The effect of credibility-related design cues on responses to a web-based message about the breast cancer risks from alcohol: randomized controlled trial.

Background: Internet sites typically contain visual design elements that are unrelated to the quality of the health information presented but that could influence credibility judgments and responses to health advice. To assess the effects of such design elements, or credibility cues, experimentally, we exposed women with different levels of weekly alcohol consumption to a website containing high quality but unpalatable information about a related health risk (breast cancer). The information was presented alongside either positive or negative credibility cues unrelated to information content.

Compromised arterial oxygen saturation in elderly asthma sufferers results in selective cognitive impairment.

Forty elderly patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) were compared to a comparison group of forty age-matched healthy volunteers on a range of measures of cognitive performance, and levels of arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation recorded. Members of the patient group were found to have significantly lower oxygen saturation compared to the comparison group, and performed significantly poorer on tests of delayed word recall and serial subtractions, but not on other tasks. Correlational analysis between participants' oxygen saturation levels and test scores across the whole sample indicated significant positive relationships existed for the digit symbol substitution and serial subtractions tasks.

Use of a cognitive ergonomics approach to compare usability of a multidose dry powder inhaler and a capsule dry powder inhaler: an open-label, randomized, controlled study.

Background: Usability (ease of use) is an important feature of inhalers to ensure optimal dose delivery

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the usability of a multidose dry powder inhaler (mDPI) and a capsule dry powder inhaler (cDPI) in older individuals, using a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques from the field of cognitive ergonomics.

Methods: Participants aged >50 years were enrolled in this 2-visit, open-label, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study conducted at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Participants who had used an inhaler or were inhaler naive were randomized to use the mDPI or cDPI.