Disordered Speech Data Collection: Lessons Learned at 1 Million Utterances from Project Euphonia

Author(s):  
Robert L. MacDonald ◽  
Pan-Pan Jiang ◽  
Julie Cattiau ◽  
Rus Heywood ◽  
Richard Cave ◽  
...  
BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e049734
Author(s):  
Katya Galactionova ◽  
Maitreyi Sahu ◽  
Samuel Paul Gideon ◽  
Saravanakumar Puthupalayam Kaliappan ◽  
Chloe Morozoff ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo present a costing study integrated within the DeWorm3 multi-country field trial of community-wide mass drug administration (cMDA) for elimination of soil-transmitted helminths.DesignTailored data collection instruments covering resource use, expenditure and operational details were developed for each site. These were populated alongside field activities by on-site staff. Data quality control and validation processes were established. Programmed routines were used to clean, standardise and analyse data to derive costs of cMDA and supportive activities.SettingField site and collaborating research institutions.Primary and secondary outcome measuresA strategy for costing interventions in parallel with field activities was discussed. Interim estimates of cMDA costs obtained with the strategy were presented for one of the trial sites.ResultsThe study demonstrated that it was both feasible and advantageous to collect data alongside field activities. Practical decisions on implementing the strategy and the trade-offs involved varied by site; trialists and local partners were key to tailoring data collection to the technical and operational realities in the field. The strategy capitalised on the established processes for routine financial reporting at sites, benefitted from high recall and gathered operational insight that facilitated interpretation of the estimates derived. The methodology produced granular costs that aligned with the literature and allowed exploration of relevant scenarios. In the first year of the trial, net of drugs, the incremental financial cost of extending deworming of school-aged children to the whole community in India site averaged US$1.14 (USD, 2018) per person per round. A hypothesised at-scale routine implementation scenario yielded a much lower estimate of US$0.11 per person treated per round.ConclusionsWe showed that costing interventions alongside field activities offers unique opportunities for collecting rich data to inform policy toward optimising health interventions and for facilitating transfer of economic evidence from the field to the programme.Trial registration numberNCT03014167; Pre-results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 102-102
Author(s):  
Alice Prendergast ◽  
Kristi Fuller

Abstract Efforts to include community voice in health policy and service planning are gaining recognition and support in the United States. Findings suggest community involvement can contribute to a better understanding of systems and factors that impact health, and, subsequently, more effective and sustainable policy and program design. Additionally, engagement can increase community buy-in, and community members can gain a greater awareness of services; increased confidence navigating systems; feelings of social connectedness; and capacity to advocate around issues through participation. Despite these findings, the extent to which community members are engaged in planning and decision-making varies considerably. Researchers from Georgia State University conducted a review of state plans on aging using the Person-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (PCORI) Engagement Principles and the Health Research & Educational Trust’s Community and Patient Engagement Spectrum as frameworks to assess evidence of community engagement. The frameworks recognize engagement throughout the planning process, including design, data collection and interpretation, and dissemination. The review revealed that few planning processes described significant engagement, but rather met the minimal requirements established by federal policy. Federal guidance on community-informed planning practices is sparse, as are resources to support states in adopting these processes. To address this gap, the research team drew on the frameworks and other promising practices to design two community engagement projects, both in partnership with Georgia’s Division of Aging Services. Methods for participant engagement, data collection, interpretation and application of results, and lessons learned through both projects will be discussed, as well as potential implications.


Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Stein ◽  
Moe Tun ◽  
Keith Musser ◽  
Richard Rocheleau

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are being deployed on electrical grids in significant numbers to provide fast-response services. These systems are normally procured by the end user, such as a utility grid owner or independent power producer. This paper introduces a novel research project in which a research institution has purchased a 1 MW BESS and turned ownership over to a utility company under an agreement that allowed the institution to perform experimentation and data collection on the grid for a multi-year period. This arrangement, along with protocols governing experimentation, has created a unique research opportunity to actively and systematically test the impact of a BESS on a live island grid. The 2012 installation and commissioning of the BESS was facilitated by a partnership between the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) and the utility owner, the Hawaiian Electric and Light Company (HELCO). After the test period ended, HELCO continued to allow data collection (including health testing). In 2018, after 8500 equivalent cycles, the BESS continues to operate within specifications. HNEI continues to provide HELCO with expertise to aid with diagnostics as needed. Details about the BESS design, installation, experimental protocols, initial results, and lessons learned are presented in this paper.


F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Raissa Cândido ◽  
Edson Perini ◽  
Cristiane Menezes de Pádua ◽  
Daniela Junqueira

Web-based questionnaires may offer advantages over traditional methods of data collection, including a less administrative workload and reduced respondent burden. However, the implementation of this mode of data collection carries other challenges and may demand more technical expertise to be designed and delivered. Here, we use the preliminary data from a survey developed to estimate the prevalence of methylphenidate use for cognitive enhancement among undergraduate and graduate students, to share the lessons we learned while implementing this online mode of data collection. We show that surveys using a web-based questionnaire should be carried out by a multidisciplinary team with support from Information Science specialists. Limitations to access these resources or budget constraints may demand a considerable effort to assure the success of the survey. Web-questionnaires are usually described as easy to use and economically encouraging. Therefore, we believe our experience, and the lessons we learned, may be a relevant resource for researchers from general backgrounds intending to undertake their first web-questionnaire.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Schwartz ◽  

Many companies have tried to automate data collection for handheld Digital Multimeters (DMM) using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Only recently have companies tried to perform this task using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, Cal Lab Solutions being one of them in 2020. But when we developed our first prototype application, we discovered the difficulties of getting a good value with every measurement and test point.A year later, lessons learned and equipped with better software, this paper is a continuation of that AI project. In Beta-,1 we learned the difficulties of AI reading segmented displays. There are no pre-trained models for this type of display, so we needed to train a model. This required the testing of thousands of images, so we changed the scope of the project to a continual learning AI project. This paper will cover how we built our continuous learning AI model to show how any lab with a webcam can start automating those handheld DMMS with software that gets smarter over time.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel H. de Vries ◽  
John Kinsman ◽  
Judit Takacs ◽  
Svetla Tsolova ◽  
Massimo Ciotti

Abstract Background: This paper describes a participatory methodology that supports investigation of the collaboration between communities affected by infectious disease outbreak events and relevant official institutions. The core principle underlying the methodology is the recognition that synergistic relationships, characterised by mutual trust and respect, between affected communities and official institutions provide the most effective means of addressing outbreak situations. Methods: The methodological approach and lessons learned were derived from four qualitative case studies including (i) two tick-borne disease events: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Spain, and tick-borne encephalitis in the Netherlands (2016); and (ii) two outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (norovirus in Iceland, 2017, and verocytotoxin-producingEscherichia coli [VTEC] in Ireland, 2018). These studies were conducted in collaboration with the respective national public health authorities in the affected countries by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Results: An after-event qualitative case study approach was taken using mixed methods. Lessons highlight the critical importance of collaborating with national focal points during preparation and planning, and interviewer reflexivity during fieldwork. Field work for each case study was conducted over one working week, which although limiting the number of individuals and institutions involved, still allowed for rich data collection due to the close collaboration with local authorities. The analysis focused on the specific actions undertaken by the participating countries’ public health and other authorities in relation to community engagement, as well as the view from the perspective of the community. Conclusions: The overall objective of the assessment to identify synergies between institutional decision-making bodies and community actors and networks before, during and after an outbreak response to a given public health emergency. The methodology is generic and could be applied to a range of public health emergencies, zoonotic or otherwise. The methodology emphasises reflexivity among fieldworkers, a relatively short time needed for data collection, potential generalisability of findings, insider-outsider perspectives, politically sensitive findings, and how to deal with ethical and language issues.


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