Experience Questionnaire Research Articles

Second victim experience in Spanish psychiatrists coping with patient suicide: A call for postvention

BackgroundLosing a patient by suicide may lead to psychological distress and mid/long-term personal and professional consequences for psychiatrists, becoming second victims. Material and methodsThe validated Spanish version of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST-E) questionnaire and a 30-item questionnaire created ad-hoc was administered online to psychiatrists from all over Spain to evaluate how patient suicide affects mental health professionals. ResultsTwo hundred ninety-nine psychiatrists participated in the survey, and 256 completed the SVEST-E questionnaire. The results of the SVEST-E questionnaire revealed a negative impact of suicide on emotional and physical domains, although this seemed not to lead to work absenteeism. Most respondents desired peer support from a respected colleague and considered institutional support, although desirable, lacking. Almost 70% of surveyed stated that an employee assistance program providing free counseling to employees outside of work would be desirable. The ad-hoc questionnaire showed that up to 88% of respondents considered some suicides unavoidable, and 76% considered the suicide unexpected. Almost 60% of respondents reported no changes in the approach of patients with suicidal ideation/behavior, after losing a patient. However, up to 76% reported performing more detailed clinical evaluations and notes in the medical record. Up to 13% of respondents considered leaving or changing their job or advancing retirement after losing a patient by suicide. ConclusionsAfter a patient's suicide, psychiatrists often suffer the feelings of second victim, impacting personal and professional areas. The study results indicate the need for postvention strategies to mitigate the negative impact of patient suicide.

Eating and Sensory Features of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Typically Developing Peers.

Impaired sensory processing is associated with eating problems. There seem to be no previous studies that compare those who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with eating problems (ASD-W) and those with ASD without eating problems (ASD-WO) with typically developing (TD) groups. Comparisons are expected to provide further knowledge to guide the intervention programs. To investigate differences among ASD-W, ASD-WO, and TD groups in eating and sensory features; to detect associations between sensory and eating behaviors and any most involved sensory dimensions; and to search for age-related differences in sensory and eating features in ASD. Nonrandomized comparison study. Questionnaires administered as parent interviews. A total of 165 children were recruited: 117 with ASD and 48 TD children. Standardized questionnaires: the Brief Autism Mealtime Behaviors Inventory for eating problems; the Short Sensory Profile and the Sensory Experience Questionnaire for sensory problems. The ASD-W group showed generalized, impaired eating behaviors and turned out to be the most impaired with regard to sensory responsiveness. No differences in feeding behaviors were found between the ASD-WO and TD groups. All children with ASD showed sensory hyper- or hyporesponsiveness. Four main sensory dimensions were found to be associated with eating behaviors in ASD. No age differences were found in the eating and sensory behaviors of children with ASD. Differing eating and sensory profiles were found between the ASD and TD groups, especially in children with ASD-W. Early eating interventions using sensory stimulations are strongly recommended. What This Article Adds: This study reports novel information derived from the comparisons of children with ASD with eating problems and those with ASD without eating problems with typically developing groups of children.

Development and initial validation of the THL Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-THL)

BackgroundThe research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has deepened our understanding of the long-lasting and cumulative effects of childhood adversities. However, the instruments measuring ACEs have several shortcomings, including limited item coverage, collapsing of items and response options, simplistic scoring, and inadequate psychometric assessments. ObjectiveTo design and conduct preliminarily psychometric testing for a brief new self-report instrument—the THL Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire (ACE-THL)—with a comprehensive set of clearly formulated items and appropriate response options. MethodsA previously published process model was applied to develop the ACE-THL questionnaire, which was validated by cognitive interviews (N = 20). Interviewers and interviewees completed the questionnaire separately for a cross-informant comparison. In a separate survey panel validation, the respondents filled out the ACE-THL twice, two weeks apart (N = 513, with 426 in the follow-up). Interview data were used to improve item clarity, and test–retest reliability and structural validity were assessed with repeated survey data. ResultsThe final 14-item questionnaire, including 12 ACE items and two items measuring protective experiences, was highly acceptable to the respondents. In the factor analysis of the quantitative data, a sufficiently single-dimensional construct was found, remaining stable in retesting two weeks later. The internal consistency (omega) of the a priori one-dimensional model was 0.89 and 0.90 at baseline and follow-up, respectively. The high test–retest reliability (mean score rank order correlation 0.93) of the ACE-THL indicated that the probed perceptions of childhood experiences are stable. ConclusionBased on the initial validation, the 14-item ACE-THL questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument to measure adverse childhood experiences, as well as protective experiences.

