User Experience of Interactive Technologies for People With Dementia: Comparative Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Human-Computer Interaction
• Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology

Background:

• Serious games (SGs) offer potential for dementia patient stimulation but often use unsuitable out-of-the-shelf technologies.
• Existing technologies can induce negative behaviors like anxiety, fatigue, and cybersickness in patients with dementia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient interaction and acceptance of five distinct out-of-the-shelf technologies.
• To evaluate user experience across ten virtual reality tasks for individuals with dementia.

Main Methods:

• A within-subject design involved 12 participants with dementia (mean age 75.08).
• Technologies tested included HTC VIVE, head-mounted display (HMD), tablet, mouse, augmented reality (AR), leap motion (LM), and HMD with LM.
• Performance was measured via behavioral and verbal responses, documented through video and notes.

Main Results:

• User experience varied by patient profile and technology interaction type (direct vs. indirect).
• Direct interaction technologies required less assistance and improved comprehension (P=.01).
• Performance was task-dependent; the mouse was most cost-effective, AR least; most technologies were durable.

Conclusions:

• While many participants could use off-the-shelf technologies, none are perfectly suited for dementia patients' specific needs.
• Guidelines are proposed for health professionals and engineers to enhance technology user experience for individuals with dementia.