bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Sector Asset Management in the Government of Indonesia: A Case Study in Minahasa Regency
Authors: Tirayoh Victorina Z. , Latjandu Lady D. , Sabijono Harijanto , Mintardjo Christoffel M. O.
Published: September 2021

Asset management in the public sector is important to provide quality public services. One of the important public assets is the regional property that manages by the regional government. Various problems often occurred related to asset management in Indonesia's public sector, especially the management issue that follows regulations. The research aims to examine the management of public sector assets in The Government of Indonesia, especially regional property, which refers to Indonesia's prevailing laws and regulations, namely Government Regulation number 27 of 2014. The research was conducted in Indonesia at the Minahasa District government of North Sulawesi Province. The research method used descriptive qualitative, focusing on investigating the use and utilization of regional property and locus at the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) in Minahasa Regency. The data collection method in this research is an interview with several key point informants. The informants consist of top-level management, middle management, and staff of BPKAD, with a total of nine informants. The research findings indicate that Regional Property Management by the Minahasa Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency has been carried out under applicable regulations, namely Government Regulation Number 27 of 2014. Several suggestions were given to interested parties. The limitations of this research were limited to specific objects, only general discussion, and only one case study.
Internationalization of Higher Education: A Case Study on Media Utilization, Policies Consistency and Stakeholders’ Insights in Indonesia
Authors: Nurhaeni Ismi Dwi Astuti , Anggreni Likha Sari , Kusumawati Noni Srijati , Permitasari Desti , Putri Intan Sani
Published: September 2021

The research discusses media utilization and contents for supporting the internationalization, the consistency of internationalization policies at the macro-level (Ministry), mezzo-level (Directorate General), and micro-level (Sebelas Maret University or known as UNS), and the stakeholders' insights of the internationalization of Higher Education. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews and documentation, and a descriptive-qualitative analysis technique was used. The results showed that UNS utilized various media to support internationalization, namely visual media, auditory media, audiovisual media, and other new media. Media contents include academic information, international research collaboration, and intercultural activities. Policy consistency from macro to micro levels took place only at the activity level, whereas there is no consistency in the mission, strategies, policies, and programs. The stakeholders' insights varied from understanding internationalization entirely as a goal, strategies, activities, media, and intra-cultural dimension standardized at the world level until the internationalization dimension. The implication of this research is the need to harmonize policies at all levels of the organization. Besides, the content of the media should be adjusted to the indicators of internationalization.
Information Service Activities on the Public Satisfaction Levels in the Public Service Mall of Palopo City
Authors: Sari Nila Mulia
Published: September 2021

The government continues to make paradigm changes to make the government system even better. A rigid and centralized government has now turned into a decentralized government and has an entrepreneurial spirit. For this reason, it is necessary to improve service quality on an ongoing basis for the realization of prime public services. Improvement in the quality of public services is carried out comprehensively and integrated, both internally and externally. It is necessary to make improvements and requires proper management to improve service quality. Information services provided by the Public Service Mall by the Palopo City One-Stop Investment Service (DPMPTSP) is a breakthrough that sought to increase public satisfaction in the city of Palopo. This study investigates how public satisfaction with information services was carried out by Public Service Mall (DPMPTSP). This research uses quantitative research methods with a non-random sampling technique by accidental sampling, namely anyone who coincidentally meets the researcher can be used as a sample. The results of this study indicate that the information services provided by the Public Service Mall DPMPTS Palopo City make the public feel satisfied through indicators; (1), Building an information system (2), Establishing a list of information (3), providing facilities and infrastructure (4), Information complaint services. The contribution of this research is expected to be an innovation in realizing a fast, easy, transparent, sure, and affordable government service process as well as bringing closer and providing broader services to the public.
Transformative Policies and Infrastructure Strengthening Towards the Police Era 4.0
Authors: Supriyanto Eko Eddya , Rachmawati Meida , Nugroho Fibry Jati
Published: September 2021

Police transformation policy to carry out community security functions is very adaptive in addressing the changing times. The research aims to map the transformation and strengthening of police infrastructure in response to the era of digitalization. The research uses a qualitative type of research with a literature study approach and policy analysis programmed by the Police. The results showed that the transformation policy consisting of organizational transformation, operation transformation, public service transformation, and supervise transformation is needed by the Police, especially in the current digital transition. Moreover, it can be carried out correctly if the Police have internally and externally owned by POLRI. The research concludes that transformative efforts and strengthening of police infrastructure strongly support the duties and functions of the National Police in securing the community.
Reviewing the Policy of People with Disabilities Employment in Government Agencies
Authors: Puspitasari Citra Dewie , Laksmono Bambang Shergi
Published: September 2021