Bimanual hand use in children and adolescents with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy: an exploratory study

BackgroundIndividuals with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP) often show difficulties using their hands during activities of daily living. ObjectiveTo investigate the factors that interfere with hand use during bimanual activities in children and adolescents with USCP. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study with 102 children and adolescents with USCP, aged 6 to 18 years. We collected information with the caregivers about the classification of the child's manual ability, according to the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS); child's age; side of the involvement; Children's Hand-Use Experience Questionnaire- CHEQ2.0. Cluster analysis identified groups of children and adolescents who performed CHEQ activities with or without assistance. Multiple linear regression analyses identified the contribution of the factors: age, sex, MACS level, side of hemiparesis, and clusters of assistance, on the outcomes of efficacy, time, and feeling bothered. ResultsMACS and clusters of assistance explained the variance in efficacy (p<0.05; R2=0.31) and time (p<0.05; R2=0.37). MACS explained 22% of the variance in feeling bothered. Children and adolescents with increased difficulty to perform activities that involve hand use (i.e., MACS III) and who receive assistance during most bimanual activities showed less efficacy of use, were slower in their performance, and presented greater feeling of being bothered. ConclusionAssistance in bimanual activities and MACS level contributed to explain the efficacy of use, time, and feeling bothered in performing bimanual activities. Intervention strategies aimed at promoting the performance of bimanual activities in the daily routine of children with USCP should consider these outcomes.

Cross-sectional association between metabolic parameters and psychotic-like experiences in a population-based sample of middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Metabolic alterations are often found in patients with clinical psychosis early in the course of the disorder. Psychotic-like experiences are observed in the general population, but it is unclear whether these are associated with markers of metabolism. A population-based cohort of 1890 individuals (mean age 58.0years; 56.3% women) was included. Metabolic parameters were measured by body-mass index (BMI), concentrations of low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting glucose and insulin in blood. Frequency and distress ratings of psychotic-like experiences from the positive symptom dimension of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experience questionnaire were assessed. Cross-sectional associations were analysed using linear regression analyses. Higher BMI was associated with higher frequency of psychotic-like experiences (adjusted mean difference: 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.06) and more distress (adjusted mean difference: 0.02, 95% CI 0.01-0.03). Lower LDL-C was associated with more psychotic-like experiences (adjusted mean difference: -0.23, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.06). When restricting the sample to those not using lipid-lowering medication, the results of BMI and LDL-C remained and an association between lower HDL-C and higher frequency of psychotic-like experiences was found (adjusted mean difference: -0.37, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.05). We observed no significant associations between cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin or homeostatic model assessment and psychotic-like experiences. In a population-based sample of middle-aged and elderly individuals, higher BMI and lower LDL-C were associated with psychotic-like experiences. This suggests that metabolic markers are associated with psychotic-like experiences across the vulnerability spectrum.

Questionário de Experiência de Restauro: evidências de validade da versão em português brasileiro

Abstract The aim is to present validity evidence of the Brazilian-Portuguese Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ-PB) by applying a procedure to decentering cross-cultural scales translation and adaptation. First, we had a phase with bilingual experts, which assessed different criteria of translation quality. In sequence, we conducted the replication of the original research to achieve validity indicators in the Brazilian context. We carried out both Confirmatory Factor Analysis (to find structural validity indicators) and correlations with various external variables (to find convergent validity indicators). Step 1 showed promising results of decentering translation. In step 2 participated 164 workers and the CFA confirmed the four-factor model: psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery experience, and control over leisure time. The convergent validity showed a significant correlation with external variables. The REQ-PB showed adequate psychometric properties and may explain and compare empirical evidence of the recovery topic. We concluded that we have a good quality scale to be used in future research and integrated with other constructs to support interventions.

Preclinical motor chunking and fine motor skill learning in fixed prosthodontics: Contribution of 3D printing and satisfaction of dental students.

In fixed prosthodontics, simulators are essential to students for a progressive transition from preclinical to clinical condition. With the 3D printing technology, we developed resin bars allowing students to better visualise by motor chunking technique. Main objectives of this work were to describe this teaching methodology used in preclinic among different promotions of second, third and fourth dental years and to evaluate students' feedback. Two hundred seventy resin strips were digitally designed and printed in resin. All participants from second, third and fourth had to fulfil a User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) after the preclinical work. The scales of this questionnaire covered the complete impression of the user experience. Both classical aspects of usability (efficiency, insight and reliability) and aspects of user experience (originality, stimulation) were measured. For the second dental years, 'Attractiveness', 'Stimulation' and 'Novelty' were considered 'Excellent'. For the third dental year, novelty average was considered as 'Excellent'. For the fourth dental year, 'novelty' was considered as 'Good'. The resin plates used in this study are original and stimulating for the students, especially for the second-year dental students who found the exercises useful for their learning. This method can also be used by creating scenarios close to the clinical situations encountered in dentistry departments (more dilapidated teeth, preparation of inlays, post and core, etc.). This 3D printed simulation model is not intended to replace the Frasaco® models but is a complement to the learning process.

The revival of the psychedelic experience scale: Revealing its extended-mystical, visual, and distressing experiential spectrum with LSD and psilocybin studies.

Research with the Psychedelic Experience Questionnaire/Scale (PES) focuses on questions relating to mystical experience (Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ)). The psychometric potential of the non-MEQ items of the PES remains largely unexplored. We investigated whether the PES also yields subscales besides the MEQ30 subscales. Data from 239 PES measurements (140 healthy participants) from six studies with moderate to high doses of lysergic acid diethylamide and/or psilocybin were included. New subscales (with items other than MEQ30) were created and validated as follows: (1) theoretical derivation of candidate items; (2) removal of items with rare experiences; (3) exploratory factor analysis; and (4) confirmatory factor analysis. Correlations of subscales within the PES and between the PES and the 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Scale (5D-ASC) were performed. In addition, a cluster analysis using all items (except rare experiences) was performed. The reliability of the four original factors of the MEQ30 was confirmed and four additional factors for the non-MEQ items were revealed: paradoxicality, connectedness, visual experience, and distressing experience. The first two additional factors were strongly correlated with the MEQ30 mystical subscale. Adding the new subscales to the MEQ30 subscales increased the explained variance with the 5D-ASC. The cluster analysis confirmed our main results and provided additional insights for future psychedelic psychometrics. The study yields a new validated 6-factor structure for extended mystical experience (MEQ40: MEQ30 + Paradoxicality + Connectedness) and covers psychedelic experience as a whole more comprehensively than has hitherto been possible within a single questionnaire (PES48). The entire PES (PES100) can also be used for further future psychedelic-psychometric research.

ANALISIS USER EXPERIENCE PADA PLATFORM LINKEDIN MENGGUNAKAN METODE USER EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking application in the world, classified as a social networking site (SNS) application. Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest number of active LinkedIn users. To ensure user comfort, LinkedIn regularly updates their application. However, recently there have been some negative ratings regarding the LinkedIn application. To directly assess this, a research study was conducted to determine user satisfaction while interacting with the features available on LinkedIn. This research was carried out using the user experience questionnaire method, with 35 respondents participating. This method consists of 26 questions representing six assessment indicators, including attractiveness, efficiency, perspicuity, dependability, stimulation, and novelty. The indicator with the highest score is stimulation, with a score of 1.48, which is categorized as good. On the other hand, the lowest indicator score is perspicuity, which only obtained a score of 0.79, below average. Overall, LinkedIn has received predominantly positive feedback. However, it is still recommended to continue innovating, especially focusing on improving perspicuity aspects that are tailored to the needs and issues faced by users.

Intensive Care Experience of Critical Care Patients and Its Related Factors : A Secondary Analysis Study

Purpose : This study investigates the experiences of patients in intensive care units (ICUs), and the factors influencing these experiences.Method : We used a cross-sectional survey design to analyze previously collected cohort data from 891 patients who spent over 24 hours in 19 ICUs across four university hospitals in Busan, South Korea between June 2019 and July 2020. Within a week of ICU discharge, participants completed the Korean version of the Intensive Care Experience Questionnaire, covering four areas: “awareness of surroundings,” “frightening experiences,” “satisfaction with care,” and “recall of experiences.” We used multiple linear regression to identify factors associated with the ICU experience.Results : Low income (β = -.08, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = .016), unplanned hospitalization (β = -.09, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = .006), sedation (β = -.16, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; ＜ .001), and delirium (β = -.15, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; ＜ .001) reduce patients’ awareness of their surroundings. Frightening experiences are associated with being female (β = -.07, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = .027), experiencing delirium (β = -.15, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; ＜ .001), and longer stays in the ICU (β = -.14, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; ＜ .001). Using sedatives decreases satisfaction with care (β = -.08, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = .048). Living alone (β = -.08, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = .013) and using painkillers (β = -.08, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = .020) reduces recall of experiences.Conclusion : Negative ICU experiences are significantly associated with being female, living alone, lower income, unplanned admission, using sedatives and painkillers, delirium, and longer stays in the ICU. Thus, improving ICU experiences requires interventions that address modifiable factors, such as delirium, medication, and length of ICU stays.

Evaluasi Usability Aplikasi Ibis Paint X Menggunkan Metode System Usability Scale dan User Experience Questionnaire

Ibis Paint X is a drawing application that is quite in demand, because it has been downloaded by more than 100 million users with around 1.9 million reviews on the Google Play Store. Until now, there has been no research on the usability evaluation of the Ibis Paint X application, so there may be some unknown usability problems. This study aims to evaluate the usability of Ibis Paint X as a digital drawing application that is quite in demand. In evaluating the usability of Ibis Paint X, two usability measurement methods are used, namely the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). The purpose of using two methods to evaluate the usability of the Ibis Paint X application is to obtain more in-depth evaluation results from two points of view of the usability evaluation method of an application. The evaluation process was assessed by 122 respondents using the Ibis Paint X application. Based on the evaluation results of the SUS method getting a score of 68.69, judging from the interpretation of the SUS score which has 4 categories, it can be concluded that Ibis Paint X gets a "C" predicate in the grade scale category, is considered "OK" in the adjectives rating category, including "Marginal" in the category acceptability ranges, and have users who are "Passive" in the NPS category. For the evaluation results, the UEQ method has positive results as a digital drawing application because each category of UEQ methods, namely attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty, has an average value of more than 0.8.

Home farm experience and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Agricultural Science in Enugu State, Nigeria

The study sought to determine the relationship between home farming experience and the academic performance of senior secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study was 52,787 students in the 285 government secondary schools in the state. The sample size of 396 for the study was estimated using the Taro Yameni formula. The data for the study were collected using two sets of questionnaires comprising the Home Farm Experience Questionnaire (HFEQ) and the Students’ Academic Performance Questionnaire (SAPQ). The HFEQ contained 30 items while the SAPQ contained 10 items. The questionnaires consisted of 4-point rating scales of strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed and strongly disagreed with assigned values with weights of 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. The instruments were validated by 3 experts in Agricultural Education at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The reliability of the instruments was 0.78 for HFEQ and 0.75 for SAPQ. The reliability was established through a pilot study on 30 students offering agricultural science in secondary schools in Abia State and the response was analyzed using Cronbach alpha coefficient. Data generated were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation for the research question and simple regression for testing the null hypotheses. Results showed a very strong relationship between home farm experience in animal production, crop production and soil conservation and the academic performance of agricultural science students in senior secondary schools in Enugu State. It was recommended that the state government through her Ministry of Agriculture should empower families with inputs to encourage them in their homestead farming since it has been revealed that it enhanced students’ performance in agricultural science.

