the nature of issues differed considerably in content.

Percieved Importance and Perfomance of Information Systems in Azam Company- Dar Es Salaam

It is increasingly more interesting to the Companies to understand the relationship existing between perceived importance and performance of information systems within their companies. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of the importance of attributes of information systems and whether the performance of information systems met the users’ expectations in Azam company in Dar es salaam. Anonymous and self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 217 respondents. A total of 185 usable responses were received, resulting in a response rate of 85.3% which was considered satisfactory for subsequent analysis. Using an end-user satisfaction survey, It was discovered that the end-users were moderately satisfied with the company’s IS performance and that there were gaps between importance and performance on all the systems-related attributes studied. The largest gap pertained to the attributes Understanding Systems and Documentation. The contribution of the study is in advancing Importance-Performance Analysis applicable to IS research. Keywords: Information Systems Performance, Information Systems Importance, End-user Satisfaction