'Mind genomics': the experimental, inductive science of the ordinary, and its application to aspects of food and feeding

Measuring the perceived wellbeing of hemodialysis patients: A Mind Genomics cartography

Chronic Kidney Disease patients under hemodialysis have high morbidity rate, which tends to considerably affect their health-related quality of life. Multiple studies that have made use of different questionnaries report the poor life quality of this patient group. The research in hand implemented the Mind Genomics Approach as a method to asses the health-related quality of life of hemodialysis patients, while relying on conjoint measurements to group individuals with similar patterns of responses to a certain mindset. The study is conducted in 3 clinics with 219 patients. It uncovers three clusters or mindsets: Mindset 1- Feels guardedly optimistic but worried about money, Mindset 2-Feels strongly positive because the state guarantees and the family supports, Mindset 3-Feels positive only about money. Based on the analysis of the collected data, the findings of this study suggest that the quality of life in hemodialysis patients is highly correlated to their financial status. The current study is one of the few first attempts to apply Mind Genomics in medical settings and the first, to our knowledge, in hemodialysis centers. This technology might enable healthcare proffesionals to provide personalized psychological treatment and additional social support to patients, which in turn could improve their clinical outcomes. The study is an example of using technology as a service.

Developing a novel screening tool to address pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy at point of care

Many children are still not vaccinated against COVID-19, often attributed to rising pediatric vaccine hesitancy. To address this complex public health issue, interventions that uncover parental thinking at point of care are needed to help facilitate discussions in the exam room. The cognitive science framework of Rule Developing Experimentation helps distinguish how people think about day-to-day topics by presenting respondents with a systematic combination of messages that determines the ideas primarily driving their decisions. We hypothesized that Rule Developing Experimentation can empirically assess and identify parental mind-sets in deciding to vaccinate their children to prevent COVID-19. Artificial intelligence was also incorporated to more efficiently help formulate messages. Through an iterative process, surveying a total of 600 participants, three mind-sets emerged regarding the types of messages which parents believe would convince them to vaccinate their children to prevent COVID-19. These three mind-sets are summarized by the following phrases - "Covid is Serious," "Science Says Vaccine Works," and "Vaccine Returns Kids to Normalcy". Using these mind-sets, a simple six-question instrument (i.e., Personal Viewpoint Identifier) was then created to quickly discern at point of care a parent's mind-set surrounding pediatric COVID-19 vaccination. By quickly identifying a parent's mindset at point of care, providers can then utilize the results of the assessment to deliver individualized messaging to parents about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. A future study is planned to evaluate the impact of incorporating the Personal Viewpoint Identifier into routine pediatric care settings on COVID-19 vaccination rates.

Personalizing Communication of Clinicians with Chronically Ill Elders in Digital Encounters-A Patient-Centered View

BACKGROUND

Chronically ill elderly patients are concerned about losing the personal connection with clinicians in digital encounters and clinicians are concerned about missing nonverbal cues that are important for the diagnosis, thus jeopardizing quality of care.

AIMS

This study validated the expectations and preferences of chronically ill elderly patients regarding specific communication messages for communication with clinicians in telemedicine.

METHODS

The sample comprised 600 elderly chronically ill patients who use telehealth. We used a conjoint-based experimental design to test numerous messages. The outcome variable is elder patient expectations from communication with clinicians in telemedicine. The independent variables were known categories of patient-clinician communication. Respondents rated each of the 24 vignettes of messages.

RESULTS

Mathematical clustering yielded three mindsets, with statistically significant differences among them. Members of mindset 1 were most concerned with non-verbal communication, members of mindset 2 prefer communication that enhances the internal locus of control, and members of mindset 3 have an external locus of control and strongly oppose any dialogue about their expectations from communication.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the predictive algorithm that we developed enables clinicians to identify the belonging of each chronically ill elderly patient in the clinic to a sample mindset, and to accordingly personalize the communication in the digital encounters while structuring the encounter with greater specificity, therefore enhancing patient-centered care.

