Background Many users of spatial data have difficulty interpreting information in health-related spatial reports. The Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center (MCR-ARC) has produced interactive reports for several years. These reports have never been tested for usability.Objective The aims of this study were to: (1) conduct a multi-approach usability testing study to understand ease of use (user friendliness) and user satisfaction; and (2) evaluate the usability of MCR-ARC’s published InstantAtlas reports.Methods An institutional review board (IRB) approved mixed methodology usability testing study using a convenience sample of health professionals. A recruiting email was sent to faculty in the Master of Public Health program and to faculty and staff in the Department of Health Management and Informatics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The study included 7 participants. The test included a pretest questionnaire, a multi-task usability test, and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Also, the researchers collected participants’ comments about the tested maps immediately after every trial. Software was used to record the computer screen during the trial and the participants’ spoken comments. Several performance and usability metrics were measured to evaluate the usability of MCR-ARC’s published mapping reports.ResultsOf the 10 assigned tasks, 6 reached a 100% completion success rate, and this outcome was relative to the complexity of the tasks. The simple tasks were handled more efficiently than the complicated tasks. The SUS score ranged between 20-100 points, with an average of 62.7 points and a median of 50.5 points. The tested maps’ effectiveness outcomes were better than the efficiency and satisfaction outcomes. There was a statistically significant relationship between the subjects’ performance on the study test and the users’ previous experience with geographic information system (GIS) tools (P=.03). There were no statistically significant relationships between users’ performance and satisfaction and their education level, work type, or previous experience in health care (P>.05). There were strong positive correlations between the three measured usability elements.ConclusionsThe tested maps should undergo an extensive refining and updating to overcome all the discovered usability issues and meet the perspectives and needs of the tested maps’ potential users. The study results might convey the perspectives of academic health professionals toward GIS health data. We need to conduct a second-round usability study with public health practitioners and cancer professionals who use GIS tools on a routine basis. Usability testing should be conducted before and after releasing MCR-ARC’s maps in the future.
BackgroundAnalyzing and visualizing health-related databases using Geographic Information Systems (GISs) becomes essential in controlling many public health problems.ObjectivesTo explore the perception and preferences of public health professionals (PHPs) about the usability of GISs in public health fieldMethodsFor this scoping review, the investigators searched Medline Ovid, PubMed, IEEE, Scopus, and GeoBase databases. A total of 105 articles were identified. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria.ResultsIterative evaluations, training, and involvement of GIS end users are productive in GIS usability. More methodologies are needed to support the validity of GIS usability studies. The exchange of GIS technology impacts public health policy and research positively.DiscussionPHPs are aware of the use of GISs in the public health field, and the exchange of visualized health data in determining inequalities and inaccessibility issues.ConclusionGISs are essential to control public health problems, if the related health datasets are analyzed carefully and if the mapping reports are extensively evaluated and interpreted.
Background: Health-related data’s users have trouble understanding and interpreting combined statistical and mapping information. This is the second round of a usability study conducted after we modified and simplified our tested maps based on the first round’s results. Objective: To explore if the tested maps’ usability improved by modifying the maps according to the first round’s resultsMethods: We recruited 13 cancer professionals from National American Central Cancer registries (NACCR) 2016 conference. The study involved three phases per participant: A pretest questionnaire, the multi-task usability test, and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Software was used to record the computer screen during the trial and the users’ spoken comments. We measured several qualitative and quantitative usability metrics. The study’s data was analyzed using spreadsheet software.Results: In the current study, unlike the previous round, there was no significant statistical relationship between the subjects’ performance on the study test and the experience in GIS tools (P = .17 previously was .03). Three out of the four (75%) of our subjects with a bachelor’s degree or less accomplished the given tasks effectively and efficiently. This study developed a comparable satisfaction results to the first round study, despite that the previous round’s participants were highly educated and more experienced with GIS.Conclusion: By considering the round one’s results and by updating our maps, we made the tested maps simpler to be used by subjects who have little experience in using GIS technology, and have little spatial and statistical knowledge.
BackgroundThe Missouri Cancer Registry collects population-based cancer incidence data on Missouri residents diagnosed with reportable malignant neoplasms. The Missouri Cancer Registry wanted to produce data that would be of interest to lawmakers as well as public health officials at the legislative district level on breast cancer, the most common non-skin cancer among females.ObjectiveThe aim was to measure and interactively visualize survival data of female breast cancer cases in the Missouri Cancer Registry.MethodsFemale breast cancer data were linked to Missouri death records and the Social Security Death Index. Unlinked female breast cancer cases were crossmatched to the National Death Index. Female breast cancer cases in subcounty senate districts were geocoded using TIGER/Line shapefiles to identify their district. A database was created and analyzed in SEER*Stat. Senatorial district maps were created using US Census Bureau’s cartographic boundary files. The results were loaded with the cartographic data into InstantAtlas software to produce interactive mapping reports.ResultsFemale breast cancer survival profiles of 5-year cause-specific survival percentages and 95% confidence intervals, displayed in tables and interactive maps, were created for all 34 senatorial districts. The maps visualized survival data by age, race, stage, and grade at diagnosis for the period from 2004 through 2010.ConclusionsLinking cancer registry data to the National Death Index database improved accuracy of female breast cancer survival data in Missouri and this could positively impact cancer research and policy. The created survival mapping report could be very informative and usable by public health professionals, policy makers, at-risk women, and the public.
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