Background: Currently, the eHealth field calls for detailed descriptions of theory-based interventions in order to support improved design of such interventions. This article aims to provide a systematic description of the design rationale behind an interactive web-based tailored intervention promoting HPV-vaccination acceptability.Methods: The 6-step Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol was used to describe the design rationale. After the needs assessment in Step 1, intervention objectives were formulated in Step 2. In Step 3, we translated theoretical methods into practical applications, which were integrated into a coherent intervention in Step 4. In Step 5, we anticipated future implementation and adoption, and finally, an evaluation plan was generated in Step 6.Results: Walking through the various steps of IM resulted in a detailed description of the intervention. The needs assessment indicated HPV-vaccination uptake remaining lower than expected. Mothers play the most important role in decision-making about their daughter's immunization. However, they generally feel ambivalent after they made their decisions, and their decisions are based on rather unstable grounds. Therefore, intervention objectives were to improve HPV-vaccination uptake and informed decision-making, and to decrease decisional conflict among mothers of invited girls. Computer-tailoring was chosen as the main method; virtual assistants were chosen as a practical application to deliver interactive tailored feedback. To maximize compatibility with the needs of the target group, a user-centered design strategy by means of focus groups and online experiments was applied. In these, prototypes were tested and sequentially refined. Finally, efficacy, effectiveness, and acceptability of the intervention were tested in a randomized controlled trial. Results showed a significant positive effect of the intervention on informed decision-making, decisional conflict, and nearly all determinants of HPV-vaccination uptake (P < 0.001). Mothers evaluated the intervention as highly positive.Discussion: Using IM led to an innovative effective intervention for promoting HPV-vaccination acceptability. The intervention maps will aid in interpreting the results of our evaluation studies. Moreover, it will ease the comparison of design rationales across interventions, and may provide leads for the development of other eHealth interventions. This paper adds to the plea for systematic reporting of design rationales constituting the process of developing interventions.

Diese Arbeit ist im Zuge eines Forschungsprojektes, welches sich mit der Umsetzung einer 3D e-Tourismus Umgebung beschäftigt, entstanden. Das Ziel dieses Projekts ist die Entwicklung eines Instruments, um die komplexen Interaktionsmuster von Anbietern und Konsumenten im e-Tourismus zu unterstützen. Diese Anbieter und Konsumenten sind TeilnehmerInnen in einer heterogenen Gesellschaft von Menschen und Software-Agenten, die gemeinschaftlich in einer 3D Umgebung basierend auf einem Multi Agenten System zusammenleben. Im konkreten besteht das System aus drei Ebenen: einer 3D Visualisierungs-, einer Middleware-und einer Multi Agenten System Ebene. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der praktischen Umsetzung eines solchen Systems. Der Fokus ist dabei auf das Design und die Erstellung der Middleware Komponente, sowie auf die Visualisierung in der 3D Welt gelegt. Die Middleware verbindet das Multi Agenten System mit der 3D Welt und leitet Nachrichten in beiden Richtungen weiter. Sie garantiert damit ein konsistentes Verhältnis zwischen diesen beiden Komponenten, indem jeder Zustandswechsel in der einen Komponente in der anderen Komponente propagiert wird. Die 3D Welt dient einerseits als User Interface für Benutzer und wird andererseits für die Visualisierung von Softwareagenten verwendet. Die Steuerung dieser Agenten, sowie die Interaktionsmechanismen mit dem Benutzer werden ebenfalls in dieser Arbeit vorgestellt.

No abstract

No abstract

Abstract. This paper introduces a formal method to aggregate over basic beliefs, in order to deduce aggregated or complex beliefs as often used in applications. Complex beliefs can represent several things, such as a belief about a period in which other beliefs held or the minimal or maximal certainty with which a belief held. As such they contain richer information than the basic beliefs they are aggregated from and can be used to optimize an agent's search through its memory and its reasoning processes. The developed method can also aggregate over aggregated beliefs, hence nested aggregations are possible. An implementation in Prolog demonstrates its operationality.