Use Of Notifications Research Articles

EFFECTIVENESS OF DUOLINGO IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

This study aims to explore the efficiency of Duolingo as a language learning tool, with a particular focus on its gamified nature, adaptive learning technology and strategic use of notifications. In this regard, the study employed qualitative research design wherein two semi-structured interviews were held. Specifically, these participants were housewife who had been using Duolingo daily for almost 37 days to learn English and a student who was intermittently using it to learn Turkish. In conclusion, these findings show that apart from being interactive and engaging, Duolingo significantly improves vocabulary and grammar skills. Furthermore, such game-like features as rewards, competitions and streak counts act as strong incentives for continued usage. Additionally, customized messages delivered in real time can help in bringing back users into the application and ensuring daily routine learning is maintained. Nevertheless, despite its pros there are several cons that have been found; they include restriction of lives in free version and lack of practice realistic communication scenarios. Accordingly, researchers recommend introducing artificial intelligence for improved speaking practice and enhancing the number of lives to further improve the functionality of DuoLingo.com. These facts help give more insights on how digital tools can support language acquisition across diverse contexts. Key words: Duolingo, Language Learning, Gamification, Vocabulary, Grammar and Motivation.

Sonification Use Cases in Highly Automated Vehicles: Designing and Evaluating Use Cases in Level 4 Automation

The introduction of highly automated driving systems is expected to significantly change in-vehicle interactions, creating opportunities for the design of novel use cases and interactions for occupants. In this study, we sought to identify and extract these novel use cases and determine preliminary auditory display recommendations for these novel situations. We developed and generated use cases for level 4 automated vehicles through an expert workshop (N = 17) and online focus group interviews (N = 12). Most of the use cases we generated were then tested, apart from meditation, and user opinions were collected in a driving simulator study (N = 20). Results indicated participants were interested in functions that support their experience with both driving and non-driving related interactions in highly automated vehicles. Three categories of use cases for level 4 automated vehicles were developed: driving automation use cases, immersion use cases, and in-vehicle notification use cases. For the driving simulator study, we tested three display modalities for interaction with drivers: visual alert only, non-speech with visual, and speech with visual. In terms of situation awareness (SA), the non-speech with visual display was associated with significantly better SA for the use case consisting of a planned increase in automation level than the speech-with visual display. This study will provide guidance on sonification design to advance user experiences in highly automated vehicles.

Care Team Members’ Perceptions of an Informatics Intervention to Improve Geriatric Care Across Multiple sites

Electronic health information exchange (HIE) may improve care for geriatric patients receiving care across multiple sites by reducing test duplication, medication prescribing errors, and adverse events. This project evaluated the implementation of an HIE intervention at two VA medical centers offering VA providers real-time notification of non-VA inpatient or ED use, followed by post-hospital geriatric care coordination. We interviewed 23 providers (physicians, nurses, social workers and other care team staff) about their experiences with the program. Interviews were analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to examine 1) goals and expectations for notifications and transitional care; 2) barriers to effective use of notifications and coordination; and 3) suggestions for improvement. Overall, care team members were positive about the intervention, noting it cut down on time searching for outside medical records and that care coordination visits were helpful in answering patients’ questions and clarifying discharge instructions. However, some providers were not aware of the alerts, found the HIE interface challenging to use, or were concerned that expanding the program would create workflow issues. Suggestions for improvements included sharing information about newly prescribed medications, lab and radiological tests, and progress alerts during the episode of care; and including non-VA providers to facilitate care coordination. Social workers also asked to be included on alerts to improve follow-up. Our findings suggest HIE can be a useful tool for coordinating care across sites, provided information can be easily shared between all care team members and HIE interfaces are streamlined to reduce additional work.

Organizational characteristics and perceptions of clinical event notification services in healthcare settings: a study of health information exchange.