People with disabilities owned the same right to obtain employment to be civil servants. The government had created plenty of regulations to guarantee the right to obtain a job, starting from statutory regulations and various implementing regulations. However, a few problems in the scope of employment in government agencies still occur during this time, such as unachievable quotas, failure in procurement, and inequality for persons with disabilities. Moreover, it was not following the number of regulations that have been published. Hence, we were interested in analyzing the contents of the civil servant candidate recruitment policy and its implementation in 2017 through 2019 using a normative-empirical juridical approach, which was presented in a descriptive form. The Researchers examined statutory regulations and implementing regulations, supported by interview data from the stakeholders. In terms of content, the laws and regulations accommodated it quite well. Even though there were bad things, such as the Civil Servant Management regulation and technical regulations regarding the needs of employees in 2017 and 2018, that was considered discriminatory. Furthermore, Ministries and local governments have not fully followed the policies as written in the regulations. Briefly, there was an evolution of the regulations year by year; they were yet needed to improve policy content, although the policies continued to evolve for the better.
Policy Communication and the Solidity of the Jokowi's Second Term Coalition in Handling Covid-19
Authors: Sirait Ferdinand Eskol Tiar
Published: September 2021

Abstract: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had a major impact on people's lives, has prompted the president and his cabinet members to respond with various policy stimuli. This study wants to see the solidity of the president's assistants in responding to President Jokowi's general policies in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and analyze the causes of the ineffectiveness of policies taken with an applied communication approach the policy field. By using the literature study method, this research finds that the implementation of policies made by the president's assistants is not in line with the wishes of the president as the Head of Government. This is probably due to the political power dynamics contained in the Jokowi's second term coalition members. In addition, the interests of coalition members may impact the process and decision-making of a policy. The results of this study recommend that the government strengthen the role of the structure in charge of managing and ensuring that the policies taken by the president's assistants in handling Covid-19 are in line with the president's wishes. Furthermore, it is necessary to communicate the policy to all stakeholders involved in the policy process so that the policies taken in handling Covid-19 do not represent the political interests of coalition members. In addition, to maintain the solidity of the coalition cabinet in handling Covid-19, the positions of cabinet members involved in the policy implementation process must submit to the power of the President as Head of Government.
Regional Innovation Policy in Encouraging Regional Competitiveness in South Tangerang City
Authors: Naibaho Marlon
Published: September 2021

Public service is an important issue for the sustainability of a city. To create excellent service, supporting cities such as South Tangerang and other cities are required to develop smart cities as a new way to serve the community. This study aims to further examine regional innovation policies in encouraging regional competitiveness in South Tangerang City. This research used qualitative descriptive research methods. The descriptive research method is used to describe regional innovation policies in South Tangerang City as a unit of analysis based on the facts as they are. The data collection technique in this study uses interview techniques by collecting information from various stakeholders such as government officials, executive and legislative ranks, Businesses/MSME actors, and communities involved in implementing innovation to improve regional heads and regional competitiveness in South Tangerang City. This study concludes that the implementation of regional innovation policies in South Tangerang has not been maximized. In addition to the quality of human resources, several agencies have not been creative in creating innovations. It can be seen from the control of innovation held by the mayor as the regional head. Furthermore, the role of the Regional Head in implementing innovation to improve regional performance and competitiveness is very important, considering that leaders must be able to leverage the knowledge management movement in government organizations so that organizational knowledge development can be executed into much-needed innovation. Recently, the South Tangerang City Government needed to implement the RAJADO model (Replication, Authority, Innovation Network, Budget, and Digitalization/Online).
Literature Study of Electronic Government Implementation in the Perspective of Indonesia's Electronic Government Ranking Dimensions
Authors: Rahmadany Andi Fitri
Published: September 2021

