Evidence-based Design Research Articles

Associations between environmental factors and adaptive skills of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in educational settings

This study examines the relationship between environmental factors and target adaptive skills of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities at educational settings. An online survey, which consisted of the Environmental Evaluation (EE) and Performance Measure (PM), was used to measure environmental attributes and target adaptive skills, respectively. This study considered 26 environmental items identified from a systematic review on evidence-based design and evidence-based practice. Factor analyses categorized the 26 environmental items into four components: affordance, restoration, control, and coherence. Multiple regression results supported that the identified environmental items were positively related to students’ adaptive skills when their disability levels were controlled (the Environ-Adaptive Skill model; F (2, 90.13) = 25.363, R2 = 0.278, p < .001). Specifically, restorative features were associated with conceptual/practical skills (F (2, 383.04) = 31.77, R2 = 0.301, p < .001), and the controllable characteristics were relevant to social skills (F (2, 37.77) = 12.068, R2 = 0.181, p < .001).

Technology as a tool for assisting students with special educational needs to learn and like mathematics and science: a literature review

Students with Special Educational Needs are encouraged to achieve high academic standards in Mathematics and Science education to better understand the natural world, develop life skills, and achieve career success. In this regard, digital technology assists students with disabilities in achieving Mathematics and Science literacy. This article presents a systematic literature review on the role of technology in Science education for students with Special Education Needs. An extensive search in academic databases yielded 24 journal articles from 2006 to 2022. These 24 empirical studies’ were reviewed through electronic databases, including Scopus, ERIC, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The findings demonstrate that using assistive technology in Mathematics and Science education had a major positive impact on students’ motivation, attitude, and academic performance. Positive learning outcomes probably depend on how digital technology is used, specifically the capabilities of each unique technological implementation. For evidence-based research designs in digitally supported learning environments for students with Special Education Needs, digital technology and its affordances are recommended, among other quality indicators.

TRANSLATING CORE VALUES INTO ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES

TRANSLATING CORE VALUES INTO ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES

Improving the Validity of Causal Inferences in Observational Studies.

Editor's note: This is the 13th article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation. To see all the articles in the series, go to https://links.lww.com/AJN/A204.

Current policies and gaps in programs for Persons with Disability in India: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory study examines the current policies and identifies gaps in programs for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in India. While India has made progress in implementing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and launching various programs and initiatives, there is still a long way to go to ensure full inclusion and access for PWDs in all aspects of society. The study investigates the policies and programs implemented by different ministries, including the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Railways. The study highlights the fragmented nature of policies and programs, lacking comprehensive coordination and resulting in duplication of efforts and limited coverage. Implementation challenges, such as inadequate funding, lack of awareness, and limited accountability mechanisms, hamper the impact of these initiatives. The study also identifies the need for policies and programs to address the diversity and intersectionality of disabilities, taking into account factors such as gender, age, location, and type of disability. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of capacity-building for PWDs and their organizations to participate in decision-making processes and advocate for their rights. It highlights the need to involve PWDs in policymaking and program design to ensure their perspectives and needs are adequately represented. The lack of reliable data on PWDs in India is another significant challenge, hindering evidence-based policymaking and program design. The study calls for improved data collection and management to better understand the challenges faced by PWDs and design effective interventions. In conclusion, while progress has been made, there are still significant gaps in policies and programs for PWDs in India. The study suggests the importance of creating an accessible environment, promoting equal engagement in mainstream society, and celebrating human diversity to empower PWDs. It also calls for improved coordination, increased funding, and greater inclusion of PWDs in decision-making processes to address the existing gaps and ensure equal access and opportunities for all.

Impact Evaluation of a Resident-Driven Research Training Workshop in Idaho: A Feasibility Study.