ObjectiveEvent notification systems are an approach to health information exchange (HIE) that notifies end-users of patient interactions with the healthcare system through real-time automated alerts. We examined associations between organizational capabilities and perceptions of event notification system use.Materials and MethodsWe surveyed representatives (n = 196) from healthcare organizations (n = 96) that subscribed to 1 of 3 Health Information Organizations’ event notification services in New York City (response rate = 27%). The survey was conducted in Fall 2017 and Winter 2018. Surveys measured respondent characteristics, perceived organizational capabilities, event notification use, care coordination, and care quality. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify relevant independent and dependent variables. We examined the relationship between organizational capabilities, care coordination, and care quality using multilevel linear regression models with random effects.ResultsRespondents indicated that the majority of their organizations provided follow-up care for emergency department visits (66%) and hospital admissions (73%). Perceptions of care coordination were an estimated 57.5% (β = 0.575; P < 0.001) higher among respondents who reported event notifications fit within their organization’s existing workflows. Perceptions of care quality were 46.5% (β = 0.465; P < 0.001) higher among respondents who indicated event notifications fit within existing workflows and 23.8% (β = 0.238; P < 0.01) higher where respondents reported having supportive policies and procedures for timely response and coordination of event notifications.Discussion and ConclusionHealthcare organizations with specific workflow processes and positive perceptions of fit are more likely to use event notification services to improve care coordination and care quality. In addition, event notification capacity and patient consent procedures influence how end-users perceive event notification services.

Use of Notification and Communication Technology (Call Light Systems) in Nursing Homes: Observational Study.

BackgroundThe call light system is one of the major communication technologies that link nursing home staff to the needs of residents. By providing residents the ability to request assistance, the system becomes an indispensable resource for patient-focused health care. However, little is known about how call light systems are being used in nursing homes and how the system contributes to safety and quality of care for seniors.ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the experiences of nursing home staff who use call light systems and to uncover usability issues and challenges associated with the implemented systems.MethodsA mix of 150 hours of hypothetico-deductive (unstructured) task analysis and 90 hours of standard procedure (structured) task analysis was conducted in 4 different nursing homes. The data collected included insights into the nursing home’s work system and the process of locating and responding to call lights.ResultsThe data showed that the highest alarm rate is before and after mealtimes. The staff exceeded the administration’s expectations of time to respond 50% of the time. In addition, the staff canceled 10.0% (20/201) of call lights and did not immediately assist residents because of high workload. Furthermore, the staff forgot to come back to assist residents over 3% of the time. Usability issues such as broken parts, lack of feedback, lack of prioritization, and low or no discriminability also contributed to the long response time. More than 8% of the time, residents notified the staff about call lights after they waited for a long time, and eventually, these residents were left unattended.ConclusionsNursing homes that are still using old call light systems risk the continuation of usability issues that can affect the performance of the staff and contribute to declining staff and resident outcomes. By incorporating feedback from nurses, nursing home management will better understand the influence that the perceptions and usability of technology have on the quality of health care for their residents. In this study, it has been observed that the call light system is perceived to be an important factor affecting the outcomes of the care process and satisfaction of both residents and staff as well as the staff’s performance. It is important to recognize that communication and notification technology contributes to the challenges the staff faced during their work, making their working conditions more difficult and challenging.

The Evidence-Based Development of an Intervention to Improve Clinical Health Literacy Practice.

