User Perspective Research Articles

User perspectives on outreach opioid substitution treatment among street-entrenched people who use drugs in Denmark

Background The COVID-19 pandemic had many serious consequences for vulnerable populations, but it also gave rise to innovations and changes of established ways of providing services for such populations. In Copenhagen, Denmark outreach opioid agonist therapy (OAT) was such an innovation. Methods Based on qualitative interviews with 15 individuals who received outreach OAT this article describes this new service and presents OAT clients’ experiences of previous OAT and outreach OAT. Analytically the article draws on literature about people who use drugs’ experiences of barriers when wanting to access drug treatment and other services. Results The participants had experienced significant systemic and social barriers in relation to outreach OAT. Outreach OAT helped to minimize both types of barriers. It also created new opportunities for providing care because treatment took place in participants’ own environments. Conclusion Outreach OAT has the potential to minimize treatment barriers for some of the most vulnerable people who use drugs. It is however also important to review and possibly change system design, guidelines, and practices of the existing system to better accommodate the program to the needs of vulnerable people.

Lay User Involvement in Developing Human-centric Responsible AI Systems: When and How?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in mainstream applications to make decisions that affect a large number of people. While research has focused on involving machine learning and domain experts during the development of responsible AI systems, the input of lay users has too often been ignored. By exploring the involvement of lay users, our work seeks to advance human-centric responsible AI development processes. To reflect on lay users’ views, we conducted an online survey of 1,121 people in the United Kingdom. We found that respondents had concerns about fairness and transparency of AI systems, which requires more education around AI to underpin lay user involvement. They saw a need for having their views reflected at all stages of the AI development lifecycle. Lay users mainly charged internal stakeholders to oversee the development process but supported by an ethics committee and input from an external regulatory body. We also probed for possible techniques for involving lay users more directly. Our work has implications for creating processes that ensure the development of responsible AI systems that take lay user perspectives into account.

“Whispers from the Wrist”: Wearable Health Monitoring Devices and Privacy Regulations in the U.S.: The Loopholes, the Challenges, and the Opportunities

The growth of wearable technology has enabled the collection of even more personalized information on individuals. New health-related devices marketed to consumers collect health information that might not fall under the traditional category of Protected Health Information, and thus, HIPAA protections do not fully apply. Meaning, commercial wearable health devices do not fall under FDA oversight, and data not paired with a doctor–patient relationship do not fall under HIPAA privacy protection; thus, much of the gathered health-related metrics are left without regulation and open to be sold to data brokers. As such, these data can be leveraged by health insurance, law enforcement, and employers, to name a few. This manuscript explores the loopholes in current regulations and suggests a framework that categorizes wearable data and addresses challenges in data transfer. Furthermore, taking a user perspective, the suggested framework offers solutions that aim to guide users and policymakers in navigating privacy issues in wearable technology.

Case study on a scientific oral history project using information practice analysis

Introduction. This investigation explored 21st century stewardship of a late 20th century scientific oral history project through the lens of information practice. Oral history project stewardship and reuse are understudied. Literature review. Oral histories foreground human agency in the world. Often studied singly, many reflect an oral history project’s historiographic context. Stewardship documentation by multiple stakeholders accrues over time. The author developed an information practice analysis tool for systematic exploration of oral history stewardship documentation. Method. A case study approach and qualitative content analysis techniques guided investigation of documentation for an oral history project held at Science History Institute in Philadelphia. Textual data was collected for a purposive sample. Analysis and results. Multiple stakeholders’ documentation schema for the purposive sample were analysed in Excel and Word. Results coded five information work models for stakeholder information practices. Discussion. The information work models portrayed stakeholder information practices as mechanisms for stability in the stewardship of contextual assets, and mechanisms for transformation through staff knowledge, as situational assets. Conclusion. Information practice analysis of oral history stewardship in this case study systematised stakeholders’ and user perspectives on access. Implications for theory development lie in leveraging the stability and transformative agency of stewardship and reuse.

