Another Look at Privacy-Preserving Automated Contact Tracing

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, manual contact tracing has been proven to be very helpful to reach close contacts of infected users and slow down spread of the virus. To improve its scalability, a number of automated contact tracing (ACT) solutions have been proposed, and some of them have been deployed. Despite the dedicated efforts, security and privacy issues of these solutions are still open and under intensive debate. In this article, we examine the ACT concept from a broader perspective, by focusing on not only security and privacy issues but also functional issues such as interface, usability, and coverage. We first elaborate on these issues and particularly point out the inevitable privacy leakages in existing Bluetooth Low Energy based ACT solutions, including centralized and decentralized ones. In addition, we examine the existing venue-based ACT solutions and identify their privacy and security concerns. Then, we propose a generic venue-based ACT solution and a concrete instantiation based on Bluetooth Low Energy technology. Our solution monitors users’ contacting history only in virus-spreading-prone venues and offers higher-level protection for both security and privacy than its predecessors. Finally, we evaluate our solution from security, privacy, and efficiency perspectives, and also highlight how to reduce false positives in some specific indoor environments.

Content Analysis of Mobile Device Applications for Artistic Creation for Children between 4 and 12 Years of Age

This article presents the results of the content analysis of 32 painting and drawing mobile applications aimed at children between 4 and 12 years old. The characteristics of the artistic dimension were studied, such as the possibilities of drawing, color, and experimentation, as well as the characteristics of the technical dimension related to the visual design of the interface, usability, and adaptability to users. The results collected show that mobile apps offer tools that have great potential for artistic and creative development, but also reveal certain limitations and problems in the quality of the graphic tools and interface design. One of the central problems of the interfaces of these apps is related to decontextualization and the lack of attention to the diversity and the heterogeneity of users in that age group.

Usability of Telemedicine Mobile Applications during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A Heuristic Evaluation of Patient User Interfaces

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the use of telemedicine application (apps), which has seen an uprise. This study evaluated the usability of the user interface design of telemedicine apps deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. It also explored changes to the apps’ usability based on the pandemic timeline. Methods: We screened ten mHealth apps published by the National Digital Transformation Unit and selected three telemedicine apps: (1) governmental “Seha”® pp, (2) stand-alone “Cura”® app, and (3) private “Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib”®app. We conducted the evaluations in April 2020 and in June 2021 by identifying positive app features, using Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics with a five-point severity rating scale, and documenting redesign recommendations. Results: We identified 54 user interface usability issues during both evaluation periods: 18 issues in “Seha” 14 issues in “Cura”, and 22 issues in “Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib”. The two most heuristic items violated in “Seha”, were “user control and freedom” and “recognition rather than recall”. In “Cura”, the three most heuristic items violated were “consistency and adherence to standards”, “esthetic and minimalist design”, and “help and documentation” In “Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib” the most heuristic item violated was “error prevention”. Ten out of the thirty usability issues identified from our first evaluation were no longer identified during our second evaluation. Conclusions: our findings indicate that all three apps have a room for improving their user interface designs to improve the overall user experience and to ensure the continuity of these services beyond the pandemic.

Usability of free software used for visualization and measurement of digital orthodontic models

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability of the free software available that allow visualization and measurement of orthodontic digital models. 80 graduate students of orthodontics were asked to perform pre-defined tasks in a digital model through 3D Viewer ® and 3D-Tool ® software. The success in accomplishing the tasks and the time spent were recorded. To end, each participant answered a questionnaire to express their satisfaction regarding the software. There were no statistically significant difference between the software when compared to the accomplishment rates of tasks and the time spent by participants on each one. The software were evaluated as "slightly satisfactory" in several criteria. There is scope for optimization of orthodontic software by manufacturers since lack of their interface usability can discourage orthodontists’ adherence to new resources that could provide benefits to their daily routine, even if they are freely available.

Analysis of interface usability evaluation using digital measurement tools

Based on the articles on interface usability collected by CNKI and Web of Science (WOS), the current research status, trends, and recommendations on interface usability were analyzed in terms of the number of articles published, literature sources, institutions, authors, and keywords by combining the CNKI and WOS bibliometric analysis tools and CiteSpace information visualization software. Using digital technology methods such as bibliometric analysis, data visualisation and knowledge mapping analysis, the following conclusions were drawn. Research on interface usability mainly focuses on usability testing and interface optimization. At present, the research methods of interface usability are relatively mature, and the evaluation direction of interface usability tends to combine the eye movement experiments, the subjective and objective evaluation of users. The use of digital tools to study the current situation, hotspots and trends in interface usability can provide advice and assistance in the design of relevant interfaces.

A Heuristic Evaluation of Usability for Environmental Control Units’ Eye-Tracking Interfaces at Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders Centers

Heuristic evaluation is a valid method for assessing interface usability. Results derived from these methods are useful in identifying the most impactful design elements influencing usability and user experience of a system. By establishing the features in need of most improvement, designers can more effortful consider their approaches for iterative efforts to improve usability and user experience. This work used established design principles (i.e., Shneiderman’s Golden Rules and Nielsen’s Heuristics) to analyze the inpatient environmental control units deployed at VA Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders (SCI/D) Centers to assist with task completion, foster independence, and improve the quality of life in veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Analyses revealed many usability issues in the current interface, varying in severity from minor to catastrophic. Specific design recommendations to address these issues are provided.