Use of Preference Analysis to Identify Early Adopter Mind-Sets of Insect-Based Food Products

Insects may potentially provide an alternative protein source. However, consumers may not easily accept insects due to feelings of disgust. Therefore, identifying early adopters of insect-based food products may determine their future acceptance. This study was conducted to (1) identify early adopter Mind-Sets of insect-based food products, (2) determine product features early adopters would prefer in an insect-based food product, and (3) determine differences in Mind-Sets in different countries. Two studies were distributed online in the US and the Philippines. The first study included information about insects, while the second study had no information on insects. The experimental design included elements, or product features, regarding insect-based products that participants evaluated. Preference Analysis was used to segment the participants into Mind-Sets. Based on the results, participants neither liked nor disliked the elements used. Participants in the studies without insect information were found to have higher liking when comparing liking. Participants who were aware of the study being about insects may have had less interest when evaluating the elements, as the response times between the US studies were significantly different (p < 0.05). The role of information and segmentation of the participants demonstrates the importance of experimental design when using Preference Analysis.

Patient-centered care in telemedicine - An experimental-design study

BACKGROUND

Patients using telemedicine expect health providers to meet their expectations and are concerned about losing interpersonal contact. Studies on tailoring telemedicine to patient expectations are scant. This experimental design starts to close the gap in the state-of-the-art testing of patient expectations of communication with healthcare providers in telemedicine based on the patient-centered approach. The study was conducted from June 2021 through September 2021.

METHODS

The convenience sample comprised 677 students, 298 females and 379 males, ages 18 to 64 who are all patients of one of four national health funds in Israel, using telemedicine. We used a conjoint-based experimental design. Each respondent evaluated a unique set of 24 vignettes of messages. The dependent variable was patient expectations of communication with healthcare providers in Telemedicine. The independent variables were four acknowledged categories of patient expectations of provider-patient communication.

RESULTS

Coefficients for the total panel suggest no significant differences. Applying mathematical clustering, three mindsets emerged. A Post-hoc ANOVA test indicated that the mindsets are significantly different. Members of Mindset 1 expect the provider to walk them through the change process. Members of Mindset 2 expect healthcare providers to refer them to a reliable source of information to enhance their healthcare literacy. Members of Mindset 3 expect respect, both in non-verbal conduct and for their time. We developed a prediction tool enabling to identify the mindset-belonging of each patient in the population to a mindset in the sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings call healthcare providers to communicate with patients via telemedicine based on mindset-tailored messages rather than based on socio-demographics for optimum patient-centered communication. Using the prediction tool, providers may identify the mindset-belonging of each patient. To enhance patient-centered care via telemedicine, providers are called upon to meet expectations by using mindset-tailored communication that structures the communication with greater specificity enhancing patient-centered care.

Rapid discovery of optimal messages for behavioral intervention: the case of Hungary and Covid-19

The right messaging plays an important role in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The present study aims at uncovering the way people think about governmental measures against COVID-19. Two hundred and sixteen Hungarians participated in this on-line study. A conjoint-based experimental design was used to reveal the power of messages as drivers of voluntary social distancing based on the perceived risk of COVID-19, the ways to practice social distancing and to assure it, and preferences regarding the communicator of the social distancing policy. Results revealed three major mindsets: Pandemic observers, Order-followers, and Health-conscious. Members of each mindset respond differently to messages. To enhance compliance with social distancing and contain the virus, we suggest using the prediction tool we developed to identify the belonging of people or groups in the population to mindsets in the sample and address people using effective mindset-tailored messaging.

