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The objective of this evaluation was to determine the effect of redesigning the Informatics for Diabetes Education and Telemedicine (IDEATel) telemedicine architecture on the average upload delay and on the average number of glucose uploads to a central database. These two measures positively influence our ability to deliver timely and accurate patient care to the study population. The redesign was also undertaken to improve the patients' experience in using the system and thereby increase the frequency and timeliness of their self-monitoring behavior. Using the total number of glucose uploads, we compared the delay in glucose upload times according to the type of home telemedicine unit the study participants used and the region where the participants lived. The participants were Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes living in medically underserved neighborhoods in New York City and rural Upstate New York. The populations in these two regions differed considerably in terms of ethnicity, language spoken (Spanish, English), and education level. Participants who had Generation 2 (Gen 2) (mean = 10.75, SD +/- 7.96) home telemedicine units had significantly shorter upload delay times (p < 0.001) as measured in days than those participants with Generation 1 (Gen 1) (mean = 22.44, SD +/- 11.18) and those who were upgraded from Gen 1 (mean = 20.67, SD +/- 8.85) to Gen 2 (mean = 14.93, SD +/- 9.37). Additionally, the delay was significantly shorter for participants living upstate (mean = 24.14 days, SD +/- 11.95 days) than downstate (mean = 15.30 days, SD +/- 7.87 days), t (975) = 13.98, p < 0.01. The system redesign made a significant impact in reducing glucose upload delays of IDEATel participants. However, upload delays were significantly impacted by the region where the participants resided.

Visualizations are increasingly important in helping users manage large data streams. As a result, researchers often need to compare the performance of several visualizations. We present two statistical techniques, multiple-reader multiple-case receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and generalized linear mixed models, to compare the accuracy and speed of decisions using data visualizations. These techniques have several advantages over simpler strategies for assessing decision quality, and should be made part of the quantitative evaluation of visualizations.

Clinical trials increasingly rely upon web-based Clinical Trials Management Systems (CTMS). As with clinical care systems, Human Computer Interaction (HCI) issues can greatly affect the usefulness of such systems. Evaluation of the user interface of one web-based CTMS revealed a number of potential human-computer interaction problems, in particular, increased workflow complexity associated with a web application delivery model and potential usability problems resulting from the use of ambiguous icons. Because these design features are shared by a large fraction of current CTMS, the implications extend beyond this individual system.

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.

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.