Functional Movement Disorder; Importance of Proper Diagnosis and Treatment: A Case Report

Background: Dystonia is a common movement disorder with a wide range of aetiologies. Delays in the identification and initiation of effective treatments should be minimized to improve patient pain and optimize outcomes. This case report aims to underscore the successful treatment of chronic dystonia with the use of mood-modifying serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), and encourage clinicians to consider a diagnosis of functional (psychogenic) movement disorder in patients with dystonia that is refractory to usual treatment.&#x0D; Case Report: This case report describes a 40-year-old woman who presented to a chronic pain clinic for pain related to cervical dystonia with associated head tremor. Her symptoms were refractory to nearly a decade of quarterly botulinum toxin injections. Based on careful evaluation of the patient’s history, a normal neurological examination, increased Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Injustice Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ) scores, and unsuccessful symptom management with botulinum toxin A, a diagnosis of functional movement disorder (FMD) was made. Low-dose Cymbalta was initiated. The patient achieved near complete symptom remission and resolution of her chronic pain within 2 months and achieved near complete resolution in 2 years.&#x0D; Conclusion: A diagnosis of FMD should be considered in all patients with dystonia, but especially in patients who respond inadequately to botulinum toxin injections or other rehabilitation therapies. The treatment of comorbid psychiatric conditions can result in substantial benefits and remission from dystonia due to FMD.

Gendered Understanding and Experiences of Sexual Harassment: Informing a Policy Framework for Higher Education Institutions

Sexual harassment policies in South African higher education institutions show variations in focus and content. In this study, we set out to determine students’ understandings and experiences of sexual harassment with the broader aim of informing a framework that higher education institutions could use to strengthen their sexual harassment policies. A total of 640 (of a potential 2 222) students completed an online survey that, among other things, incorporated the Sexual Experience Questionnaire. Non-parametric procedures were used to identify significant gender differences and effect sizes in students’ understandings and experiences of sexual harassment. More female students experienced some form of sexual harassment, and they were more likely to recognise different types of verbal sexual harassment (possibly because they present a broader definition of harassment). The female students appeared less tolerant of harassment behaviour, but they were significantly more hesitant to report sexual harassment than the male students. In addition, the female students were less likely to consider themselves familiar with the guidelines on reporting incidents of sexual harassment and they were more likely to feel that perpetrators get away with harassment behaviour than the male students. Both male and female students indicated that sexual harassment is more likely to occur between student groups than between students and lecturers. The male and female students expressed strong support for the proposed policy components, including defining sexual harassment, procedures for reporting and disciplinary sanctions for sexual harassment.

Exploring User Experience and Usability of mHealth applications for people with diabetes: An Evaluation Study Using UEQ and HE4EH Checklist

Diabetes affects 10% of adults aged 20 to 79 globally, caused by insufficient insulin production. Mobile apps are effective in managing this chronic condition. This study aimed to investigate the experience of using mobile applications for healthcare patients with diabetes in their daily activities. Ten participants diagnosed with diabetes were invited to evaluate five Android mobile applications using a predefined protocol. We used the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) to assess the usability and user experience of the apps. In addition, the Heuristic Evaluations for mHealth (HE4EH) checklist was used by three domain experts to assess the apps. The results showed that one of the five apps had issues with the stimulus and novelty aspects of user experience. Among all the apps, the novelty had the lowest Likert scale value. While most apps had creative designs and attractive interfaces, the heuristic assessment revealed many violations and concerns about instruction and suitability due to a lack of crucial information for monitoring user routines.

