Can the implementation of electronic surveys with quick response (QR) codes be useful in the COVID-19 era?
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Faggiano A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7665553 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Can the implementation of electronic surveys with quick response (QR) codes be useful in the COVID-19 era?
Faggiano Andrea A Carugo Stefano S
International journal of epidemiology 20201001 5
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Project description:BackgroundThe National Health Service (NHS) 70-item inpatient questionnaire surveys inpatients on their perceptions of their hospitalization experience. However, it imposes more burden on the patient than other similar surveys. The literature shows that computerized adaptive testing (CAT) based on item response theory can help shorten the item length of a questionnaire without compromising its precision.ObjectiveOur aim was to investigate whether CAT can be (1) efficient with item reduction and (2) used with quick response (QR) codes scanned by mobile phones.MethodsAfter downloading the 2008 inpatient survey data from the Picker Institute Europe website and analyzing the difficulties of this 70-item questionnaire, we used an author-made Excel program using the Rasch partial credit model to simulate 1000 patients' true scores followed by a standard normal distribution. The CAT was compared to two other scenarios of answering all items (AAI) and the randomized selection method (RSM), as we investigated item length (efficiency) and measurement accuracy. The author-made Web-based CAT program for gathering patient feedback was effectively accessed from mobile phones by scanning the QR code.ResultsWe found that the CAT can be more efficient for patients answering questions (ie, fewer items to respond to) than either AAI or RSM without compromising its measurement accuracy. A Web-based CAT inpatient survey accessed by scanning a QR code on a mobile phone was viable for gathering inpatient satisfaction responses.ConclusionsWith advances in technology, patients can now be offered alternatives for providing feedback about hospitalization satisfaction. This Web-based CAT is a possible option in health care settings for reducing the number of survey items, as well as offering an innovative QR code access.
| S-EPMC4795329 | biostudies-literature
Project description:16S rRNA sequences of morphologically and biochemically identified 21 thermophilic bacteria isolated from Unkeshwar hot springs (19°85'N and 78°25'E), Dist. Nanded (India) has been deposited in NCBI repository. The 16S rRNA gene sequences were used to generate QR codes for sequences (FASTA format and full Gene Bank information). Diversity among the isolates is compared with known isolates and evaluated using CGR, FCGR and PCA i.e. visual comparison and evaluation respectively. Considerable biodiversity was observed among the identified bacteria isolated from Unkeshwar hot springs. The hyperlinked QR codes, CGR, FCGR and PCA of all the isolates are made available to the users on a portal https://sites.google.com/site/bhagwanrekadwad/.
| S-EPMC4688402 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Microbiologists are routinely engaged isolation, identification and comparison of isolated bacteria for their novelty. 16S rRNA sequences of Bacillus pumilus were retrieved from NCBI repository and generated QR codes for sequences (FASTA format and full Gene Bank information). 16SrRNA were used to generate quick response (QR) codes of Bacillus pumilus isolated from Lonar Crator Lake (19° 58' N; 76° 31' E), India. Bacillus pumilus 16S rRNA gene sequences were used to generate CGR, FCGR and PCA. These can be used for visual comparison and evaluation respectively. The hyperlinked QR codes, CGR, FCGR and PCA of all the isolates are made available to the users on a portal https://sites.google.com/site/bhagwanrekadwad/. This generated digital data helps to evaluate and compare any Bacillus pumilus strain, minimizes laboratory efforts and avoid misinterpretation of the species.
| S-EPMC4838933 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Medical education programs in the United States or Canada comply with the Liaison Committee on medical education standards to ensure their graduates provide proficient medical care. One standard includes student development as a lifelong learner. The competency of lifelong learning is developed through self-directed activities such as students evaluating their learning objectives and resources without external help.Quick response (QR) codes were the technological tools introduced in a traditional medical institution to enhance students' self-directed initiative to tap resources. Relevant lecture objectives and other information such as supplemental discipline content, reading assignments and web-based link resources were embedded into codes and 'pasted' onto all pages of their course PDF handouts. It was anticipated that most students had access to smart phones to conveniently scan the codes and retrieve the information.However, an in-class survey conducted showed that only 30% of the students found the QR codes useful. Further questioning revealed that some students just didn't know how to use the codes or didn't think the information embedded was worth the effort to decrypt. Although students were tech-savvy in the social and entertainment realms, they were not adept in the use of technology for educational purposes.QR codes presented several theoretical, pedagogical advantages to enhance experiential and self-directed learning. However, implementation among students, in a traditional classroom, required prior instructions on usage. Student feedback was also imperative when introducing novel, innovative tools like QR codes.
| S-EPMC7283375 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The popularity of QR codes for encoding information such as URIs has increased exponentially in step with the technological advances and availability of smartphones, digital tablets, and other electronic devices. We propose using QR codes on specimens in biological collections to facilitate linking vouchers' electronic information with their associated collections. QR codes can efficiently provide such links for connecting collections, photographs, maps, ecosystem notes, citations, and even GenBank sequences. QR codes have numerous advantages over barcodes, including their small size, superior security mechanisms, increased complexity and quantity of information, and low implementation cost. The scope of this paper is to initiate an academic discussion about using QR codes on specimens in biological collections.