The Indonesian e-Government index for 2020 is internationally ranked 88, up 19 points from the previous ranking of 107 in 2018. This increase results from e-Government implementing agencies and an increase in public participation and contributions from research institutions. It always contributes to e-Government issues theoretically and practically. The results of studies related to the implementation of e-Government are also needed to answer the current problems and become a reference of e-Government development following Indonesian conditions. This study explores the studies that have been carried out during the last five years using the perspective of Indonesia's e-Government Ranking (PeGI), namely the dimensions of policy, institutional, application, infrastructure, and planning. The study used a literature review method with data sources obtained on the Garuda Ristek portal BRIN-Indonesian Publication Index. The number of articles collected was 45 articles which were then grouped based on the PeGI dimension, research methods, and types of e-Government relations. The results show that the perspective of the dimensions of the Indonesian e-Government Ranking can be a reference to see a picture of the conditions of e-Government implementation and the influencing factors. Furthermore, studies related to e-government issues can provide input information and recommendations for solutions to e-Government administrators. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number of studies on e-Government in Indonesia supported by the government and related institutions to improve the quality of Indonesian e-Government.
Tourism Development Policy and Their Impact on the Regional Economy in the Riau Islands Province
Authors: Wulandari Sekar Nur , Afriyanni Afriyanni
Published: September 2021

Riau Islands is a province that is blessed with tourism potential, both natural tourism and cultural tourism. In 2018, the Riau Archipelago Province (Kepri) had 17 Superior Regional Tourism Destinations (DPUD) spread across seven regencies and cities. The natural, cultural, and culinary wealth potential for the tourism industry and supported by a very strategic geographical location because it borders Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, makes Riau Islands Province the second most visited tourist destination by foreign tourists after Bali Island. Through the tourism sector, the Riau Islands should maximize this potential to generate PAD and contribute to high state financial contributions. However, in the field conditions, as evidenced by the insignificant GRDP growth of the Tourism Sector, it can prosper the community and has not made tourism a leading sector. This study will discuss how the local government develops tourism to grow the economy of the Riau Islands. The successful implementation of tourism development policies will be seen from the tourism sector's contribution to the regional economy, the impacts, and the obstacles faced in its implementation. The purpose of this study is to identify tourism policies and analyze their impact on tourism development as well as the obstacles faced as a guide in preparing tourism development policy recommendations to support the economy of the Riau Islands Province. By applying a combination of empirical, policy, and literature approaches, it can be concluded that the real impact of tourism development policies will be seen from, among others, the number of tourist visits, the average length of stay, average hotel occupancy, the contribution of the tourism sector to GDP, total tourist expenditure and the percentage increase in the creative economy and the contribution of the tourism sector to PAD. It is necessary to increase collaboration in tourism policy governance in the Riau Islands. The collaborations still considered weak include implementing tourism events, promotions, tourism human resource development, and institutions.
The Perception of Election Administrators in Achieving Environmentally Friendly Election in North Sulawesi Province
Authors: Giroth Lady Grace Jane , Warouw Felly Ferol , Rotty Viktory Nicodemus Joufree
Published: September 2021

In 2020 post-conflict regional head elections were held in Indonesia, including in North Sulawesi. Regulations concerning election explicitly state that each candidate is required to campaign and use environmentally friendly props. This study aims to analyze the perception of election organizers in North Sulawesi in implementing the 2020 election whether they have implemented an environmentally friendly concept. The research method is descriptive qualitative, with the determination of the sample is done by purposive sampling. In this case, the informant is the election organizer, the General Elections Commission (KPU), and the General Election Supervisory Agency of the Province and City Regencies in North Sulawesi. The results showed that the perception of the informants' environment was at the highest level, namely ecocentric, meaning that the concept of being environmentally friendly was an important part of election success. But this perception was not applied in the socialization material they carried out during the 2020 post-conflict regional head election in North Sulawesi. Another finding in the observation in the city of Manado, the provincial capital of all candidates, tends to carry out a campaign model that is not environmentally friendly. It concluded that applying the concept of environmentally friendly elections is still below the level of expectations. Further intervention is needed so that in the future, the elections that are carried out will also ensure that an environmentally friendly concept is implemented.
Corruption Crime Eradication by Corruption Eradication Commission Through Red-handed Catch Operation on Bribery Action
Authors: Abbas Kamaluddin
Published: September 2021

The government has made many laws and regulations, but corruption issues cannot yet be controlled. Police and Prosecuting Attorney Institutions have not yet functioned effectively and efficiently in eradicating corruption. Therefore, the public hopes Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK)/the Corruption Eradication Commission eliminates the crime. KPK is considerably appreciated by the public due to Operasi Tangkap Tangan (OTT)/Red-handed Catch Operation to many government officials involved in bribery action, but the subject matter thereof is whether the OTT is in line with the fundamental consideration of KPK founding pursuant to Law Number 30 of 2002 as updated by the Law Number 19 of 2019 in order to increase the eradication of corruption crime causing the state's financial loss with respect to people welfare particularly KPK powers pursuant to the provision of Article 11 thereof, among others, specifying that KPK shall be authorized to conduct inquiry, investigation and prosecution on corruption crime related to the state financial loss of at least Rp 1,000,000,000 but in fact many OTTs performed by KPK have a value of hundred million Rupiah only and even there are any cases below Rp 100,000,000.-, and bribery action control through OTT being more dominant if compared to the state's financial corruption is not in line with the primary consideration of KPK founding, and similarly the OTT below 1 billion Rupiah doesn't conform to the provision of Article 11 thereof.
Transformational Leadership and Motivation on Community Performance: Case Study on Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) Organization in Semarang District Central Java
Authors: Rachmawati Meida , Dewantoro Bambang , Dasmadi Dasmadi , Novandalina Arini , Budiyono Rokhmad
Published: September 2021