Social Media Influencers: Customer Attitudes and Impact on Purchase Behaviour

Social media marketing has become a crucial component of contemporary business strategies, significantly influencing brand visibility, customer engagement, and sales growth. The aim of this study is to investigate and determine the key factors guiding customer attitudes towards social media influencers, and, on that basis, to explore their effects on purchase intentions regarding advertised products or services. A total of 376 filled-in questionnaires from an online survey were analysed. The main characteristics of digital influencers’ behaviour that affect consumer perceptions have been systematized and categorized through a combination of both traditional and advanced data analysis methods. Structural equation modelling (SEM), machine learning and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were selected to uncover the hidden dependencies between variables from the perspective of social media users. The developed models elucidate the underlying relationships that shape the acceptance mechanism of influencers’ messages. The obtained results provide specific recommendations for stakeholders across the social media marketing value chain. Marketers can make informed decisions and optimize influencer marketing strategies to enhance user experience and increase conversion rates. Working collaboratively, marketers and influencers can create impactful and successful marketing campaigns that resonate with the target audience and drive meaningful results. Customers benefit from more tailored and engaging influencer content that aligns with their interests and preferences, fostering a stronger connection with brands and potentially affecting their purchase decisions. As the perception of customer satisfaction is an individual and evolving process, stakeholders should organize regular evaluations of influencer marketing data and explore the possibilities to ensure the continuous improvement of this e-marketing channel.

Including local knowledge in conservation planning: the case of the western coastal protected areas in Suriname

ABSTRACT There is increasing recognition of the importance of local knowledge in conservation governance and sustainable use of natural resources. This article studies three social-ecological systems: Bigi Pan, Noord Coronie, and Noord Saramacca – each designated as a Multiple Use Management Area (MUMA) by the Surinamese government. The main focus of this article is how local knowledge and user perspectives may contribute to the management of a MUMA, including to making decisions about biodiversity and natural resources. We use an action research approach that includes qualitative case study methodology, participant observations, group and individual interviews. The analytical framework is based on the SES model from Ostrom (2009) to understand interactions between subsystems as mediated by local and other forms of knowledge. We also explore how participatory engagement with MUMA resource users includes local knowledge and user perspectives. The findings show how local knowledge can offer tools and solutions to improve conservation governance by supporting the development of realistic management plans and by supporting better understanding of the interactions between social and ecological subsystems. Moreover, action research helps to recognize local knowledge as valuable for science and promotes social learning among stakeholders. This paper concludes that local knowledge has contributed to policy decisions that are connected to the use practices of the people who are of the place and know the context well. The inclusion of local knowledge through participatory drafting of management plans has contributed to overcoming some major management challenges and helped to build a supportive social environment for conservation.

One and the same or different? An empirical comparison of aged care recipient and non-aged care recipient preferences for quality of aged care amongst older Australians

The Quality of Care Experience Aged Care Consumers (QCE-ACC) is a new preference-based instrument recently adopted by the Australian government nationally as a new quality indicator for aged care. This study employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach to develop an aged care user-specific value set for the QCE-ACC instrument. This is crucial for establishing the relative importance of key QCE-ACC dimensions for informing quality assessment and economic evaluation in aged care. We further empirically compared the preferences of aged care recipients and non-aged care recipients amongst the older Australian population (65 years and above) for quality of care experience using the QCE-ACC. A total of 201 older people (age 74.2 ± 6.2; 59.7% female) receiving aged care services completed the DCE survey between August and September 2022. The comparison of relative importance indicated some divergence in the preferences between the aged care recipients and non-aged care recipients. Amongst aged care recipients, being treated with “Respect & Dignity” was the most important quality of care experience defining dimension, with “Health & Wellbeing” ranked second and “Skills & Training” (of staff) ranked third. However, within non-aged care recipients, “Skills Training” (of staff) was considered the most important quality of care dimension. Distinction in the QCE-ACC utility weights distributions and mean values were also observed, suggesting that aged care recipients may have different opinions about the quality of aged care compared to those who have not accessed aged care services. The findings shed light on the unique preferences of aged care recipients, indicating that aged care recipients and non-aged care recipients’ preferences for quality of aged care are not interchangeable. The value set developed in this study is specifically tailored for assessing the quality of aged care using the QCE-ACC instrument from the perspective of aged care users in Australia.

The barriers to uptake of disaster risk management science in urban planning: A political economy analysis.

