Kenya: HIV and Aids Research Shifts to New Technology

[Guest guest]

Kenya: HIV and Aids Research Shifts to New Technology

line Sunday

4 August 2011

Two research institutions have adopted a technological solution to maximise

efficiency in data collection in HIV and Aids research.

The Questionnaire Development System (QDS), which the Kenya Medical Research

Institute (Kemri) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have adopted, is a

digital solution that would be used to increase reliability of data collected

during research.

Kemri uses the system in cases where respondents are required to divulge

sensitive information about themselves.

So far, the technology has been used on more than 2,000 respondents in Nyanza

and the western Kenya. The two institutions expect the new technology to help

them forecast the annual incidence of HIV infection among adolescents and adults

in Kisumu.

" We are currently employing the QDS in our Nyanza HIV and Aids cohort study

because we have found that there was a need to improve the data collection

used, " says Beatrice Okong'o, an administrative assistant at Kemri/CDC.

This type of study usually is used in medicine, social sciences, actuarial

science, and ecology. It involves observation and analysis of risk factors among

a group of people who are not infected with the disease.

In the HIV/ and Aids cohort study, a panel of respondents were selected and

their HIV status monitored over a period of time. Change or maintenance of their

status compared their behaviour.

" In order to get this data, what used to happen in the past is that respondents

were issued with questionnaires and a research assistant would ask open and

closed ended questions for each session " , says Ms Okong'o. " This method was

found to be prone to errors as many respondents were nervous to discuss personal

information like sexual trends. "

She added that some of the respondents would give answers that were

" appropriate " leading to a distortion of the findings.

This prompted Kemri and CDC to seek an alternative and a less intrusive method

to collect sensitive data.

The new systems have been used in more developed countries as a method of data

collection. The current model used by the researchers was first used in the

continent by South Africa before being adopted by Kenya.

Structured interviews

" Basically, the QDS system is a software application that digitises the paper

questionnaire that would ordinarily be self-administered or

researcher-administered to the respondent " , says Nyambura, a HIV research

cohort data analyst. " Computer assisted structured interviews (CASI) refers to

interviews where the humans are replaced by a digital element (usually a

computer), which conducts the interview and records data. "

Using an audio-CASI, the research subject listens to a recorded human voice or a

text-to-speech synthesized voice and responds to the question via keyboard entry

or the use of another input device such as a touch screen or mouse.

The QDS software used at the institution employs a mix of audio and visual

format to digitally collect and record the data. It is composed of a simple

laptop with a touchscreen interface, headphones and a biometric fingerprint

reader.

The biometric finger print reader provides the only form of identification and

respondents are given numbers in order to ensure anonymity and boost their

confidence.

The respondent is ushered into a secluded room where he/she sits in front of the

computer for an interview. During the session, questions and responses are

displayed on the screen for participants to choose.

The questions and choices are read out to the respondent through head phones,

which are connected to the computer.

When the respondent sees the question on the screen and listens to it through

the headphones, he/she is required to give their answer by touching the computer

screen where the response is displayed. " Studies have shown that computer

administered data collection formats like the QDS and Audio-CASI reduce

inhibitions respondents may have when they are asked to report intimate risk

behaviours by research assistants, " says Ms Nyambura.

In addition to this, the accuracy of the information revealed by a respondent is

positively related to the level of privacy of the interview.

" This has proved true in our HIV and Aids studies, especially when we deal with

teenagers who do not feel free to discuss information like the number of

partners they have slept with or whether or not they used protection, " said

Margaret Atieno, an administrative assistant at Kemri/CDC.

The system is also expected to boost handling of information collected.

" The QDS is not only helpful in the data collection but also in its processing

and storage. Since the data is digitally collected, recording and coding is

eased and errors reduced " , says .

Source: Business Daily (Nairobi)

[Guest guest]

Kenya: HIV and Aids Research Shifts to New Technology

line Sunday

4 August 2011

Two research institutions have adopted a technological solution to maximise

efficiency in data collection in HIV and Aids research.

The Questionnaire Development System (QDS), which the Kenya Medical Research

Institute (Kemri) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have adopted, is a

digital solution that would be used to increase reliability of data collected

during research.

Kemri uses the system in cases where respondents are required to divulge

sensitive information about themselves.

So far, the technology has been used on more than 2,000 respondents in Nyanza

and the western Kenya. The two institutions expect the new technology to help

them forecast the annual incidence of HIV infection among adolescents and adults

in Kisumu.

" We are currently employing the QDS in our Nyanza HIV and Aids cohort study

because we have found that there was a need to improve the data collection

used, " says Beatrice Okong'o, an administrative assistant at Kemri/CDC.

This type of study usually is used in medicine, social sciences, actuarial

science, and ecology. It involves observation and analysis of risk factors among

a group of people who are not infected with the disease.

In the HIV/ and Aids cohort study, a panel of respondents were selected and

their HIV status monitored over a period of time. Change or maintenance of their

status compared their behaviour.

" In order to get this data, what used to happen in the past is that respondents

were issued with questionnaires and a research assistant would ask open and

closed ended questions for each session " , says Ms Okong'o. " This method was

found to be prone to errors as many respondents were nervous to discuss personal

information like sexual trends. "

She added that some of the respondents would give answers that were

" appropriate " leading to a distortion of the findings.

This prompted Kemri and CDC to seek an alternative and a less intrusive method

to collect sensitive data.

The new systems have been used in more developed countries as a method of data

collection. The current model used by the researchers was first used in the

continent by South Africa before being adopted by Kenya.

Structured interviews

" Basically, the QDS system is a software application that digitises the paper

questionnaire that would ordinarily be self-administered or

researcher-administered to the respondent " , says Nyambura, a HIV research

cohort data analyst. " Computer assisted structured interviews (CASI) refers to

interviews where the humans are replaced by a digital element (usually a

computer), which conducts the interview and records data. "

Using an audio-CASI, the research subject listens to a recorded human voice or a

text-to-speech synthesized voice and responds to the question via keyboard entry

or the use of another input device such as a touch screen or mouse.

The QDS software used at the institution employs a mix of audio and visual

format to digitally collect and record the data. It is composed of a simple

laptop with a touchscreen interface, headphones and a biometric fingerprint

reader.

The biometric finger print reader provides the only form of identification and

respondents are given numbers in order to ensure anonymity and boost their

confidence.

The respondent is ushered into a secluded room where he/she sits in front of the

computer for an interview. During the session, questions and responses are

displayed on the screen for participants to choose.

The questions and choices are read out to the respondent through head phones,

which are connected to the computer.

When the respondent sees the question on the screen and listens to it through

the headphones, he/she is required to give their answer by touching the computer

screen where the response is displayed. " Studies have shown that computer

administered data collection formats like the QDS and Audio-CASI reduce

inhibitions respondents may have when they are asked to report intimate risk

behaviours by research assistants, " says Ms Nyambura.

In addition to this, the accuracy of the information revealed by a respondent is

positively related to the level of privacy of the interview.

" This has proved true in our HIV and Aids studies, especially when we deal with

teenagers who do not feel free to discuss information like the number of

partners they have slept with or whether or not they used protection, " said

Margaret Atieno, an administrative assistant at Kemri/CDC.

The system is also expected to boost handling of information collected.

" The QDS is not only helpful in the data collection but also in its processing

and storage. Since the data is digitally collected, recording and coding is

eased and errors reduced " , says .

Source: Business Daily (Nairobi)