Transformational Leadership in an organization has a significant influence on the success and dynamics of an organization. Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) as an organization is expected to increase the Village's original income and prosper the village community, based on the mandate of Law no. 6 of 2014. In the increasingly rapid corporate competition, several problems are often faced by business actors. In terms of capital in developing a business, based on this phenomenon, BUMDes are presented and built in the form of an organization with a spirit of togetherness in exploring and recognizing Village Potential. Therefore, one way to succeed in development in village income is to increase village income. The amount of village income is influenced by the performance of BUMDes in managing and maximizing existing assets in the Village. The purpose of writing this literature study is to identify Transformational Leadership in improving the performance of Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDes). The method used a literature study. The results obtained are to measure the influence of Transformational Leadership and Motivation on Community Performance. This study concludes that Leadership in the management of BUMDes in Semarang Regency can reflect Transformational Leadership.
The Roles of Alliances in Governments’ Relationships Between Bangladesh and Indonesia Epoch of H. E. Sheikh Hasina and H. E. Joko Widodo: The Case of Rohingya Refugees (2017-2020)
Authors: Ruhullah Mohammad Eisa , Mutiarin Dyah
Published: September 2021

Indonesia is one of the first nations to formally acknowledging Bangladesh's independence that is in February 1972. However, there is lacking scientific study on both government relations. To solve the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh from Myanmar. This study analyzes the roles of alliances in government relationships between Bangladesh and Indonesia in the epoch of prime minister Shaikh Hasina and President Joko Widodo, the Rohingya refugee (2017-2020). This qualitative research operates secondary data; Qualitative Descriptive (QD) is a form used in the qualitative study for comprehensive thoughts, expressly regulating the relevant phenomena. The research questions, what kind of challenges Indonesia and Bangladesh friendship faced on the Rohingya issue? How did both nations overcome, and what are the roles in their governmental alliances played? The study found that both countries have effective diplomatic administrative regulations. Indonesian government's efforts in the case of Rohingya are very active compared to other Asian countries. In reply to the Rohingya emigrant crisis and the maintaining of reciprocal settlement with the Bangladesh government in focusing of Indonesia diplomacy, is to find the arrangement of the refugee dilemma by approaching the root elements of the puzzle and intensifying the collaboration in determining the crisis. In short, the Bangladesh government appreciated the efforts of the Indonesian authority by mutual relationships even the friendship is upon the reciprocal agreement. It suggests that both governments should maintain an equal or more friendly bilateral settlement to keep these diplomatic relations effective and fruitful for both nations.
From Local to Global: Examining Sister City Cooperation as Paradiplomacy Practice in Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia
Authors: Intentilia Anak Agung Mia , Surya Putra A. A. B. N. A.
Published: September 2021

This research aims to examine the sister city cooperation as paradiplomacy practice to establish international relations in Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia, through the multidisciplinary perspectives of Legal and International Relations studies. This research seeks to answer how Denpasar City, Bali conducts its paradiplomacy through sister cities to build international cooperation and the legal and social challenges. The implementation of three layers of paradiplomacy, according to Lecours (2008), which consists of the economic issue (first layer), cultural, educational, technological, and other multidimensional aspects (second layer), and political considerations (third layer), will be determined by using interview methods and International Relations literature studies. The legal corridor of conducting paradiplomacy, as it assesses the legal basis and limitation for local government to interact with international actors, will be explored using the data collected through legal instruments and legal literature studies. The research used a qualitative empirical approach to connect both disciplines. The results show that Denpasar’s sister city cooperation can be classified as the first layer (economy) and the second layer (culture, education, and technology) of paradiplomacy practice, whereas the third layer (politics) is excluded from this cooperation. Denpasar faces several challenges in conducting its sister city plans of action, such as legal obstacles, continuity of the cooperation, human resources limitation, funding reallocation, and limited citizen participation. The COVID-19 pandemic affects the implementation of the planned sister city cooperation.
Chatbot for Health Care and Oncology Applications Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Systematic Review
Authors: Xu Lu , Sanders Leslie , Li Kay , Chow James C L
Published: September 2021

Background

Chatbot is a timely topic applied in various fields, including medicine and health care, for human-like knowledge transfer and communication. Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, has been proven particularly applicable in health care, with the ability for complex dialog management and conversational flexibility.

Objective

This review article aims to report on the recent advances and current trends in chatbot technology in medicine. A brief historical overview, along with the developmental progress and design characteristics, is first introduced. The focus will be on cancer therapy, with in-depth discussions and examples of diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, patient support, workflow efficiency, and health promotion. In addition, this paper will explore the limitations and areas of concern, highlighting ethical, moral, security, technical, and regulatory standards and evaluation issues to explain the hesitancy in implementation.

Methods

A search of the literature published in the past 20 years was conducted using the IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and OVID databases. The screening of chatbots was guided by the open-access Botlist directory for health care components and further divided according to the following criteria: diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, support, workflow, and health promotion.

Results

Even after addressing these issues and establishing the safety or efficacy of chatbots, human elements in health care will not be replaceable. Therefore, chatbots have the potential to be integrated into clinical practice by working alongside health practitioners to reduce costs, refine workflow efficiencies, and improve patient outcomes. Other applications in pandemic support, global health, and education are yet to be fully explored.

Conclusions

Further research and interdisciplinary collaboration could advance this technology to dramatically improve the quality of care for patients, rebalance the workload for clinicians, and revolutionize the practice of medicine.
Preferences for Using a Mobile App in Sickle Cell Disease Self-management: Descriptive Qualitative Study
Authors: Mayo-Gamble Tilicia L , Quasie-Woode Delores , Cunningham-Erves Jennifer , Rollins Margo , Schlundt David , Bonnet Kemberlee , Murry Velma McBride
Published: September 2021

Background

Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) and their caregivers may benefit from technology-based resources to improve disease self-management.

Objective

This study explores the preferences regarding a mobile health (mHealth) app to facilitate self-management in adults with SCD and their caregivers living in urban and rural communities.

Methods

Five community listening sessions were conducted in 2 urban and rural communities among adults with SCD and their caregivers (N=43). Each session comprised 4 to 15 participants. Participants were asked questions on methods of finding information about SCD self-care, satisfaction with current methods for finding SCD management information, support for SCD management, important features for development of an mHealth app, and areas of benefit for using an mHealth app for SCD self-management. An inductive-deductive content analysis approach was implemented to identify the critical themes.

Results

Seven critical themes emerged, including the current methods for receiving self-management information, desired information, recommendations for communicating sickle cell self-management information, challenges of disease management, types of support received for disease management, barriers to and facilitators of using an mHealth app, and feature preferences for an mHealth app. In addition, we found that the participants were receptive to using mHealth apps in SCD self-management.

Conclusions

This study expands our knowledge on the use of mHealth technology to reduce information access barriers pertaining to SCD. The findings can be used to develop a patient-centered, user-friendly mHealth app to facilitate disease self-management, thus increasing access to resources for families of patients with SCD residing in rural communities.
A Case Study of an SMS Text Message Community Panel Survey and Its Potential for Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chan Lilian , El-Haddad Nouhad , Freeman Becky , O'Hara Blythe J , Woodland Lisa , Harris-Roxas Ben
Published: September 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic many traditional methods of data collection, such as intercept surveys or focus groups, are not feasible. This paper proposes that establishing community panels through SMS text messages may be a useful method during the pandemic, by describing a case study of how an innovative SMS text message community panel was used for the “Shisha No Thanks” project to collect data from young adults of Arabic-speaking background about their attitudes on the harms of waterpipe smoking. Participants were asked to complete an initial recruitment survey, and then subsequently sent 1 survey question per week. The study recruited 133 participants to the SMS text message community panel and the mean response rate for each question was 73.0% (97.1/133) (range 76/133 [57.1%] to 112/133 [84.2%]). The SMS text message community panel approach is not suited for all populations, nor for all types of inquiry, particularly due to limitations of the type of responses that it allows and the required access to mobile devices. However, it is a rapid method for data collection, and therefore during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can provide service providers and policymakers with timely information to inform public health responses. In addition, this method negates the need for in-person interactions and allows for longitudinal data collection. It may be useful in supplementing other community needs assessment activities, and may be particularly relevant for people who are considered to be more difficult to reach, particularly young people, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and other groups that might otherwise be missed by traditional methods.
Health-Related Quality of Life Among Pregnant Women With Pre-pregnancy Smoking and Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy in China: National Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Hu Kadi , Zou Shiqian , Zhang Casper JP , Wu Huailiang , Akinwunmi Babatunde , Wang Zilian , Ming Wai-Kit
Published: September 2021