Engagement in research activities is a critical component of clinical residency training. It is vital to build research capacity of residents to help interpret evidence-based medicine and design quality improvement projects. A mixed methods study was conducted to assess the impact of a 1-day research training workshop conducted at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Centre, Idaho in May 2022. The workshop was targeted to improve the research knowledge of current clinical residents of Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. Workshop comprised of expert presentations, with assessment of difference in knowledge with a pretest and post-test. The sessions were organized around the core competencies of Institute of Medicine. Suggestions were also gathered from the audience. A pretest and post-test based on 13 questions was administered to the participants to assess change in research-related knowledge. Comments and suggestions of the participants were also recorded. Wilcoxon rank test was applied to determine statistical difference across each question and cumulative knowledge score. Conventional content analysis was applied to explore the comments and feedback. The mean score of participants improved across all 12 questions. Statistically significant results were observed for the questions about types of studies qualifying as qualitative research. The cumulative score of participants increased in the post-test from 8.57 to 9.35. The participants gained new knowledge (94.3%), and felt more comfortable in application of research methods (74.3%). Encouraging feedback was obtained from the audience. They stated that they had benefited from the workshop and felt more prepared and motivated to indulge in scholarly activities. The study shows improvement in research-related knowledge of clinical residents attending a 1-day training workshop. We recommend inclusion of such workshops in the curriculum of residents for skill building and enhanced indulgence in research activities in order to prepare them as future leaders in quality improvement, health policy, and hospital administration.

Como o controle social promove a integridade pública: o papel dos conselhos de política pública para conter a corrupção

ABSTRACT Introduction: This article assesses the impact of social accountability, implemented through municipal public policy councils in the fields of health, education, and social assistance, on corruption. Materials and methods: The study adopts a quasi-experimental research design within a robust causal inference framework. A set of estimation techniques, such as regression, propensity score matching, and instrumental variables, is employed to establish a counterfactual for analyzing a random sample of 1,223 municipalities independently audited between 2006 and 2015 as part of the Municipal Oversight Program of the Brazilian Office of the Comptroller General. Findings: Statistically significant effects of social accountability, carried out through public policy councils, on corruption in Brazilian municipalities are observed. When these councils are operational and active, and effectively exercising their legally mandated roles, a statistically significant reduction in the occurrence of corruption cases is evident. Discussion: Findings align with the international literature, emphasizing the positive impact of social accountability in the fight against corruption. The proposed theoretical model elucidates how operational public policy councils, through monitoring, regulation, consultation, and decision-making on local programs, play a key role in promoting social accountability while overcoming the ‘social fence dilemma,' bolstering the necessary collective action for public integrity. However, corruption is a complex problem that demands a multifaceted approach, and further research is required to delve into strategies for optimizing the performance of public policy councils. The study contributes to a more evidence-based design of democratic anticorruption policies.

The Role Of Evidence-Based Design In Developing The Interior Environment For Inclusion Classes For Autistic Students

The Role Of Evidence-Based Design In Developing The Interior Environment For Inclusion Classes For Autistic Students

Characteristic analysis of elderly workers in human-centric production systems using real observations and simulated constraints

Owing to the growing number of elderly workers in developed countries, the age-friendly design of production systems is crucial for the success of human-centric manufacturing. To obtain knowledge for designing age-friendly production systems, this study conducted the first characteristic analysis of elderly workers, focusing on the set parts supply process. By combining motion analysis with the subjective mental workload survey, this study clarified the differences in how tasks are performed by elderly and young workers and how such differences affect the mental workload of elderly workers. The findings enable evidence-based design and implementation of age-friendly production systems.

A process to foster pathology-related effects of design primes - how orthopedic patients might benefit from design features that influence health behaviour intention.

A growing body of literature mainly in the context of consumer research indicates that the formal-aesthetic and conceptual design of objects can influence users' thoughts, emotions and even behavioural patterns. While there is strong evidence regarding these effects on actual purchasing decisions, evidence on the effect of aesthetic design features (e.g., haptics, colour) on health-related mental concepts and intentions for health behaviour change is scarce. Based on insights from material and conceptual priming, this article illustrates the research-driven and evidence-based design process of two design primes and comprises pre-tests and an experiment in two settings on the effect of design on health behaviour focusing i.a. on intention for health behaviour change. In an evidence-based and research-driven process, two lecterns were designed to work as primes, i.e., to have a positive vs. negative influence on several mental constructs (sense of control, sense of coherence, resiliency, self-efficacy) and health-related intention. The lecterns differed mainly in terms of aesthetic appearance (e.g., material, colour, proportion, steadiness). They were tested in (a.) a university setting with students (n = 83) and (b.) a clinical setting with orthopaedic rehabilitation patients (n = 38). Participants were asked to perform an unrelated task (evaluation of an unrelated product) while standing at and using the lecterns. Overall, t-tests and Mann-Whitney-U tests show no significant differences but differing tendencies in a mentioning task. When asked to name health-promoting activities, in the clinical setting, participants using the "positive" prime (i.e., the steady lectern, n = 13) mentioned more sport-related aspects on average and a higher portion of sport-related aspects of their answers than participants using the "negative" prime (n = 11). In the university setting (positive: n = 36; negative n = 38), no such differences emerged. This finding gives reason to believe that the prime might be specifically effective in the clinical setting as it relates to physical activity being the most relevant topic of the patients' pathology.