| S-EPMC3819127 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Increasing awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has raised concerns surrounding antimicrobial use (AMU) in food-producing animals and has focused attention towards livestock production free from antibiotic use. As antibiotic-free livestock production proliferates in the UK, there is an increasing need to implement a system, such as the use of a QR code, to provide consumers with reliable antibiotic information while ensuring that animal welfare standards are upheld. Subsequently, this study aims to explore UK consumers' perceptions and purchase intention towards QR code labelled pork, and to identify determinants of its purchase, incorporating various theoretical constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Based on results, consumers' perceptions, perceived control, and attitudes towards QR code labelled pork are the main determinants of purchase intention. QR code labelled pork may offer a suitable alternative to antibiotic-free labelling as it provides consumers with antibiotic information without inadvertently communicating that conventionally produced pork is unsafe.
| S-EPMC9021225 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In the current precision medicine era, more and more samples get genotyped and sequenced. Both researchers and commercial companies expend significant time and resources to reduce the error rate. However, it has been reported that there is a sample mix-up rate of between 0.1% and 1%, not to mention the possibly higher mix-up rate during the down-stream genetic reporting processes. Even on the low end of this estimate, this translates to a significant number of mislabeled samples, especially over the projected one billion people that will be sequenced within the next decade. Here, we first describe a method to identify a small set of Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can uniquely identify a personal genome, which utilizes allele frequencies of five major continental populations reported in the 1000 genomes project and the ExAC Consortium. To make this panel more informative, we added four SNPs that are commonly used to predict ABO blood type, and another two SNPs that are capable of predicting sex. We then implement a web interface (http://qrcme.tech), nicknamed QRC (for QR code based Concordance check), which is capable of extracting the relevant ID SNPs from a raw genetic data, coding its genotype as a quick response (QR) code, and comparing QR codes to report the concordance of underlying genetic datasets. The resulting 80 fingerprinting SNPs represent a significant decrease in complexity and the number of markers used for genetic data labelling and tracking. Our method and web tool is easily accessible to both researchers and the general public who consider the accuracy of complex genetic data as a prerequisite towards precision medicine.
| S-EPMC5604942 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We demonstrate optics-free imaging of complex color and monochrome QR-codes using a bare image sensor and trained artificial neural networks (ANNs). The ANN is trained to interpret the raw sensor data for human visualization. The image sensor is placed at a specified gap (1mm, 5mm and 10mm) from the QR code. We studied the robustness of our approach by experimentally testing the output of the ANNs with system perturbations of this gap, and the translational and rotational alignments of the QR code to the image sensor. Our demonstration opens us the possibility of using completely optics-free, non-anthropocentric cameras for application-specific imaging of complex, non-sparse objects.
| S-EPMC7757579 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PremiseField images are important sources of information for research in the natural sciences. However, images that lack photogrammetric scale bars, including most iNaturalist observations, cannot yield accurate trait measurements. We introduce FieldPrism, a novel system of photogrammetric markers, QR codes, and software to automate the curation of snapshot vouchers.Methods and resultsOur photogrammetric background templates (FieldSheets) increase the utility of field images by providing machine-readable scale bars and photogrammetric reference points to automatically correct image distortion and calculate a pixel-to-metric conversion ratio. Users can generate a QR code flipbook derived from a specimen identifier naming hierarchy, enabling machine-readable specimen identification for automatic file renaming. We also developed FieldStation, a Raspberry Pi-based mobile imaging apparatus that records images, GPS location, and metadata redundantly on up to four USB storage devices and can be monitored and controlled from any Wi-Fi connected device.ConclusionsFieldPrism is a flexible software tool designed to standardize and improve the utility of images captured in the field. When paired with the optional FieldStation, researchers can create a self-contained mobile imaging apparatus for quantitative trait data collection.
| S-EPMC10617303 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the healthcare system, leading to the rapid implementation of telemedical solutions, especially in cardiology. The aim of this survey was to evaluate the patients (pts) with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) perspectives on the telemedicine elements such as teleconsultation, telemonitoring, and e-prescription. Materials and methods: An anonymous questionnaire was created and delivered to CIED pts who came to the ambulatory outpatient clinic. In this survey, we evaluated teleconsultation, home monitoring systems, and e-prescription in the 17 single-choice and multiple-choice questions and a rating on a scale of 0 to 10. Results: During the four-month period, 226 pts (58% male) completed the questionnaire. Regular visits were most frequent in pts living in the urban area where the clinic was located, and least frequent in those living in rural areas (p = 0.0158). Moreover, 89 pts (39%) had teleconsultation before CIED interrogation, and satisfaction was 99%; 24 pts (11%) had home-monitoring control and 135 pts (60%) would have liked to have this opportunity; 88 pts (34.5%) would be able to pay additional costs for home-monitoring, with a mean amount of 65 PLN (±68.24). The e-prescription system was used by 203 pts (90%), and it was evaluated with 8.6 points (±2) on a scale from 0 to 10 points. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the previous functioning of the health system, and telemedicine became an alternative to traditional ambulatory visits and proved to be essential in the continuity of patient care. There is a substantial need for further development of telemedicine solutions in the healthcare system.
| S-EPMC8877859 | biostudies-literature