Background

Previous studies have hardly explored the influence of pre-pregnancy smoking and smoking cessation during pregnancy on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of pregnant women, which is a topic that need to be addressed. In addition, pregnant women in China constitute a big population in the largest developing country of the world and cannot be neglected.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the HRQoL of pregnant women in China with different smoking statuses and further estimate the association between pre-pregnancy smoking, smoking cessation, and the HRQoL.

Methods

A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between different smoking statuses (smoking currently, quit smoking, never smoking) and the HRQoL in pregnant women across mainland China. A web-based questionnaire was delivered through the Banmi Online Maternity School platform, including questions about demographics, smoking status, and the HRQoL. EuroQoL Group’s 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) scale with EuroQoL Group’s visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was used for measuring the HRQoL. Ethical approval was granted by the institutional review board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (ICE-2017-296).

Results

From August to September 2019, a total of 16,483 participants from 31 provinces were included, of which 93 (0.56%) were smokers, 731 (4.43%) were ex-smokers, and 15,659 (95%) were nonsmokers. Nonsmokers had the highest EQ-VAS score (mean 84.49, SD 14.84), smokers had the lowest EQ-VAS score (mean 77.38, SD 21.99), and the EQ-VAS score for ex-smokers was in between (mean 81.04, SD 17.68). A significant difference in EQ-VAS scores was detected between nonsmokers and ex-smokers (P<.001), which indicated that pre-pregnancy smoking does have a negative impact on the HRQoL (EQ-VAS) of pregnant women. Compared with nonsmokers, ex-smokers suffered from more anxiety/depression problems (P=.001, odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% CI 1.12-1.50). Among ex-smokers, the increased cigarette consumption was associated with a lower EQ-5D index (P=.007) and EQ-VAS score (P=.01) of pregnant women. Compared to smokers, no significant difference was found in the ex-smokers’ EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS score (P=.33).

Conclusions

Smoking history is associated with a lower HRQoL in pregnant Chinese women. Pre-pregnancy smoking is related to a lower HRQoL (EQ-VAS) and a higher incidence of depression/anxiety problems. Smoking cessation during pregnancy does not significantly improve the HRQoL of pregnant Chinese women. Among ex-smokers, the more cigarettes they smoke, the lower HRQoL they have during pregnancy. We suggest that the Chinese government should strengthen the education on quitting smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke for women who have pregnancy plans and their family members.
Application of Inertial Measurement Units and Machine Learning Classification in Cerebral Palsy: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Khaksar Siavash , Pan Huizhu , Borazjani Bita , Murray Iain , Agrawal Himanshu , Liu Wanquan , Elliott Catherine , Imms Christine , Campbell Amity , Walmsley Corrin
Published: September 2021

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a physical disability that affects movement and posture. Approximately 17 million people worldwide and 34,000 people in Australia are living with CP. In clinical and kinematic research, goniometers and inclinometers are the most commonly used clinical tools to measure joint angles and positions in children with CP.

Objective

This paper presents collaborative research between the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University and a team of clinicians in a multicenter randomized controlled trial involving children with CP. This study aims to develop a digital solution for mass data collection using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and the application of machine learning (ML) to classify the movement features associated with CP to determine the effectiveness of therapy. The results were calculated without the need to measure Euler, quaternion, and joint measurement calculation, reducing the time required to classify the data.

Methods

Custom IMUs were developed to record the usual wrist movements of participants in 2 age groups. The first age group consisted of participants approaching 3 years of age, and the second age group consisted of participants approaching 15 years of age. Both groups consisted of participants with and without CP. The IMU data were used to calculate the joint angle of the wrist movement and determine the range of motion. A total of 9 different ML algorithms were used to classify the movement features associated with CP. This classification can also confirm if the current treatment (in this case, the use of wrist extension) is effective.

Results

Upon completion of the project, the wrist joint angle was successfully calculated and validated against Vicon motion capture. In addition, the CP movement was classified as a feature using ML on raw IMU data. The Random Forrest algorithm achieved the highest accuracy of 87.75% for the age range approaching 15 years, and C4.5 decision tree achieved the highest accuracy of 89.39% for the age range approaching 3 years.