The Use of Demographics and Psychographics to Study Product Effects with Nutrient Supplements: Exploratory Multi-Country Data

Demographics and psychographics are used to study the influence of different consumers on product effects in food development and testing. Demographics have a longer history and are routinely used in most research; psychographics are more recent, raising the question of whether they add to research on food products. The research presented here represents extensive exploratory data that demonstrate that both demographic measures and psychographic measures add to our understanding of consumer's liking ratings for nutrient supplements. The results are discussed in the context of broader research on a range of food products. In addition, the research reported here was conducted in four different countries, demonstrating many country effects. Finally, tests were conducted with users of the products, lapsed users of the product, and users of other nutrient supplements (non-users), and this led to many differences in product testing. These results further suggest that age and gender are not the only demographic variables to be studied, along with psychographic variables. The psychographic variables should be selected for a particular product category under investigation, as effects of specific psychographic measures vary for product categories. Specific variables do not fit all products for both demographics and psychographics.

Containing COVID-19 by Matching Messages on Social Distancing to Emergent Mindsets-The Case of North America

Public compliance with social distancing is key to containing COVID-19, yet there is a lack of knowledge on which communication 'messages' drive compliance. Respondents (224 Canadians and Americans) rated combinations of messages about compliance, systematically varied by an experimental design. Independent variables were perceived risk; the agent communicating the policy; specific social distancing practices; and methods to enforce compliance. Response patterns to each message suggest three mindset segments in each country reflecting how a person thinks. Two mindsets, the same in Canada and the US, were 'tell me exactly what to do,' and 'pandemic onlookers.' The third was 'bow to authority' in Canada, and 'tell me how' in the US. Each mindset showed different messages strongly driving compliance. To effectively use messaging about compliance, policy makers may assign any person or group in the population to the appropriate mindset segment by using a Personal Viewpoint Identifier that we developed.

Creating a Mind Genomics Wiki for Non-Meat Analogs

In the past few decades, several negative aspects of excess meat consumption have been identified, ranging broadly from health to environment to consumer rejections of meat analogs. At the same time, however, several new meat alternatives have emerged such as algae, insects, and cultured meat, which all present a sustainable option to reduce meat consumption. The paper assesses the psychology of the “everyday” for meat-free products, focusing on how consumers in two specific markets in the USA (California, New York) respond to messages about four specific topics involving meat-free products. These four are sensory characteristics, possible usage in products, health aspects, and environmental aspects, respectively. Each study with 100 or more respondents used experimental design of messages (Mind Genomics) to understand the degree to which the respondents reacted positively or negatively to the 16 messages in each of the four studies. The data suggest that focusing on the Total Panel or on geography, gender, or age will not reveal the dramatically different mind-sets existing in each of the four topics. We introduce the notion of the PVI, personal viewpoint identifier, to help the researcher uncover these mind-sets, and help communicate effectively with each mind-set about meat analogs or help recruit these individuals to participate in further studies.

Drivers of Vaginal Drug Delivery System Acceptability from Internet-Based Conjoint Analysis

Vaginal microbicides potentially empower women to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially when culture, religion, or social status may prevent them from negotiating condom use. The open literature contains minimal information on factors that drive user acceptability of women's health products or vaginal drug delivery systems. By understanding what women find to be most important with regard to sensory properties and product functionality, developers can iteratively formulate a more desirable product. Conjoint analysis is a technique widely used in market research to determine what combination of elements influence a consumer's willingness to try or use a product. We applied conjoint analysis here to better understand what sexually-active woman want in a microbicide, toward our goal of formulating a product that is highly acceptable to women. Both sensory and non-sensory attributes were tested, including shape, color, wait time, partner awareness, messiness/leakage, duration of protection, and functionality. Heterosexually active women between 18 and 35 years of age in the United States (n = 302) completed an anonymous online conjoint survey using IdeaMap software. Attributes (product elements) were systematically presented in various combinations; women rated these combinations of a 9-point willingness-to-try scale. By coupling systematic combinations and regression modeling, we can estimate the unique appeal of each element. In this population, a multifunctional product (i.e., broad spectrum STI protection, coupled with conception) is far more desirable than a microbicide targeted solely for HIV protection; we also found partner awareness and leakage are potentially strong barriers to use.