Peter:
I understand you better now!
Just a couple of points.
evidence-based epistemology
I wrote a paper on epistemology last year for IASDR2011 recommending a design epistemology combining Reason and Revelation. Quoting that paper: ““Reason” because explicit, rational, and analytical, thinking processes are used; “Revelation” because tacit-to-explicit, inspired, non-linear, divergent, and integrative thinking processes are embraced.”
I envision that these processes are applied against evidence (using the common dictionary meaning of evidence). A priori knowledge aside, I believe that as Professors, we practice an epistemology based on evidence.
All our evidence is interpreted. We’re human.
Qualitative and mixed methods are all based squarely in evidence, as you yourself note: “…they used mixed methods, mixed evidentiary forms.” I think the qualitative /quantitative distinction is overblown, and not the best categories to use for research, but that's another discussion.
I appreciate your nuancing the issues surrounding EBM (evidence-based medicine), but in my mind when I wrote was a more general definition, like that on Wikipedia (citing Sackett DL, 1996 and Timmermans S. 2005):
"the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients."
If I substitute for “the care of individual patients” something like “design problems” that is what I believe is needed in design. I know, Wikipedia is so low brow, but there you are!
For now I suggest that design needs to focus on gathering evidence and developing principles to guide practice before we go too far defining evidence-based design’s “uses and boundaries.” Another thread in this discussion on ‘principles from design research findings’ suggests how far we are from having sufficient principles. I encourage you not to ‘box us in’ too far just now! A Wikipedia definition is is about what we need to start!
As I said at the start, I appreciate that my/our collaboration with medicine drives me/us to evaluation of design work which is providing evidence for future work and research.
Thanks for asking about our medical work.
What follows is a list of projects I’m currently supervising. Each has one or more GA students working on a team with medical professionals. They are stated from the perspective of our design contribution, not the larger research question driving each research project. For example, the aims and hypothesis for the HPV project was:
Aim 1: Develop a decision aid for parents of 11 to 17 year old girls eligible for HPV vaccination.
Aim 2: Determine the effect of an HPV vaccine decision aid on quality of decision making among parents of girls and among girls eligible for HPV vaccination in the primary care setting.
Hypothesis: Use of a decision aid in the clinical setting will be associated with improved quality of decision-making, as measured by change in knowledge and the Decisional Conflict Scale and consistency between informed patient/parent informed preferences and decision, among parents and girls.
You can see my shorthand description:
HPV Vaccination Decision Support
sponsor: CCHMC, Dr. Lea Widdice
Design and test a decision support system for patients and parents for cervical cancer/HPV vaccination
evaluation: increased knowledge, lower decisional conflict and consistency between informed patient/parent informed preferences and decision
And these are the others, using my shorthand of what the design contribution ended up being:
ADHD Decision Support
sponsor: CCHMC, Dr. Bill Brinkman
Design and test a decision support system for ADHD patients, parents and physicians
evaluation: increased interaction, knowledge, lower decisional conflict
Liver Transplant Care Information
sponsor: CCHMC
Design and test an information and care instruction system for liver transplant patients, parents and physicians
Accident Prevention
sponsor: CCHMC, Dr. Cinnamon Dixon
Design and test a game-based iPad application for children changing behavior for accident prevention
evaluation: at-risk behavior change
USPC Pharmacology Symbol System
source: USPC
Measure the effects of different design styles on adult comprehension of a system of pharmacological symbols.
evaluation: improved comprehension
Childhood Arthritis Treatment Decision Support
sponsor: CCHMC, Dr. Bill Brinkman
Design and test a decision support system for patients and parents surrounding the decision to maintain or reduce treatment regimen
evaluation: increased interaction, knowledge, lower decisional conflict
Visualization for Informatics
sponsor: CCHMC, Dr. Keith Marsolo
CURRENTLY THREE PROJECTS:
Design and test interface and visualization for informatics I2B2 system
Develop conceptual and physical model for building cohorts from data
Develop patient interfaces for entering and managing data they enter into their medical file/record/data system
COPD Virtual Pill Box – Medication Instructions for Chronic Care Training
sponsor: VA, Dr. Ralph Panos
Design intervention to improve treatment through self-care education for COPD patients and synchronization with education/changes in PACE medical support teams*
evaluation phase 1: improved medication use
*this last one is new and still in discovery phase, clinical observation, patient interviews, etc. so the project definition is a little tentative
These are the one's in which I'm involved currently. Since you know Mary Beth, you know of some of the others, and there are others by other faculty/student teams.
BTW - the results from the HPV project mentioned at the top are just in and were very impressive. A paper abstract was just submitted describing the design methods (Carolina Leyva and Dr. Lea Widdice lead authors).
I had no idea you had the UC connection! I hope to meet you!
Best...
Mike
Mike Zender
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Professor, Director, Graduate Program in Design
University of Cincinnati
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5 1 3 556.1072
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