Low health literacy is an issue with high prevalence in the UK and internationally. It has a social gradient with higher prevalence in lower social groups and is linked with higher rates of long-term health conditions, lower self-rated health, and greater difficulty self-managing long-term health conditions. Improved medical services and practitioner awareness of a patient’s health literacy can help to address these issues. An intervention was developed to improve General Practitioner and Practice Nurse health literacy skills and practice. A feasibility study was undertaken to examine and improve the elements of the intervention. The intervention had two parts: educating primary care doctors and nurses about identifying and enhancing health literacy (patient capacity to get hold of, understand and apply information for health) to improve their health literacy practice, and implementation of on-screen ‘pop-up’ notifications that alerted General Practitioners (GPs) and nurses when seeing a patient at risk of low health literacy. Rapid reviews of the literature were undertaken to optimise the intervention. Four General Practices were recruited, and the intervention was then applied to doctors and nurses through training followed by alerts via the practice clinical IT system. After the intervention, focus groups were held with participating practitioners and a patient and carer group to further develop the intervention. The rapid literature reviews identified (i) key elements for effectiveness of doctors and nurse training including multi-component training, role-play, learner reflection, and identification of barriers to changing practice and (ii) key elements for effectiveness of alerts on clinical computer systems including ‘stand-alone’ notification, automatically generated and prominent display of advice, linkage with practitioner education, and use of notifications within a targeted environment. The findings from the post-hoc focus groups indicated that practitioner awareness and skills had improved as a result of the training and that the clinical alerts reminded them to incorporate this into their clinical practice. Suggested improvements to the training included more information on health literacy and how the clinical alerts were generated, and more practical role playing including initiating discussions on health literacy with patients. It was suggested that the wording of the clinical alert be improved to emphasise its purpose in improving practitioner skills. The feasibility study improved the intervention, increasing its potential usefulness and acceptability in clinical practice. Future studies will explore the impact on clinical care through a pilot and a randomised controlled trial.

Assessment of a laboratory critical risk result notification protocol in a tertiary care hospital and their use in clinical decision making.

IntroductionCommunication of laboratory critical risk results is essential for patient safety, as it allows early decision making. Our aims were: 1) to retrospectively evaluate the current protocol for telephone notification of critical risk results in terms of rates, efficiency and recipient satisfaction, 2) to assess their use in clinical decision making and 3) to suggest alternative tools for a better assessment of notification protocols.Materials and methodsThe biochemical critical risk result notifications reported during 12 months by routine and STAT laboratories in a tertiary care hospital were reviewed. Total number of reports, time for the notification and main magnitudes with critical risk results were calculated. The use of notifications in clinical decision making was assessed by reviewing medical records. Satisfaction with the notification protocol was assessed through an online questionnaire to requesting physicians and nurses.ResultsCritical result was yielded by 0.1% of total laboratory tests. Median time for notification was 3.2 min (STAT) and 16.9 min (routine). The magnitudes with a greater number of critical results were glucose and potassium for routine analyses, and troponin, sodium for STAT. Most notifications were not reflected in the medical records. Overall mean satisfaction with the protocol was 4.2/5.ConclusionThe results obtained indicate that the current protocol is appropriate. Nevertheless, there are some limitations that hamper the evaluation of the impact on clinical decision making. Alternatives were proposed for a proper and precise evaluation.

Use of CT Dose Notification and Alert Values in Routine Clinical Practice

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the impact on workflow of the use of notification and alert values in our practice and to provide baseline data for quality improvement initiatives. Five diagnostic clinical CT scanners were programmed with the notification and alert values recommended by the American Association of Physics in Medicine. Retrospective analysis was performed on log files to assess the frequency of and reason for notification and alert events. Between February and September of 2012, 11,384 patients were scanned on the 5 systems. One alert occurred because of the use of bolus tracking in a morbidly obese patient, where the prescan cumulative volume CT dose index for the exam exceeded the recommended alert value of 1,000 mGy. Only 1.2 ± 0.6% of patient scans triggered a notification. Notifications were mainly triggered because of bolus tracking and/or large patient size. Protocols triggering notifications most often included CT angiography of the chest for pulmonary emboli. Because only a small percentage of performed patient examinations triggered a notification or alert event, the impact on workflow of adopting these features was negligible. Evaluation of the logs identified trends in reasons for which notification events were triggered; these primarily included large patient size and bolus tracking. Additionally, specific protocols were identified where adjustment of notification values was deemed necessary.

