A sample size of 280 certified mammography technologists were surveyed to understand what factors affect patient discomfort during breast imaging. Given mammography technologists’ level of patient involvement, they are uniquely positioned to observe factors that affect patient comfort. The findings suggest that according to technologists, multiple factors, including patient ethnicity, breast density, previous biopsy and lumpectomy experience, as well as psychological factors, impact breast discomfort during mammography. Additionally, with respect to imaging protocols, technologists attributed 80% of moderate-to-extreme discomfort to “length of compression time” (27%) and “compression force” (53%). Technologists also attributed “pinching at chest wall” and “hard edges of breast platform” to “very high” discomfort significantly more times ( P <0.05) than “coolness and edges of paddle”. These findings confirm some of what has been reported to date and challenge other findings. Given that recent decline in breast cancer mortality has been attributed to improvements in early detection and treatment, approaches to reduce discomfort should be considered in order to promote screening compliance. Although more research is needed, it is apparent that the patient experience of comfort and pain during mammography is an area warranting increased research and solutions.

No abstract

The number of self-checkout systems in stores has increased exponentially in the past 5 years becoming a common way for consumers to complete their purchases. Little research has been conducted in this pervasive area, however, other than market research studies. An online survey found that although individuals use self-checkout systems a great deal, there are a number of issues and concerns with these systems. The most cited difficulties that arise when using self-checkout systems included the barcode not scanning as well as slow customers ahead in the line. These findings including others noted throughout this paper highlight a number of opportunities for human factors professionals to make the design of self-checkout systems more user-friendly.

No abstract

This study compared older and younger adults' knowledge acquisition and search times for information on older and newer over-the-counter (OTC) drug label formats. The results showed that younger adults were faster than older adults. The younger group performed significantly faster with the newer formatted labels than the older formatted labels, whereas the older adults yielded no difference between the two formats. Potential directions for future research are discussed.