Biomedical subjects

Justin B Starren

Publications and source records attributed to Justin B Starren.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Design features of graphs in health risk communication: a systematic review.

This review describes recent experimental and focus group research on graphics as a method of communication about quantitative health risks. Some of the studies discussed in this review assessed effect of graphs on quantitative reasoning, others assessed effects on behavior or behavioral intentions, and still others assessed viewers' likes and dislikes. Graphical features that improve the accuracy of quantitative reasoning appear to differ from the features most likely to alter behavior or intentions. For example, graphs that make part-to-whole relationships available visually may help people attend to the relationship between the numerator (the number of people affected by a hazard) and the denominator (the entire population at risk), whereas graphs that show only the numerator appear to inflate the perceived risk and may induce risk-averse behavior. Viewers often preferred design features such as visual simplicity and familiarity that were not associated with accurate quantitative judgments. Communicators should not assume that all graphics are more intuitive than text; many of the studies found that patients' interpretations of the graphics were dependent upon expertise or instruction. Potentially useful directions for continuing research include interactions with educational level and numeracy and successful ways to communicate uncertainty about risk.

Audiovisual Aids↗

PubMed2005

Quantifying visual similarity in clinical iconic graphics.

OBJECTIVE: The use of icons and other graphical components in user interfaces has become nearly ubiquitous. The interpretation of such icons is based on the assumption that different users perceive the shapes similarly. At the most basic level, different users must agree on which shapes are similar and which are different. If this similarity can be measured, it may be usable as the basis to design better icons. DESIGN: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel method for categorizing the visual similarity of graphical primitives, called Presentation Discovery, in the domain of mammography. Six domain experts were given 50 common textual mammography findings and asked to draw how they would represent those findings graphically. Nondomain experts sorted the resulting graphics into groups based on their visual characteristics. The resulting groups were then analyzed using traditional statistics and hypothesis discovery tools. Strength of agreement was evaluated using computational simulations of sorting behavior. MEASUREMENTS: Sorter agreement was measured at both the individual graphical and concept-group levels using a novel simulation-based method. "Consensus clusters" of graphics were derived using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. RESULTS: The multiple sorters were able to reliably group graphics into similar groups that strongly correlated with underlying domain concepts. Visual inspection of the resulting consensus clusters indicated that graphical primitives that could be informative in the design of icons were present. CONCLUSION: The method described provides a rigorous alternative to intuitive design processes frequently employed in the design of icons and other graphical interface components.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Breaking the translational barriers: the value of integrating biomedical informatics and translational research.

The conduct of translational health research has become a vital national enterprise. However, multiple barriers prevent the effective translation of basic science discoveries into clinical and community practice. New information technology (IT) applications could help address these barriers. Unfortunately, owing to a combination of organizational, technical, and social factors, neither physician-investigators and research staff nor their clinical and community counterparts have harnessed such applications. Recently, at the request of the Institute of Medicine's Clinical Research Roundtable, a qualitative study of these factors was conducted at several leading academic medical centers. We explore the current status of IT in the translational research domain, describe the qualitative results, and conclude with a proposed set of initiatives to further increase the integration of IT into translational research.

Biomedical Research↗

PubMed2005

Web-based educational resources for low literacy families in the NICU.

Web-based educational resources for families in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)with low health literacy were developed and implemented as prototype web pages using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. The user interface was designed for a touch-screen platform with voice-recorded messages to incorporate parents' varying literacy levels and computer experience. Cognitive load theory was used to guide the organization and presentation of information. The text was translated to a 6th grade reading level by Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, MS Word.

Comprehension↗

PubMed2005

Architecture for remote training of home telemedicine patients.

