Improving wheelchair prescription: an analysis of user needs and existing tools

Wheelchair users experience many situations that affect the stability and associated performance of their wheelchair. Stability is affected by user characteristics and abilities, environmental features and conditions, and wheelchair modification and accessories. Wheelchair prescribers need effective tools and methods to provide quantitative evaluation and prediction of the behavior of the user-wheelchair system in a variety of static and dynamic situations. Such information is very important to guide efficient management of associated risks and adjust chairs accordingly. This project involves a user-centered approach for design and evaluation of a load cell based wheelchair stability assessment system (Wheel-SAS). Here, the current methods for assessing stability are described, and their shortcomings explained. The user-centered design approach being applied to the development of the associated Wheel-SAS hardware and software is described. Future work including semi-structured interviews and an online survey with wheelchair prescribers and associated healthcare professionals for deriving user requirements and a design specification for a load cell system for measuring dynamic wheelchair stability are detailed.     

Stress and Unemployment: A Comparative Review and Research Model of Female and Male Managers

This paper presents a multifaceted approach to unemployment stress experienced by male and female managers, in the form of a literature review and comparative research model. In order to develop a working model which can be applied to both male and female managers, the paper covers a substantial range of the literature pertaining to the processes and effects of unemployment for managers. Previous studies often provide conflicting data which generally results from differential approaches taken to the study of unemployment. In addition, it is important to note that the majority of studies focus on blue-collar male workers and that the vast majority are based on a male model of work. The proposed model highlights sources of stress, moderators of stress and stress outcomes that may affect unemployed managers, and distinguishes areas in which gender differences are likely to be found. However, these differences are only hypothesized from the current literature and require in-depth research if they are to be fully understood.     

Key considerations for logic model development in research partnerships: a Canadian case study

Community-academic partnership research is a fairly new genre of community-based participatory research. It has arisen in part, from recognition of the potential role of alliances in the development and translation of applied knowledge and the elimination of health disparities. This paper reports on the learning process of academic and community members who worked together in developing a logic model for a research program focusing on partnerships with vulnerable populations. The Partners in Community Health Research is a 6-year training program that seeks to combine research, training, and practice through the work of its "learning clusters". As these types of partnerships proliferate, the articulation and exploration of clear models will assist in their implementation. The authors, coming from both academia and community agencies, present a logic model meant to facilitate program management. Key considerations in the model's development are discussed in the context of an ongoing research partnership; namely, the complexity of the research partnership, power and accountability, alignment with health promotion policy, and the iterative nature of program design. Recommendations challenge academics, policy-makers, service providers, and community members to reflect on the elements needed to support and manage research partnerships and the tools necessary to ensure continued collaboration.     

The user testing toolset: a decision support system to aid the evaluation of assistive technology products

Developers of assistive technology products need to ensure that their offerings meet the requirements of end users, and that usability issues have been discovered prior to manufacture. This may be difficult for SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) who may lack the necessary skills and resources required to plan and conduct an evaluation. To assist SMEs in the assistive technology market, a stand alone, decision support system was developed to assist in the planning and evaluation of their products, taking into account the resources available, nature of the product being developed and stage of the design process. The responses given by the designer to 40 multiple choice questions are matched against a database of 42 research methods. The methods achieving the highest score in relation to all questions are displayed as the final output. The paper describes the development of the User Testing Toolset (UTT), including the additional functionality provided to ensure that the evaluation methods were correctly matched and weighted to the responses.     

Gender differences in the ultimatum game

I explore the behavior of men and women in the ultimatum game. In one treatment, players remain mutually anonymous. In the second treatment, players'gender is common knowledge. Average offers made do not differ based on the gender of player 1. Offers are affected by the gender of player 2, with men attracting higher offers, particularly from female players 1. Players 2 of both genders choose a higher minimum acceptable offer when facing a female player 1. These patterns led to substantial differences in earnings. Such striking differences in expectations and decisions could impact salary negotiations and other real-world transactions.