There is increasing effort in science to support disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation in urban environments. It is now common for research calls and projects to reference coproduction methods and science uptake goals. This paper identifies lessons for researchers, research funders, and research users wishing to enable useful, useable, and used science based on the perspectives of research users in urban planning from low- and middle-income countries. DRM-supporting science is viewed by policy actors as: complicated and poorly communicated; presenting inadequate, partial, and outdated information; misaligned with policy cycles; and costly to access and inadequately positioned to overcome the policy barriers that hinder integration of DRM into urban planning. Addressing these specific concerns points to more systematic collection and organisation of data and enhancement of supporting administrative structures to facilitate better sight of human vulnerability and its link to development decision-making and wider processes of urban risk creation.

A user perspective on youth mental health services: Increasing help‐seeking behaviour requires addressing service preferences and attitudinal barriers

AbstractAimAlthough the incidence of mental health problems is highest in young people, the majority do not seek help. Reducing the discrepancy between need for care and access to services requires an understanding of the user perspective, which is largely lacking. This study aimed to examine preferences for mental health service attributes and their relative importance among young people, as well as the potential impact on actual help‐seeking intentions.MethodsYouth aged 16–24 years (N = 258) participated in a discrete choice experiment. In addition to choosing which service would suit their needs most out of two service options in nine choice sets, participants were asked whether they would consult the chosen service in the case of mental health problems. Demographic information was also collected, as well as their current mental health status, experience with and perceived barriers to care. Panel mixed logit models were estimated.ResultsYoung people's preferences were mostly driven by the attribute ‘format’, with a preference for individual rather than group therapy. Other attributes, in order of importance, were ‘wait times’ (short), ‘cost’ (low), ‘healthcare professionals' expertise’ (particular experience with working with youth aged 12 to 25 years), and ‘location’ (house in a city). However, a majority of young people would not consult the service they had indicated, mainly due to attitudinal barriers such as wanting to deal with problems on their own (self‐reliance).ConclusionsAddressing psychological barriers to access care should be a priority in mental health policies. Furthermore, entry point services, in particular, should be able to provide the option of individual treatment.

National myeloma patient survey shows continuing inappropriate imaging and geographical inequalities.

To evaluate the provision of imaging at diagnosis of myeloma from the service user perspective with a specific focus on how the experiences of patients align with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (NG35, 2016) on first-line imaging practice for myeloma in the United Kingdom. A national survey was performed to evaluate access to imaging from the patient's perspective. Patients with myeloma who received their diagnosis between 2017 and March 2022 were invited to participate. Data were collected using an online survey from 895 patients and carers between 4 and 14 March 2022. Most patients had more than one imaging test. First-line MRI was used in 69.2% of respondents. First-line skeletal survey (SS, whole body X-rays) remained common (48.7% of respondents). 18F-fluorodexyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) was used least often (23.1% of respondents). SS was used more often in East England (57.9%) and Scotland (61.2%) than in South East England (36.3%). Despite NICE recommendations, first-line MRI was not used in a third of patients surveyed, with geographical variation in imaging practice. Patients are still undergoing multiple imaging tests at diagnosis. Healthcare professionals should continue to emphasize the superiority of MRI compared to SS to drive for improvements in care. Current recommendations on first-line imaging for myeloma are not provided consistently across the United Kingdom. There is a need to drive change and support healthcare professionals to deliver guidance-based recommendations to improve experience and outcomes for patients.

Who Predicts? Scientific Authority and User Expertise in Dutch Storm Warnings 1860-1920

This paper shows that expert authority can be the result of a process of co-construction by scientists and users, using the case of the Netherlands’ storm warnings system. I analyze the changing “culture of prediction” of the Netherlands’ storm warnings system between 1860 and about 1920, focusing on the changing relation between scientific experts and users with experience-based expertise. When started, the storm warnings relied on users taking an active role. The new storm warning system, introduced by Buys Ballot in 1860 following the introduction of telegraph networks, explicitly tried to mobilize sailors’ weather wisdom. Following complaints from the maritime community and controversies about criteria for accuracy or reliability around 1900, storm forecasting authority became the exclusive domain of scientists. Interestingly, the authority of experts was not challenged during this controversy. Rather, the debates focused on mutual expectations of expertise and on whether the storm warning system was primarily a scientific or a practical system. This paper is based on historical documentation from the archives of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, which includes the perspectives of users.