A chat about actinic keratosis: Examining capabilities and user experience of ChatGPT as a digital health technology in dermato‐oncology

AbstractBackgroundThe potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in dermatology are evolving rapidly. Chatbots are an emerging trend in healthcare that rely on large language models (LLMs) to generate answers to prompts from users. However, the factuality and user experience (UX) of such chatbots remain to be evaluated in the context of dermato‐oncology.ObjectivesTo examine the potential of Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) as a reliable source of information in the context of actinic keratosis (AK) and to evaluate clinicians' attitudes and UX with regard to the chatbot.MethodsA set of 38 clinical questions were compiled and entered as natural language queries in separate, individual conversation threads in ChatGPT (OpenAI, default GPT 3.5). Questions pertain to patient education, diagnosis, and treatment. ChatGPT's responses were presented to a panel of 7 dermatologists for rating of factual accuracy, currency of information, and completeness of the response. Attitudes towards ChatGTP were explored qualitatively and quantitatively using a validated user experience questionnaire (UEQ).ResultsChatGPT answered 12 questions (31.6%) with an accurate, current, and complete response. ChatGPT performed best for questions on patient education, including pathogenesis of AK and potential risk factors, but struggled with diagnosis and treatment. Major deficits were seen in grading AK, providing up‐to‐date treatment guidance, and asserting incorrect information with unwarranted confidence. Further, responses were considered verbose with an average word count of 198 (SD 55) and overly alarming of the risk of malignant transformation. Based on UEQ responses, the expert panel considered ChatGPT an attractive and efficient tool, scoring highest for speed of information retrieval, but deemed the chatbot inaccurate and verbose, scoring lowest for clarity.ConclusionsWhile dermatologists rated ChatGPT high in UX, the underlying LLMs that enable such chatbots require further development to guarantee accuracy and concision required in a clinical setting.

Enhancing quality of life: Human-centered design of mobile and smartwatch applications for assisted ambient living

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Assisted ambient living interfaces are technologies designed to improve the quality of life for people who require assistance with daily activities. They are crucial for individuals to maintain their independence for as long as possible. To this end, these interfaces have to be user-friendly, intuitive, and accessible, even for those who are not tech-savvy. Research in recent years indicates that people find it uncomfortable to wear invasive or large intrusive devices to monitor health status, and poor user interface design implies a lack of user engagement. &lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; This paper presents the design and implementation of non-intrusive mobile and smartwatch applications for detecting older adults when executing their routines. The solution uses an intuitive mobile application to set up beacons and incorporates biometric data acquired from the smartwatch to measure bio-signals correlated to the user’s location. User testing and interface evaluation are carried out using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). &lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; Six older adults participated in the evaluation of the interfaces. Results show that users found the interaction to be excellent in all the parameters of the UEQ in the evaluation of the mobile interface. For the smartwatch application, results vary from above average to excellent. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; The applications are intuitive and easy to use, and data obtained from integrating systems is essential to link information and provide feedback to the user.&lt;/p&gt;

Effectiveness of Serious Games in Improving Genetic Literacy and Genetic Risk Awareness in the General Public: A Pilot Study.

Background: Genomics is an integral part of medical science; however, European citizens' literacy on basic genetic concepts is still poor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Serious Games (SGs) in increasing genetic literacy in laypeople and to assess the impact of SGs on participants' perceived self-efficacy (SE) in managing genetic risk implications. Materials and Methods: Two minigames and an adventure game were created, together with leaflets reporting the same information as the SGs. Sixty participants enrolled at baseline and completed a brief sociodemographic questionnaire and an ad hoc questionnaire assessing their genetic knowledge. They were assigned to the SGs group (30 subjects) or to the Leaflets group (30 subjects) by matching age and sex. Both groups had about 40 minutes to play the SGs or to read the leaflets. In the postlearning session, participants completed the same genetic knowledge questionnaires administered at baseline and five items from the Self-Efficacy Scale, whereas the SGs group also filled in the In-Game Experience Questionnaire. Results and Conclusion: Results showed that learning genetic concepts through SGs was comparable to learning through leaflets. Playing SGs was also associated with poor feelings of frustration or annoyance, good engagement in the game challenges and contents, and positive feelings, particularly in subjects under 30 years. Participants perceiving SE increased significantly in both Leaflets and SGs groups, but the effect was higher for SGs players. SGs have the potential to increase genetic literacy in the public by making the learning process more engaging, pleasant and by enhancing SE.

