HCI Research

Medical | Human-Automation Interaction | Military | Bioinformatics | Methods

Medical

• System Approaches to Surgical Safety - We are studying system approaches to decrease the error rate in surgery.
  Publication:
  • A systems approach to surgical safety
  • Using video data for analysis and training of medical personnel.

• Surgery Checklists - We are studying the effect of checklists on reduced errors and improved communication and coordination during surgical procedures.
  Sponsor: The National Patient Safety Foundation
  Presentation:
  • American College of Surgeons 2001

• Team Communication and Coordination in the Operating Room - We are studying team communication and coordination in the operating room via remote observation of surgeries
  Sponsors: The Digital Societies and Technologies of the National Science Foundation and National Patient Safety Foundation

• RATE - is a software program which provides different methods to score and record team performance and optionally synchronize the scores with digital video files (up to 4) and digital audio files (up to 8) simultaneously.

  Remote Analysis of Team Environment (RATE) Manual

   RATE.zip (August 19, 2004) is available now, you can download it for non-profit use. Otherwise, please contact Dr. Stephanie Guerlain

  
  Publications:

  • Assessing Team Performance in the Operating Room: Development and Use of a "Black-Box" Recorder and Other Tools for the Intraoperative Environment

  • Using video data for analysis and training of medical personnel
  • A team performance data collection and analysis system
  • The RATE tool: multimedia observation and analysis of teams
  • Crew resource management for surgeons: Feasibility and impact. Cognition, Technology and Work

• Computer-Based Training for Surgery - We are developing a computer-based training system to train situation assessment and decision making skills of surgeons.
  Sponsor:The Digital Societies and Technologies of the National Science Foundation
  Publications:

  • A CD-Rom-based laparoscopic surgery video training simulator
  • Video-based training for laparoscopic surgery
  • Training anatomy recognition through repetitive viewing of laparoscopic surgery video clips

• Surgery Postoperation Mortality Analysis - We are examining the 30-day mortality rate afer surgery and potential causes.
  Publications:

  • Thirty-day postoperative death rate at an academic medical center
  • Are patients at higher risk if having operations at night, on weekends, or holidays? (Master's Thesis by Hui Guo, 2003)

• Acute Abdominal Pain - We tested the use of a structured form on the consistency and amount of data recorded by ER residents for patients complaining of abdominal pain. Data recording was significantly higher with use of the form.
  Sponsor: Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia Medical Center
  Publications:

  • The effect of forms/checklists on data collection behavior
  • The effect of an emergency medicine structured data collection form in aiding in acute abdominal pain examination and diagnosis
  • The effect of a standardized data collection form on the examination and diagnosis of patients with abdominal pain

  Presentation:

  • Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2001

• Nurse Task Tracking System - We helped develop a smart pager to help Nursing Assistants track and perform activities of daily living for long-term care patients.
  Sponsors: Adherence Technologies, Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, and National Institute of Aging

• Critiquing/Teaching Antibody Identification - We developed the Antibody Identification Assistant and the Transfusion Medicine Tutor to teach medical technologists antigen typing skills. This system reduced misdiagnosis rates by over 60% with just 2 hours of training with the system.
  Sponsor: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  Publications:

  • Field Evaluation of an Intelligent Tutoring System For Teaching Problem-Solving Skills in Transfusion Medicine
  • The Antibody Identification Assistant (AIDA), an example of a cooperative computer support system
  • Decision support in medical systems
  • Interactive critiquing as a form of decision support: an empirical evaluation
  • Problem-based learning

Human-Automation Interaction      

• Human-Automation Interaction - We are developing generic principles for human interaction with advanced automation.
  Publications:

  • Interactive advisory systems
  • Intelligent decision support systems
  • Designing a ballast control system operator interface

   

• Visualizing Model-Based Predictive Controllers - We developed a visual front end to a process controller that uses optimization techniques and predictive algorithms.
  Sponsor: Honeywell Hispec Solutions
  Publications:

  • The MPC elucidator: a case study in the design of representational aids
  • Operator interaction with model-based predictive controllers in petrochemical refining
  • Visualizing model-based predictive controllers
  • Visualizzazione dei programmi di controllo predittive basati su modelli

  Patents:

  • Guerlain, S. (2002). Method and apparatus for user-initiated alarms in process control system. US 6,414,594 B1, Jul. 2, 2002.
  • Guerlain, S., Jamieson, G., A., and Bullemer, P. (2003). Multivariable process matrix display and methods regarding same.  US 6,587,108 B1, Jul. 1, 2003.
  • Jamieson, G. A., Guerlain, S., and Bullemer, P. (2003). Multivariable process trend display and methods regarding same. US 6,577,323 B1, Jun. 10, 2003.
  • Guerlain, S., Jamieson, G. A., and Bullemer, P. (2005). Process variable generalized graphical device display and methods regarding same. US 6,901,560, May 31, 2005.

  Product:

  • Profit Assistant

   

• User-Initiated Notification - This software allows operators of a system to set up personalized, context-sensitive alerts that are process-sensitive. This is now a product sold by Honeywell called UserAlert.
  Sponsor: Honeywell Hispec Solutions
  Publication:

  • User-initiated notification: a concept for aiding the monitoring activities of process control operators

  Product:

  • UserAlert

• Intelligent Procedures - We developed "smart procedures" that are process and context-sensitive to detect errors and improved distributed communications. We also developed a portable, wireless system to enable roving operator to view/interact with these "live" procedures.
  Sponsor: Honeywell
  Publications:

  • Critiquing team procedure execution
  • Supporting collaborative field operations with personal information processing systems

• Work Flow Support-  We developed a work flow system to support distributed communications in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
  Sponsor: Veridian
  Publication:

  • Supporting verification of the comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty through a persistent conversation interface

Military  

• Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control Displays - We are developing and testing interactive prototype displays for the next-generation tomahawk missile.
  Sponsor: Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division
  Publications:

  • The tactical Tomahawk weapons control system: interface design project
  • Testbed for evaluating tactical situation awareness and decision making
  • Effect of display design and situation complexity on operator performance

  • Tactical Tomahawk weapon control system user interface analysis and design (Master's thesis by Robert Willis, 2001)

  • The tactical Tomahawk conundrum: designing decision support systems for revolutionary domains

  • Designing decision support systems for a revolutionary command and control domains (Dissertation by Mary Cummings, 2004)
  • A measurement of the effectiveness of an overview display for the mission to launch platform assignment process essential to the Tomahawk strike coordinator (Master’s thesis by John Cushing, 2003)

Bioinformatics

• Human Genome Sequence Alignment Explorer - We are developing visualization displays to explore near-optimal sequence alignments for genome and protein sequences.
  Sponsor: UVA Biotechnology Training Program

• DisplayMUMs - This software can graphically present alignments of MUMs from a set of query sequences and a single reference sequence.

• Near Optimal Sequence Alignment Player- This web-based software allows for the creation and visual display of a set of near optimal or alternative alignments of two protein or DNA sequences.  The tool is designed to help investigators identify the most biologically meaningful alignment of two sequences.
  Publications:

  • Near-optimal alignment display tool
  • Visualizing and analyzing near optimal sequence alignments
  • Visualization of near optimal sequence alignments

  Presentation:

  • Display of near optimal sequence alignment

     

Methods

• Eye Response Technologies - We have developed a state-of-the art eye-tracking system that can be used as assistive technology by the disabled to control Windows computers with the use of their eyes. ERICA can also be used as a means to analyze people's focus of attention when performing a computer-based or paper-based task.
  Sponsor: ERICA, Inc..
  ERICA References

• Team Observation Software - Remote Analysis of Team Environment (RATE) is a software program which provides different methods to score and record team performance and optionally synchronize the scores with digital video files (up to 4) and digital audio files (up to 8) simultaneously.
  Sponsor: The National Patient Safety Foundation
   

• Cognitive Work Analysis - Commonly been used to analyse existing work systems.
  Publication: Judging pace cross-country