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Model, Data, and User-Centric Approaches for Chat Application: A Case Study of BlenderBot 2.0

BlenderBot 2.0 represents a significant advancement in open-domain chatbots by incorporating real-time information and retaining user information across multiple sessions through an internet search module. Despite its innovations, there are still areas for improvement. This paper examines BlenderBot 2.0’s limitations and errors from three perspectives: model, data, and user interaction. From the data perspective, we highlight the challenges associated with the crowdsourcing process, including unclear guidelines for workers, insufficient measures for filtering hate speech, and the lack of a robust process for verifying the accuracy of internet-sourced information. From the user perspective, we identify nine types of limitations and conduct a thorough investigation into their causes. For each perspective, we propose practical methods for improvement and discuss potential directions for future research. Additionally, we extend our analysis to include perspectives in the era of large language models (LLMs), further broadening our understanding of the challenges and opportunities present in current AI technologies. This multifaceted analysis not only sheds light on BlenderBot 2.0’s current limitations but also charts a path forward for the development of more sophisticated and reliable open-domain chatbots within the broader context of LLM advancements.

Report on the 8th Workshop on Search-Oriented Conversational Artificial Intelligence (SCAI 2024) at CHIIR 2024

Conversational Agents are increasingly integrated into our daily routines, assisting us with various tasks, from simple commands such as scheduling events to more complex conversational search interactions. Such conversational search systems are traditionally evaluated with word-overlap metrics such as F1 score and accuracy. The full-day workshop on Search-Oriented Conversational Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) at CHIIR 2024 explored the evaluation of conversational search systems from the user's perspective. This interactive workshop included multiple panel discussions and working groups focused on developing and discussing innovative, user-centered evaluation methods for these systems. This paper, co-authored by both organizers and participants of the workshop, presents a summary of the insights gathered from the panel discussions and working groups. Date : 14 March 2024. Website : https://scai.info/scai-2024/.

Geocells for Unpaved Roads: Analysis of Design Methods from the Literature

Most forest roads are unpaved, connecting rural and forest areas and enabling access for firefighting and commercial purposes. Low traffic levels lead to reduced functional demands, while rapid development of deformations results in frequent maintenance. Using geocells as reinforcements reduces deformations, minimizing maintenance needs. Herein, geocell-reinforced soil design methods were collected and categorized based on their result: increase in confining pressure; bearing capacity; height of the base layer. The goal was to compare methods reported in the literature, from a user perspective and within each category, using a base scenario. The methods were analysed to better understand their differences and application conditions. Methods that estimate the increase in confining pressure refer to static or cyclic loading, leading to results that are not directly comparable; often, the reinforcement contribution is represented by an apparent cohesion, with no physical meaning and misleading. Methods that estimate the increase in bearing capacity due to geocell consider its contribution differently (lateral resistance, vertical stress dispersion, and membrane effects) and distinct combinations. For geocell reinforcement, the membrane effect can be neglected. Methods that estimate the height of the base layer can be used directly for an expedite design of unpaved roads. When geocell reinforcement is adopted, the minimum height of the base layer should coincide with that of the geocell. Thus, while current methods contribute and support the design of unpaved roads, further work is essential to develop methods that are of simple and of expedite application for forest engineers, adaptable to local conditions and requirements.

Setting Expectations for Ethics Theory from the Standpoint of the User.

Ethics theory is highly valued to the point that some commentators have claimed that it has taken on a life of its own, with too much focus on the justification of moral judgment and not enough on the needs of users of such theory. Building from various personal experiences of interdisciplinary ethics collaborative developments and empirical research projects, the wisdom gleaned by others, as well as insights from pragmatist theory, this article offers five (non-exhaustive) expectations for ethics theory from the standpoint of a user. The article is intended to prompt broad reflection on expectations toward ethics theory and why user perspectives should be considered early in the development of ethics scholarship.

Empirically Guided Online Business Platform Development for Local Vendors: Usability Perspective

Empirically Guided Online Business Platform Development for Local Vendors: Usability Perspective

Digital Echoes of Discrimination: Investigating the Reception of Hate Speech Against Korean Chinese in Online Communities

abstract: This study aims to investigate the circulation, consumption, and learning of anonymous users’ hatred in online communities, focusing on the reception process of hate speech targeting Korean Chinese people, a group long discriminated against by native Koreans and the media. It identifies critical factors shaping attitudes toward Korean Chinese (i.e., Chaoxianzu), defining hate as long-term sentiments resulting from repeated immediate emotions triggered by specific incidents and social identities. This study adopts a grounded theory approach, employing interviews to construct a paradigm model that captures the authentic perspectives of online community users. Following the coding process, 17 categories and 38 subcategories emerged. Online audiences consolidate or maintain their attitudes through admission, resistance, exploration, and reproduction after exposure to hate expressions toward Korean Chinese. Self-intervention, personal experience, quality of verbal stimulation, and patriotism function as interventional conditions or environmental contexts throughout this process.