Determination of bilingualism subtypes and their relationship with linguistic abilities in Lebanese bilinguals

Aims and objectives: Profiles of bilinguals vary among studies due to the diversity of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, bilingualism classification and to the discrepancies between measures. Thus, a generalizable index with a defined threshold is needed to capture the linguistic dominance of bilinguals and facilitate comparisons between studies. This study’s objective was to define and examine the validity of a new bilingualism index. Methodology: This index was derived from the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) conducted on 100 bilingual Lebanese participants (age = 68.2 ± 9.4 years; education = 12.8 ± 5.2 years). Data and analysis: The bilingualism index was based on selected items of the LEAP-Q, optimizing the explained variance on a linear regression using the differential Arabic-French score on the Boston Naming Test as the dependent variable. The validity of the classification was examined using other linguistic (articulatory rate, shortened Token test, Stroop reading subtest) and cognitive screening tests (mini-mental state examination [MMSE]). Findings and conclusion: LEAP speaking and oral comprehension scores provided a parsimonious index that accounted for naming variance ( R2 = .435, p = .0001) and subdivide our population into three bilingualism subgroups (prominent Arabic, balanced, prominent French). A prominent language advantage was found in the expected direction on linguistic (articulatory rate: p = .03; shortened Token test: p = .026; Stroop reading subtest: p = .0001) and cognitive screening tests (MMSE: p = .08). Originality and implications: These results show that a simple index can accurately characterize adult bilingualism subtypes and offers clinicians an easy and fast tool compared with the usual procedure used to determine individuals and patient’s bilingualism subtype. More broadly, the index’s validity in other bilingual populations is warranted for generalizability of the present findings.

EASIER: A new model for online learning of minimally invasive surgery skills

IntroductionTechnology Enhanced Learning (TEL) can provide the tools to safely master minimally invasive surgery (MIS) skills in patient-free environments and receive immediate objective feedback without the constant presence of an instructor. However, TEL-based systems tend to work isolated from one another, focus on different skills, and fail to provide contents without a sound pedagogical background. ObjectiveThe objective of this descriptive study is to present in detail EASIER, an innovative TEL platform for surgical and interventional training, as well as the results of its validation. MethodsEASIER provides a Learning Management System (LMS) for institutions and content creators that can connect and integrate TEL “external assets” (virtual reality simulators, augmented box trainers, augmented videos, etc.) addressing different skills. The platform integrates all skills under an Assessment Module that measures skills’ progress in different courses. Finally, it provides content creators with a pedagogical model to scaffold contents while retaining flexibility to approach course design with different training philosophies in mind. Three courses were developed and hosted in the platform to validate it with end-users in terms of usability, performance, learning results in the courses and student self-perception on learning. ResultsIn total 111 volunteers completed the validation. The study was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited access to external assets (virtual reality simulators). Nevertheless, usability was rated with 73.1 in the System Usability Scale. Most positive aspects on performance were easiness to access the platform, easiness to change the configuration and not requiring additional plug-ins to use the platform. The platform was rated above average in the six scales of the User Experience Questionnaire. Overall, student results improved significantly across the three courses (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThis study provides, within its limitations, evidence on the usefulness of the EASIER platform for distance learning of MIS skills. Results show the potential impact of the platform and are an encouraging boost for the future, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.