Designing learning environments for promoting young people's constructive coping with climate change.

This chapter first summarizes how the consequences of global climate change (GCC) can harm young people's well-being through physical health impacts and awareness of GCC. We then outline how youth may cope with GCC by denying the problem, distancing themselves from it, or taking individual actions. However, the coping strategy shown to have the best mental well-being outcomes relates to collective actions and agency. Next, an examination of school-based GCC interventions reveals that engaging, participatory approaches may be more effective in promoting positive outcomes for youth and climate action. Our main contribution is a discussion of how the evidence-based design of learning environments presents an undeveloped but potentially effective way to enhance interventions for the development of constructive GCC coping strategies among youth. Utilizing environmental affordances and design as scaffolding can guide the design of learning environments that give youth opportunities for active cognitive, emotional, and physical engagement with climate change education. Natural environments may be particularly effective in supporting active engagement and pathways to constructive coping. More research is needed to understand what design features underly these pathways to improved well-being and GCC coping strategies that may have positive implications for youth climate action.

Sağlık Yapılarında Kanıta Dayalı Tasarım

The design of healthcare structures is a complex and constantly evolving issue due to the need for addressing various interrelated functions. Today, user involvement in the design phase is considered to be one of the main pillars of successful design. However, in healthcare structures, efforts toward this end are often hampered by the need for identifying the various requirements of multiple user groups and for setting priorities between different requirements of these groups. Recently, the effects of physical environmental conditions on user satisfaction have become more important in health building designs. Along with the rise of user satisfaction in design, the concept called 'evidence-based design' is increasingly attracting the attention of researchers and has become the theoretical concept of the healing physical environment in design. The aim of this study is to determine the gaps and areas needed to improve the effects of the physical environment on the user in terms of evidence-based design strategies. In this context, scientific studies on the design of health buildings between 2012 and 2021 were systematically reviewed and analyzed according to the evidence-based pyramid method with kohen kappa analysis within the scope of evidence-based design criteria. A total of 1641 articles were identified for the scope of the study. Among these a total of 48 scientific studies were analyzed fitted to the criteria of the study. The impacts of physical environment on users are evaluated on two main types of user groups: (1) patients and relatives and (2) healthcare workers. The results reveal that evidence design principles are mostly evaluate in terms of patients and there are gaps in evidence-based design literature for healthcare personnel and more studies should be undertaken by multidisciplinary teams for the development of design strategies.

Health implications of the built environment: lessons for an evidence-based design

The purpose of the built environment had always been focused on protection from external hostilities (wild creatures, worse climatic conditions, etc.) and internal comfort. Recent studies suggest another spectrum regarding the physical and psychological implications of the built environment. As a specialised and crossed-disciplinary research area, the results are less than often conveyed and incorporated in the planning design practice. This research aims to develop a comprehensive base about the implications of the built environment for incorporation in future planning and design. The evidence-based design approach was used based on the extraction and analysis of published research from JSTOR, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus through single and combined keyword searches, like the evidence-based design; architecture and health; impacts of layouts; social capital; healing environment; stress reduction; social support; views of nature; daylighting; urban planning and health etc. The data was analysed for different levels of evidence, and only those studies having excellent, good, and fair levels of evidence were included. The results were broadly categorised into two levels: the macro-level (urban and regional planning) and the micro-level (architectural level). The results of this study may improve the existing and future planning and design.

