Exploring the feasibility of an electronic prompting tool for dementia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the feasibility of a client-centred electronic prompting tool for supporting everyday activities in individuals with mild to moderate dementia.
IRAS ID
188515
Contact name
Nigel Harris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Designability
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 0 days
Research summary
Individuals with dementia experience difficulties with activities of daily living such as problems preparing meals, managing finances, and completing household tasks. These difficulties can lead to a loss of independence and increased levels of stress/anxiety. Therefore, it is important to identify methods of support that will help maintain daily activities. This project looks at the feasibility of developing a prompting tool for supporting individuals with dementia to complete everyday activities. The study looks at whether it is possible to teach carers to identify and breakdown everyday tasks into simple components and load those components onto a prompting tool which will support the person with dementia. For this to be effective it is important to understand how people with dementia and their carers approach these activities and to ensure the training materials and prompting tool are tailored to their specific needs. It is also critical to ensure that the prompting tool is reliable and easy to use. The study will be composed of two phases each involving twelve individuals with mild to moderate dementia and their carers. The first phase will involve testing the prompting tool and training materials in the home environment following instruction by the research team. The results of this phase will allow us to make refinements to the study materials based on user feedback and assessment of the reliability of the prompting tool. The second phase of the study will involve participants independently testing the prompting technology in the home environment without explicit training, which is a more accurate reflection of the how the finished tool would be used in the real world. The data from this study will support the development and refinement of the prompting technology and will inform future efficacy studies aimed at testing the potential benefits of these materials for individuals with dementia.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0038
Date of REC Opinion
21 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion