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The Impact of Structuring the Interface as a Decision Tree in a Treatment Decision Support Tool

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HCI and Usability for Medicine and Health Care (USAB 2007)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 4799))

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Abstract

This study examined whether interfaces in computer-based decision aids can be designed to reduce the mental effort required by people to make difficult decisions about their healthcare and allow them to make decisions that correspond with their personal values. Participants (N=180) considered a treatment scenario for a heart condition and were asked to advise a hypothetical patient whether to have an operation or not. Attributes for decision alternatives were presented via computer in one of two formats; alternative-tree or attribute-tree. Participants engaged in significantly more compensatory decision strategies (i.e., comparing attributes of each option) using an interface congruent with their natural tendency to process such information (i.e., alternative-tree condition). There was also greater correlation (p<.05) between participants’ decision and personal values in the alternative-tree. Patients who are ill and making decisions about treatment often find such choices stressful. Being able to reduce some of the mental burden in such circumstances adds to the importance of interface designers taking account of the benefits derived from structuring information for the patient.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Neil Carrigan

  2. Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Peter H. Gardner & Mark Conner

  3. Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    John Maule

Authors
  1. Neil Carrigan
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  2. Peter H. Gardner
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  3. Mark Conner
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  4. John Maule
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Andreas Holzinger

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Carrigan, N., Gardner, P.H., Conner, M., Maule, J. (2007). The Impact of Structuring the Interface as a Decision Tree in a Treatment Decision Support Tool. In: Holzinger, A. (eds) HCI and Usability for Medicine and Health Care. USAB 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4799. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76805-0_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76805-0_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76804-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-76805-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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