In spite of efforts to develop easy-to-use devices, patients may require multiple training sessions to achieve mastery of advanced telehealth devices, especially those incorporating web-access. In geographically-distributed projects, such repeat training can be costly. A software architecture for simultaneous voice conferencing and remote device control over a single telephone line is presented. Evaluation of the pilot implementation is favorable.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity from 1996 to 2000: analysis of a comprehensive New York state patient database.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the current incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in New York state. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Newborn infants (15 691) with initial hospital length of stay >28 days and date of discharge from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2000. Subjects were identified from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, which contains information about every patient hospitalized in New York during this period. METHODS: Demographic and clinical information about eligible infants was abstracted by searching the SPARCS database. Patients with a discharge diagnosis of ROP or who underwent laser retinal photocoagulation, scleral buckle, or pars plana vitrectomy were identified by searching for appropriate discharge and procedure codes. Incidence of ROP in the study population was determined and analyzed on the basis of birth weight. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of any ROP, laser photocoagulation, scleral buckle, and pars plana vitrectomy in study population. RESULTS: On the basis of SPARCS coding, the overall incidence of any ROP among all newborn infants in New York state during the study period was 0.2% (2284 of 1 167 427), or 1 in 511. The incidence of any ROP in the study population of newborns with initial hospital length of stay >28 days was 20.3% (2152 of 10 596) among infants with birth weight <1500 g and 27.3% (1839 of 6745) among infants with birth weight <1200 g. Among study patients with any ROP, the proportion who underwent laser photocoagulation during initial hospital stay was 9.5% (218 of 2284), and the proportion who underwent scleral buckle or vitrectomy surgery was 0.5% (12 of 2284). Seventeen study newborns with birth weight > or =2000 g had a discharge diagnosis of ROP, although none of these patients required laser or incisional surgery during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: This study involves the largest known cohort of newborns that has been analyzed for ROP. The incidence of ROP in this study is lower than results from previous multicenter clinical trials. However, the diagnosis of ROP in 17 study newborns with birth weight > or =2000 g deserves further investigation and may have implications for ROP screening protocols.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed2003

An experimental system for comparing speed, accuracy, and completeness of physician data entry using electronic and paper methods.

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems have important potential advantages over traditional paper-based systems, but they require that physicians assume responsibility for data entry. However, little is known about the quality of physician data entry in electronic systems. This study describes a system for comparing the speed, accuracy, and completeness of examination data entry using electronic and paper methods. Data will be shown to demonstrate that this may be a simple, reproducible, and useful technique.

Humans↗

PubMed2003

Quantifying visual similarity in clinical iconic graphics.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of utilizing iconic presentation models in the context of complex medical information. However, very little literature exists that addresses the design of the graphical primitives that constitute such mediums. Utilizing a method named "Presentation Discovery", the authors of this study examine a manner in which objective techniques may be utilized to prototype such graphical primitives in order to increase the realized expressiveness of ensuing iconic presentation models.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2002

Software engineering risk factors in the implementation of a small electronic medical record system: the problem of scalability.

The successful implementation of clinical information systems is difficult. In examining the reasons and potential solutions for this problem, the medical informatics community may benefit from the lessons of a rich body of software engineering and management literature about the failure of software projects. Based on previous studies, we present a conceptual framework for understanding the risk factors associated with large-scale projects. However, the vast majority of existing literature is based on large, enterprise-wide systems, and it unclear whether those results may be scaled down and applied to smaller projects such as departmental medical information systems. To examine this issue, we discuss the case study of a delayed electronic medical record implementation project in a small specialty practice at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. While the factors contributing to the delay of this small project share some attributes with those found in larger organizations, there are important differences. The significance of these differences for groups implementing small medical information systems is discussed.

Computer Systems↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Computer and World Wide Web accessibility by visually disabled patients: problems and solutions.

Rapid advances in information technology have dramatically transformed the world during the past several decades. Access to computers and the World Wide Web is increasingly required for education and employment, as well as for many activities of daily living. Although these changes have improved society in many respects, they present an obstacle for visually disabled patients who may have significant difficulty processing the visual cues presented by modern graphical user interfaces. This article reviews the specific barriers to computer and Web access faced by visually disabled patients, describes clinical evaluation methods, summarizes traditional low vision methods as well as newer assistive computer technologies for universal accessibility, and discusses emerging technologies and future directions in this area.

Access to Information↗