Automated Data Logging Tool (ADL) for AAC Practitioners

描述（由研究者提供）：辅助和替代交流（AAC）是一种人机交互（HCI）形式，其中AAC设备的用户必须成功选择和/或检索存储在其设备中的信息，以便构建口头和/或书面交流所需的话语。随着计算机化AAC设备的出现，通过对日志文件的计算机化分析，可以自动跟踪和分析用户设备性能的许多方面。可以很容易地生成通信速率、节省击键次数、设备使用、词汇多样性和错误模式等性能方面的内容。作为康复工程研究中心的合作伙伴，布法罗大学（UB）和Enkidu Research开发了一种日志文件的标准格式，该格式正在被设计成越来越多的商用AAC设备。UB和Enkidu还开发了一种软件，可以获取日志文件数据并进行与AAC领域研究相关的统计分析。然而，目前还没有工具可以帮助从业者分析其客户的AAC设备使用情况。建议的第1阶段项目的主要目标是为基于从业者的工具开发规范和原型，以分析日志文件。拟议的第一阶段项目将完成开发商业自动化数据记录和分析软件应用程序所需的所有初步工作，该应用程序称为增强和替代通信性能评估工具（PAT-AAC）。首先，将对AAC日志文件进行广泛的分析，以确保自动测量频率、持续时间和内容的准确性。其次，原型的规范将通过与AAC社区成员（包括从业者、研究人员、开发人员和AAC设备用户）的集中磋商来制定。第三，将纳入通信隐私和《健康保险流通与责任法案》（HIPAA）专家的建议，以确保从道德和法律上收集、分析和交换来自自动数据记录的信息。最后，原型应用的可行性测试将由来自不同学科（语言病理学家、康复工程师、职业治疗师等）的AAC从业者进行。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a form of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in which the user of an AAC device must successfully select and/or retrieve information stored in their device in order to construct utterances needed for spoken and/or written communication. With the advent of computerized AAC devices, it is possible to automatically track and analyze many aspects of user device performance through the computerized analysis of logfiles. Performance aspects such as communication rate, keystroke savings, device use, vocabulary diversity and error patterns can be generated easily. As partners in the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center, the University at Buffalo (UB) and Enkidu Research developed a standard format for logfiles, which is being engineered into an increasing number of commercially available AAC devices. UB and Enkidu have also created software that takes the logfile data and performs statistical analyses relevant to research in the AAC field. Currently, however, there are no tools available to assist practitioners in the analysis of their client's AAC device use. The primary goal of the proposed Phase I project is to develop specifications and prototypes for a practitioner-based tool to analyze logfiles. The proposed Phase I project will complete all the preliminary work needed to develop a commercial automated data logging and analysis sottware application called the Performance Assessment Tool for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (PAT-AAC). First, an extensive analysis of AAC logfiles will be undertaken to ensure automatic measurements for frequency, duration and content are accurate. Second, specifications for a prototype will be developed through focused consultation with members of the AAC community including practitioners, researchers, developers and AAC device users. Third, recommendations from specialists in communication privacy and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will be incorporated to ensure ethical and legal collection, analysis and exchange of information derived from automatic data logging. Finally, feasibility testing of a prototype application will be undertaken using AAC practitioners from a variety of disciplines (speech-language pathologists, rehabilitation engineers, occupational therapists, etc.).