EATING DISORDER IN CHILDREN

Background:Evidence-based treatment and service design should reflect the perspectives of parents with eating disorders among their children on useful parts of care, but there is a lack of data to do so.This research aimed in assessing the effects of eating disorders that are prevailing among children in a detailed perspective. Methods:This research work involved following a cross-sectional approach of study and therefore included collecting first-hand data. This was accomplished through the conduction of the survey and data that are considered through the conduction of the survey are quantitative in nature. This would help in enhanced perception of the eating disorders that are prevailing in children. The method that would be employed for considering the size of the sample is stratified random sampling. The survey involved conducting a survey of children who falls within the age range of 10-17years of age. Results: The study included 572 children. Most of parents are concerned about the change in the eating disorder among their children (n= 420, 73.4%). Most of parents believe that eating habits can affect the rising in eating disorders (n= 486, 85%). Furthermore, parents think that reducing oily and junk food may help in minimizing eating disorders among their children (n= 456, 79.7%). Their most frequent answer was loss of appetite (n= 241, 42.1%). Figure 1 shows the distribution of parents answers. In addition, parents responded that it is minimal painful to lead a life with an excessively heavyweight (n= 228, 39.9%). They answered low-carbohydrate content food with no sugar (n= 253, 44.2%) while green vegetables came in the second place (n= 209, 36.5%) followed by fruits (n= 110, 19.2%). Conclusion:The studys findings revealed that the most common symptom reported by youngsters with eating disorders was a decrease in appetite. Parents said it hurt just somewhat to have to care for an overweight child all the time. The ideal option, according to parents, is meals with minimal carbohydrate content and no added sugar. According to parent reports, a healthy diet is the most effective weapon against childhood eating problems.

La ricerca didattica può diventare rilevante per la pratica? Se sì, in che modo?

To improve school learning through effective and sustainable approaches has always been the main aspiration of educational research. However, history shows how this goal remained mostly unattainable. This work first recalls the models of educational research that in recent decades have prevailed in order to improve teaching practices (Action Research and Design-Research) showing the criticalities of these orientations in relation to the objective indicated above. Are other ways possible? A different road is envisaged that makes use of a more systematic use of the resources offered by evidence-based orientation, either in terms of didactic frameworks, programs or theoretical frameworks that have already proven effective (Evidence-Based Improvement Design – EBID). This requires a uniform and explicitly defined experimental program to be applied on a large scale, but also makes use of contributions that come from practical wisdom in the phases of the preparation and contextualization and of the improvement after experimentation. Two cases applied in Italy inspired by this orientation and their results are recalled.

When is caring sharing? Primary care provider interdependence and continuity of care.

Efforts to improve access to high-quality, efficient primary care have highlighted the need for team-based care. Most primary care teams are designed to maintain continuity of care between patients and primary care providers (PCPs), because continuity of care can improve some patient outcomes. However, PCPs are interdependent because they care for, or share, patients. PCP interdependence, and its association with continuity of care, is not well described. This study describes a measure of PCP interdependence. We also evaluate the association between patient and panel characteristics, including PCP interdependence. Our results found that the extent of interdependence between PCPs in the same clinic varies widely. A range of patient and panel characteristics affect continuity of care, including patient complexity and PCP interdependence. These results suggest that continuity of care for complex patients is sensitive to panel characteristics, including PCP interdependence and panel size. This information can be used by primary care organizations for evidence-based team design.

Evidence-Based Design Process for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Interventions: A Case Study of the Advancing Local Dairy Development Programme in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a significant contributor to the global burden of chronic undernutrition in children under 5 years of age. The undernutrition challenge constrains the productivity of rural households. This study was carried out among beneficiaries of the productivity-enhancing Nigerian Dairy Development Programme (NDDP) to guide incorporation of nutrition into the successor program-Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN). Therefore, this study contributes to the literature about operationalizing nutrition-sensitive agricultural frameworks. The study sought to determine potential entry points for improving the nutrition of smallholder dairy farmers (≤ 5 milk cows) with a focus on food system entry points. Primary data were collected from 514 smallholder dairy households in Oyo and Kano states of Nigeria. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Quantitative data collected included minimum dietary diversity for women, nutrition status, and socioeconomic characteristics of households. Qualitative data included information about sources of food, markets, and other food system characteristics. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical tools and correlation analysis, while common themes were identified from qualitative data. The study showcased men's important role in food purchase and consumption, particularly in Kano. Increasing opportunities and the ability of women to use nutrition education appeared necessary for translating knowledge into improved practices. The own consumption (i.e., the portion of the milk kept for households' consumption as well as diversification of foods produced for consumption); income; women's empowerment; and environmental sanitation pathways seemed to be the most feasible pathways for improving nutrition within the context of the study population.

Long‐term care Facilities and Dementia. Development of a framework to assess design quality in healthcare structures for people with dementia

AbstractBackgroundLife expectancy has experienced rapid growth (from 77.6 to 81.3 years), resulting in an increase in Non‐Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and years lived with disability. One of those is dementia, with about 7 million people affected in Europe and the number is set to double by 2050. Those patients are complex due to the serious changes in the cognitive sphere, altering perceptions of the space. They are the most frequent users of healthcare facilities, but these structures often are not suitable to them. To this end, a rethinking is now urgent, and the use of Evidence‐Based Design (EBD) could be the way to create safe and suitable environments. This study aims to develop an evaluation framework of the main aspect in the design of a built environment for people with dementia.MethodThree analyses were conducted: systematic literature review, analysis of existing tools, and case study analysis. The first was conducted on scientific databases using meaningful keywords. In the second the assessment tools in the field of healthcare facilities used worldwide were analyzed. The third explored best practices of dementia architecture. The three analyses were compared to outline the main characteristics that the environment dedicated to the dementia patient must possess to be inclusive and prosthetic.ResultThe final union of results obtained from the analysis has allowed defining a set of requirements that the space must have to be prosthetic for the patient. Those findings have been identified by comparing the two analyses were then divided into three main macro‐areas (physical, cognitive, and social aspects) and 31 criteria. The results were also validated through the involvement of stakeholders and experts in the topic, both from architectural and medical field to establish the relationship between physical factors and patient outcomes.ConclusionThe framework is a starting point for the development of inclusive projects for people with dementia and cognitive disabilities because it is urgent to investigate which are the main aspects to be considered in the design and renovations of facilities to make them as much as possible therapeutic and prosthetic, creating places where the wellbeing of patients is the priority.

Towards a set of design principles for technology-assisted critical-thinking cultivation: A synthesis of research in English language education

In view of the burgeoning research on technology-assisted critical-thinking cultivation but scarce research synthesis on this important topic in the field of English language education, this systematic literature review sought to address two issues. First, it identified the types of technology used in recent research published from 2017 to 2022. Second, it generated a framework comprising a set of evidence-based design principles to provide pedagogical assistance to English teachers and instructional designers for their use of technology to support critical-thinking cultivation. Drawing on a fine-grained analysis and synthesis of 33 eligible studies, this review suggested that informative technology, communicative technology, or informative and communicative technology is the most used technology to foster students’ critical thinking in English language education. The review also proposed a framework with four evidence-based design principles: (1) allow self-study and thorough understanding of learning materials; (2) engage students in practising various critical thinking skills; (3) engage students in classroom interaction, group discussion, collaboration, and reflection; and (4) engage students in decision-making and problem-solving. Implications of the review findings are discussed.

Research Methods Used in Evidence-Based Design: An Analysis of Five Years of Research Articles From the HERD Journal.

This study aims to analyze research methodologies from 157 research articles published in this journal in the last five years (2016-2020). Health environments research is comprised of research covering many topics and from various disciplines worldwide. No systematic study exists to uncover themes in evidence-based design (EBD) research concerning the types of research published, people engaged in research, and the research methods employed. Understanding the nature of health environment research performed can help researchers, practitioners, and students situate their work within an EBD research structure. Case study research was used to analyze 157 articles published in the Health Environments Research & Design Journal devoted to EBD and research. Secondary data were extracted to capture research methods from health environments studies and then analyzed to identify themes. The design and outcome categories were structured around and the Center for Health Design's (CHD) Knowledge Repository with origins to Ulrich et al.'s Evidence-Based Design Framework. Findings are reported on categories commonly found in empirical research articles: (i) key words, (ii) disciplines from authors, (iii) settings studied, (iv) populations studied or sampled, (v) research approach and study design, (vi) research strategies, (vii) data collection methods, (viii) data analysis procedures, (ix) design categories and variables, and (x) outcome categories and variables. The analyses highlighted the research methods most frequently used in health environments research. Findings revealed several inconsistencies across articles on key words and the framing of research methodologies. Results suggest that there should be a consistent and overarching research taxonomy with a set of acceptable terms for effective literature searches.