Notifications of hospital events to outpatient clinicians using health information exchange: a post-implementation survey

The trend towards hospitalist medicine can lead to disjointed patient care. Outpatient clinicians may be unaware of patients' encounters with a disparate healthcare system. Electronic notifications to outpatient clinicians of patients' emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient admissions and discharges using health information exchange can inform outpatient clinicians of patients' hospital-based events. Assess outpatient clinicians' impressions of a new, secure messaging-based, patient event notification system. Twenty outpatient clinicians receiving notifications of hospital-based events were recruited and 14 agreed to participate. Using a semi-structured interview, clinicians were asked about their use of notifications and the impact on their practices. Nine of 14 interviewed clinicians (64%) thought that without notifications, they would have heard about fewer than 10% of ED visits before the patient's next visit. Nine clinicians (64%) thought that without notifications, they would have heard about fewer than 25% of inpatient admissions and discharges before the patient's next visit. Six clinicians (43%) reported that they call the inpatient team more often because of notifications. Eight users (57%) thought that notifications improved patient safety by increasing their awareness of the patients' clinical events and their medication changes. Key themes identified were the importance of workflow integration and a desire for more clinical information in notifications. The notification system is perceived by clinicians to be of value. These findings should instigate further message-oriented use of health information exchange and point to refinements that can lead to even greater benefits.

AN ARCHITECTURE FOR AUTOMATED FIRE DETECTION EARLY WARNING SYSTEM BASED ON GEOPROCESSING SERVICE COMPOSITION

Abstract. Rapidly discovering, sharing, integrating and applying geospatial information are key issues in the domain of emergency response and disaster management. Due to the distributed nature of data and processing resources in disaster management, utilizing a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to take advantages of workflow of services provides an efficient, flexible and reliable implementations to encounter different hazardous situation. The implementation specification of the Web Processing Service (WPS) has guided geospatial data processing in a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) platform to become a widely accepted solution for processing remotely sensed data on the web. This paper presents an architecture design based on OGC web services for automated workflow for acquisition, processing remotely sensed data, detecting fire and sending notifications to the authorities. A basic architecture and its building blocks for an automated fire detection early warning system are represented using web-based processing of remote sensing imageries utilizing MODIS data. A composition of WPS processes is proposed as a WPS service to extract fire events from MODIS data. Subsequently, the paper highlights the role of WPS as a middleware interface in the domain of geospatial web service technology that can be used to invoke a large variety of geoprocessing operations and chaining of other web services as an engine of composition. The applicability of proposed architecture by a real world fire event detection and notification use case is evaluated. A GeoPortal client with open-source software was developed to manage data, metadata, processes, and authorities. Investigating feasibility and benefits of proposed framework shows that this framework can be used for wide area of geospatial applications specially disaster management and environmental monitoring.

Childhood malaria in East London

To describe the epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory features of children younger than 16 years with malaria in East London. Retrospective case review of all children admitted to two East London hospitals with malaria identified between 1996 and 2001 with the use of notifications and hospital discharge data. A total of 211 children with a median age of 9 years (range, 11 to 179 months) were identified. Children living in the UK who acquired malaria while visiting a malaria-endemic country on holiday accounted for 82% of cases, whereas the rest were children visiting the UK from endemic areas. Three-fourths of children who had traveled to a malaria-endemic area were born in the UK, and 93% were of Black African ethnicity. The peak seasonal incidence was late summer/early autumn. Plasmodium falciparum acquired in Africa accounted for 91% of cases. Although 42% of children took antimalarial prophylaxis, only 15% of medications were taken according to recommended guidelines. Another family member, most often a sibling, was found to have concurrent malaria in 23% (49 of 211) of cases. On the basis of the WHO criteria, 15 children (7.1%) 15 months to 15 years of age had severe malaria, including convulsions (n = 4), acute renal failure (n = 3), jaundice (n = 4), severe anemia (n = 3) and >2% parasitemia (n = 6). The majority of children with malaria in this study were UK-born, school age, of Black African ethnicity and were visiting family in Africa, often with other family members. Most children had low level parasitemia and uncomplicated malaria, and they responded rapidly to antimalarial treatment.