N-of-1 health optimization: Digital monitoring of biomarker dynamics to gamify adherence to metabolic switching.

The digital health field is experiencing substantial growth due to its potential for sustained and longitudinal deployment. In turn, this may drive improved monitoring and intervention as catalysts for behavioral change compared to traditional point-of-care practices. In particular, the increase in incidence of population health challenges such as diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, and other disorders coupled with rising healthcare costs have emphasized the importance of exploring technical, economics, and implementation considerations, among others in the decentralization of health and healthcare innovations. Both healthy individuals and patients stand to benefit from continued technical advances and studies in these domains. To address these points, this study reports a N-of-1 study comprised of sustained regimens of intermittent fasting, fitness (strength and cardiovascular training), and high protein, low carbohydrate diet and parallel monitoring. These regimens were paired with serial blood ketone, blood glucose (wearable and finger stick) and blood pressure readings, as well as body weight measurements using a collection of devices. Collectively this suite of platforms and approaches were used to monitor metabolic switching from glucose to ketones as energy sources-a process associated with potential cardio- and neuroprotective functions. In addition to longitudinal biomarker dynamics, this work discusses user perspectives on the potential role of harnessing digital devices to these dynamics as potential gamification factors, as well as considerations for the role of biomarker monitoring in health regimen development, user stratification, and potentially informing downstream population-scale studies to address metabolic disease, healthy aging and longevity, among other indications.

Quality Measurement of Online Single Submission (Oss) Information System with Mc Call Method (Case Study of Plut Kumkm)

The NTB Province Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperative Integrated Business Service Center (PLUT-KUMKM) under the West Nusa Tenggara Province Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperative Service, provides comprehensive assistance to KUMKM to increase production and competitiveness. With seven service areas, PLUT- KUMKM provides effective solutions for business actors. However, in issuing a Business Identification Number (NIB) via the OSS application. The thing is, like in the Business Licensing menu, there is a business development feature. Carrying out business development cannot be completed in one activity in one feature, users must return to the new application menu to continue the business development process and make updates. And user errors often occur such as entering information or not following the correct procedures when filling out forms. The licensing system seeks to be integrated electronically, aiming to cut bureaucracy and improve public services. This research measures the quality of the OSS system for issuing nibs based on the perceptions of 100 gardatransfumi assistants, using the McCall method . A comprehensive evaluation is carried out to identify weaknesses and necessary improvements. Measuring the quality of OSS systems using McCall's theory is important for understanding product quality attributes from the perspective of users and the software itself. The research results will provide in-depth insight into the condition of the website and recommendations for improvement. With the OSS system, the government is trying to make it easier to manage business legality. The NIB issued through OSS becomes the identity of business actors for import and export activities. Through quality measurements, systems, weaknesses and improvements to the NIB issuance process can be identified thereby ensuring better service for business actors.

User Perspectives on Over-The-Top (OTT) Platforms in Kashmir: A Quantitative Analysis

Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms are gaining popularity in Kashmir, with Netflix emerging as the most preferred platform. The majority of respondents spend 1-2 hours daily on OTT platforms, with movies being the most preferred content type. The primary motivation for watching content on OTT platforms is its simplicity of use, with Urdu being the most chosen language. The study also found that OTT applications are changing television and movie-watching habits in Kashmir, and that a substantial proportion of users believe that these platforms are changing the Indian television and film industry. Respondents are optimistic about the future of OTT platforms in Kashmir, citing factors such as smartphone penetration, digital quality, cost-effectiveness, and international collaboration. This research provides valuable insights for industry stakeholders, content creators, and policymakers seeking to understand user preferences and capitalize on the growing digital entertainment market in Kashmir. The study offers important implications for the future development of OTT platforms and media consumption patterns in the region.