This work sets out the planning phases adopted for the first time to put together a manual on injury and accident prevention in the use of farm tractors. The goal is to convey information more effectively than at present, while taking the end users' opinions into consideration. The manual was devised, created, and tested based on a human-centred design (HCD) process, which identified the operators' requirements using a participatory ergonomics (PE) strategy. The main topics of the manual were outlined by engaging the users in a qualitative research activity (i.e., focus groups and workshops with final users), and the contents were prioritized and labelled by way of a noun prioritization activity. The users were involved right up to the choice of graphics and print layout in order to orient the publication to the farming context. The research activity highlighted a divergence between the operators' requirements and the topics currently dealt with in the sector publications. The project resulted in the publication of the "Safe Tractor" manual, which features some innovations. The experience highlighted the need to adopt HCD processes to create innovative editorial products, which can help speed up the dissemination of safety culture in the primary sector.
Past studies using the distribution of eye fixations as an indicator of mental workload are limited to simulations and laboratory tasks. Hence, this assessment strategy has not yet been proven useful in real- world settings. In order to bridge this gap, in this study eye movements of a group of individuals were recorded while driving a car in a suburban road. Drivers’ scanpaths during driving and during driving while performing mundane secondary tasks were compared in this study. A more grouped pattern of fixations was expected in the dual-task condition than in the driving-only condition. As expected, results showed the effectiveness the spatiotemporal distribution of fixations in correctly discriminating between task load conditions, therefore indicating its usefulness for assessing mental workload also in complex real-world tasks.
This short paper describes an update of A Simple Tool For Examining Fixations (ASTEF) developed for facilitating the examination of eye-tracking data and for computing a spatial statistics algorithm that has been validated as a measure of mental workload (namely, the Nearest Neighbor Index: NNI). The code is based on Matlab® 2013a and is currently distributed on the web as an open-source project. This implementation of ASTEF got rid of many functionalities included in the previous version that are not needed anymore considering the large availability of commercial and open-source software solutions for eye-tracking. That makes it very easy to compute the NNI on eye-tracking data without the hassle of learning complicated tools. The software also features an export function for creating the time series of the NNI values computed on each minute of the recording. This feature is crucial given that the spatial distribution of fixations must be used to test hypotheses about the time course of mental load.
Background Previous American studies suggest that dialysis patients want caregivers to discuss spirituality and mobilize appropriate spiritual resources. Whether this also applies to the Swiss dialysis population, and whether patients' spiritual experiences contribute to their coping mechanisms is unknown. The goal of this pilot study is therefore to explore the spiritual expectations of hemodialysis patients in a Swiss dialysis center. Methods A qualitative study was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were performed by an experienced sociologist with dialysis patients in the ambulatory chronic dialysis unit of the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. The interviews included a set of pre-defined, open questions based on SPIR and HOPE, two validated tools to assess spirituality. The questions included three themes: the role that spirituality plays in patients’ life, in (coping with) their illness and in the recent COVID-19 epidemic. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded and analyzed following the approach of content analysis. Results Interviews took place between February and June 2022. The mean age of the 20 participants was 62.5 years (min 30-max 86), 40% were female. In total 14/20 (70%) patients practiced some form of religion (believers), 4 were agnostics, and 2 defined themselves as atheist. The majority of participants of this study (75%) consider that spirituality can play a positive role to preserve hope and to manage the difficulties caused by the disease and its treatment. The need for spiritual guidance is however not among the patients’ most urgent needs. Although some of them are open to the possibility of spiritual guidance within the hemodialysis unit, none of them expressed this as a formal expectation. Research participants’ level of spirituality and spiritual practice have generally not been significantly impacted by their changing health status, or the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The most frequently mentioned needs are related to social dimensions (isolation, loneliness, need to talk, financial problems). Conclusions In this pilot study, the majority of Swiss dialysis patients did not express the wish to discuss more often spiritual issues with dialysis caregivers, but they would appreciate more attention for social and socio-economic difficulties.
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