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BackgroundPeople living with cancer face numerous psychosocial challenges, including cancer-related fatigue, fear of recurrence, and depression. There is a lack of digital interventions tailored to the needs of people living with all types of cancer. We developed a 6-week, digital, peer-delivered, self-management program: iHOPE (Help to Overcome Problems Effectively; where ‘i’ indicates the digital version of the program). The program is underpinned by positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy to meet these psychosocial challenges. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the feasibility of the iHOPE program among people living with cancer. Program adherence and satisfaction along with changes in psychological distress and positive well-being were measured. MethodsA pre-post, acceptability, and feasibility design was used. People living with cancer (N=114) were recruited via a national cancer charity in the United Kingdom and were given access to the iHOPE program. Demographic and other participant characteristics were recorded. Participants completed digital measures at baseline and the end of the 6-week program for depression, anxiety, cancer-related fatigue, cancer worry or fear of cancer recurrence, positive mental well-being, hope, gratitude, and health status. The website’s system recorded data on the usage of the program. Satisfaction with the program was also measured. ResultsA total of 114 participants completed the baseline questionnaires. Of these, 70 people (61.4%) participated in all 6 sessions. The mean number of sessions undertaken was 5.0 (SD 1.5). Moreover, 44.7% (51/114) of participants completed at least three sessions and end-of-program outcome measures. A total of 59 participants completed the satisfaction questionnaire, where ≥90% (54/58) of participants reported that the program was easy to navigate and was well managed by the peer facilitators, and that they found the social networking tools useful. Preliminary efficacy testing among the 51 participants who completed baseline and postprogram outcome measures showed that postprogram scores decreased for depression, anxiety, cancer-related fatigue, and fear of recurrence (all P

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to support individuals with special needs and to enable their development of daily living skills. This meta-analysis study examined the effect of AR on functional skills acquisition across individuals affected by different disabilities. Group design studies based on a random-effects model alongside the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were used in this study. A total of 119 individuals with different types of disabilities (including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Down Syndrome, hearing disability, and visual disability) were obtained from seven studies. The overall effect size of AR across the seven studies was significant. The results showed that AR can be effective and helpful for individuals with disabilities to help them make daily decisions and guide their actions in society. The implications for practice and research as well as the possible areas that require further investigation are discussed.

There are currently a wide range of Higher Education Industrial Design courses available in the UK. In the present era, a wider breadth of narrative has developed within the subject, and as a result the content of industrial design educational offerings varies considerably. The paper assesses the industry view of Industrial Design as a discipline from the perspective of those employing university graduates. These views illustrate a change in the discipline, and this is considered in respect to current education practice. The choice of entry courses for the student wishing to embark on a career in the subject has also widened. It is argued that at present, the access to courses offers a haphazard informational stream to the potential applicant. An approach to developing an online facility to enable potential students to apply for the right course is discussed. It is suggested that a consistent and comparable platform of guidance is needed by which potential students can identify and match the course offering against their aptitudes and aspirations. A framework for such a system is proposed. Given that course choice will ultimately define the nature of their career opportunities it is argued that this would be a useful and productive asset.