Conclusions

Anecdotal feedback from Minimising Impairment Trial researchers was positive about the potential for IMUs to contribute accurate data about active range of motion, especially in children, for whom goniometric methods are challenging. There may also be potential to use IMUs for continued monitoring of hand movements throughout the day.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12614001276640, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=367398; ANZCTR ACTRN12614001275651, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=367422
A Conversational Artificial Intelligence Agent for a Mental Health Care App: Evaluation Study of Its Participatory Design
Authors: Danieli Morena , Ciulli Tommaso , Mousavi Seyed Mahed , Riccardi Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

Background

Mobile apps for mental health are available on the market. Although they seem to be promising for improving the accessibility of mental health care, little is known about their acceptance, design methodology, evaluation, and integration into psychotherapy protocols. This makes it difficult for health care professionals to judge whether these apps may help them and their patients.

Objective

Our aim is to describe and evaluate a protocol for the participatory design of mobile apps for mental health. In this study, participants and psychotherapists are engaged in the early phases of the design and development of the app empowered by conversational artificial intelligence (AI). The app supports interventions for stress management training based on cognitive behavioral theory.

Methods

A total of 21 participants aged 33-61 years with mild to moderate levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (assessed by administering the Italian versions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Occupational Stress Indicator, and Perceived Stress Scale) were assigned randomly to 2 groups, A and B. Both groups received stress management training sessions along with cognitive behavioral treatment, but only participants assigned to group A received support through a mobile personal health care agent, designed for mental care and empowered by AI techniques. Psychopathological outcomes were assessed at baseline (T1), after 8 weeks of treatment (T2), and 3 months after treatment (T3). Focus groups with psychotherapists who administered the therapy were held after treatment to collect their impressions and suggestions.

Results

Although the intergroup statistical analysis showed that group B participants could rely on better coping strategies, group A participants reported significant improvements in obsessivity and compulsivity and positive distress symptom assessment. The psychotherapists’ acceptance of the protocol was good. In particular, they were in favor of integrating an AI-based mental health app into their practice because they could appreciate the increased engagement of patients in pursuing their therapy goals.

Conclusions

The integration into practice of an AI-based mobile app for mental health was shown to be acceptable to both mental health professionals and users. Although it was not possible in this experiment to show that the integration of AI-based conversational technologies into traditional remote psychotherapy significantly decreased the participants’ levels of stress and anxiety, the experimental results showed significant trends of reduction of symptoms in group A and their persistence over time. The mental health professionals involved in the experiment reported interest in, and acceptance of, the proposed technology as a promising tool to be included in a blended model of psychotherapy.
A Chatbot to Engage Parents of Preterm and Term Infants on Parental Stress, Parental Sleep, and Infant Feeding: Usability and Feasibility Study
Authors: Wong Jill , Foussat Agathe C , Ting Steven , Acerbi Enzo , van Elburg Ruurd M , Mei Chien Chua
Published: September 2021

Background

Parents commonly experience anxiety, worry, and psychological distress in caring for newborn infants, particularly those born preterm. Web-based therapist services may offer greater accessibility and timely psychological support for parents but are nevertheless labor intensive due to their interactive nature. Chatbots that simulate humanlike conversations show promise for such interactive applications.

Objective

The aim of this study is to explore the usability and feasibility of chatbot technology for gathering real-life conversation data on stress, sleep, and infant feeding from parents with newborn infants and to investigate differences between the experiences of parents with preterm and term infants.

Methods

Parents aged ≥21 years with infants aged ≤6 months were enrolled from November 2018 to March 2019. Three chatbot scripts (stress, sleep, feeding) were developed to capture conversations with parents via their mobile devices. Parents completed a chatbot usability questionnaire upon study completion. Responses to closed-ended questions and manually coded open-ended responses were summarized descriptively. Open-ended responses were analyzed using the latent Dirichlet allocation method to uncover semantic topics.

Results

Of 45 enrolled participants (20 preterm, 25 term), 26 completed the study. Parents rated the chatbot as “easy” to use (mean 4.08, SD 0.74; 1=very difficult, 5=very easy) and were “satisfied” (mean 3.81, SD 0.90; 1=very dissatisfied, 5 very satisfied). Of 45 enrolled parents, those with preterm infants reported emotional stress more frequently than did parents of term infants (33 vs 24 occasions). Parents generally reported satisfactory sleep quality. The preterm group reported feeding problems more frequently than did the term group (8 vs 2 occasions).
In stress domain conversations, topics linked to “discomfort” and “tiredness” were more prevalent in preterm group conversations, whereas the topic of “positive feelings” occurred more frequently in the term group conversations. Interestingly, feeding-related topics dominated the content of sleep domain conversations, suggesting that frequent or irregular feeding may affect parents’ ability to get adequate sleep or rest.

