Pervasive assistive technology for people with dementia: a UCD case

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Health

Background:

• Assistive technology (AT) for people with dementia (PwD) faces adoption challenges.
• Ubiquitous smart mobile and wearable technologies offer potential for PwD support.
• User-centered design (UCD) is critical for effective AT development in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a UCD approach for developing and testing AT for PwD using pervasive technologies.
• To evaluate the usability, usefulness, and user acceptance of a prototype AT system.
• To identify challenges and provide recommendations for future AT development for dementia.

Main Methods:

• Developed a prototype AT integrating a smartphone, smartwatch, and applications with six support features.
• Conducted controlled usability testing and real-world field testing with five PwD and their caregivers.
• Collected data via video recordings, interaction logs, questionnaires, logbooks, usage logs, and interviews (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model).

Main Results:

• The AT prototype demonstrated potential for user adoption among people with dementia.
• Personalization and familiarity were identified as critical factors influencing adoption.
• Usability issues, feature usefulness, and four distinct adoption profiles were detailed.

Conclusions:

• Smart pervasive AT holds promise for supporting people with dementia.
• UCD methods, emphasizing personalization and familiarity, are essential for successful AT development.
• Recommendations are provided for practitioners and researchers to improve smart AT for dementia.