Conclusions

The chatbot was successfully used to collect real-time conversation data on stress, sleep, and infant feeding from a group of 45 parents. In their chatbot conversations, term group parents frequently expressed positive emotions, whereas preterm group parents frequently expressed physical discomfort and tiredness, as well as emotional stress. Overall, parents who completed the study gave positive feedback on their user experience with the chatbot as a tool to express their thoughts and concerns.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03630679; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03630679
Examining the Academic Trends in Neuropsychological Tests for Executive Functions Using Virtual Reality: Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kim Euisung , Han Jieun , Choi Hojin , Prié Yannick , Vigier Toinon , Bulteau Samuel , Kwon Gyu Hyun
Published: September 2021

Background

In neuropsychology, fully immersive virtual reality (VR) has been spotlighted as a promising tool. It is considered that VR not only overcomes the existing limitation of neuropsychological tests but is also appropriate for treating executive functions (EFs) within activities of daily living (ADL) due to its high ecological validity. While fully immersive VR offers new possibilities of neuropsychological tests, there are few studies that overview the intellectual landscape and academic trends in the research related to mainly targeted EFs with fully immersive VR.

Objective

The objective of this study is to get an overview of the research trends that use VR in neuropsychological tests and to analyze the research trends using fully immersive VR neuropsychological tests with experimental articles.

Methods

This review was carried out according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles were searched in three web databases using keywords related to VR, EFs, and cognitive abilities. The study was conducted in two steps, keyword analysis and in-depth systematic review. In the web database search from 2000 to 2019, 1167 articles were initially collected, of which 234 articles in the eligibility phase were used to conduct keyword analysis and a total of 47 articles were included for systematic review.

Results

In keyword analysis, the number of articles focused on dementia including the keywords “MCI,” “SCD,” and “dementia” were highlighted over the period, rather than other symptoms. In addition, we identified that the use of behavioral and physiological data in virtual environments (VEs) has dramatically increased in recent studies. In the systematic review, we focused on the purpose of study, assessment, treatment, and validation of usability and structure. We found that treatment studies and uncategorized studies including presence and cybersickness issues have emerged in the recent period. In addition, the target symptoms and range of participants were diversified.

Conclusions

There has been a continuously increasing interest in dealing with neuropsychology by using fully immersive VR. Target cognitive abilities have been diversified, as well as target symptoms. Moreover, the concept of embodied cognition was transplanted in this research area.
Acceptance, Use, and Barriers of Telemedicine in Transgender Health Care in Times of SARS-CoV-2: Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Hertling Stefan , Hertling Doreen , Martin David , Graul Isabel
Published: September 2021

Background

The global incidence in the treatment of transgender people is increasing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many consultations had to be cancelled, postponed, or converted to a virtual format. Telemedicine in the management of transgender health care could support physicians.

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyze the acceptance, use, and barriers of telemedicine in transgender health care in times of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany.

Methods

This prospective cross-sectional study was based on a survey of gynecological endocrinologists and transgender patients undergoing gender-affirming hormone treatment in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and regression analyses were performed to show correlations.

Results

We analyzed responses of 269 transgender patients and 202 gynecological endocrinologists treating transgender patients. Most believed that telemedicine was useful. Physicians and patients rated their knowledge of telemedicine as unsatisfactory. The majority of respondents said they did not currently use telemedicine, although they would like to do so. Patients and physicians reported that their attitudes toward telemedicine had changed positively and that their use of telemedicine had increased due to COVID-19. The majority in both groups agreed on the implementation of virtual visits in the context of stable disease conditions. In the treatment phases, 74.3% (150/202) of the physicians said they would use telemedicine during follow-ups. Half of the physicians said they would choose tele-counseling as a specific approach to improving care (128/202, 63.4%). Obstacles to the introduction of telemedicine among physicians included the purchase of technical equipment (132/202, 65.3%), administration (124/202, 61.4%), and poor reimbursement (106/202, 52.5%).

Conclusions

Telemedicine in transgender health care found limited use but high acceptance among doctors and patients alike. The absence of a structured framework is an obstacle for effective implementation. Training courses should be introduced to improve the limited knowledge of physicians in the use of telemedicine. More research in tele-endogynecology is needed. Future studies should include large-scale randomized controlled trials, economic analyses, and the exploration of user preferences.