MindMate: A Study of a Reminder System for People with Dementia (V3)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
MindMate: A Single Case Experimental Design study of a Reminder System for People with Mild Dementia
IRAS ID
204924
Contact name
Claire McGoldrick
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 29 days
Research summary
Background
Memory difficulties are a core feature of dementia. These include difficulties remembering to do something at a specific time and place in the future (Prospective Memory). Although a range of electronic prospective memory aids currently exist (e.g. Neuropage) the evidence supporting their use among the dementia population remains limited. Mindmate is a recently developed mobile application that aims to support individuals with a diagnosis of dementia, improving self-management skills and quality of life.Aims
This study will explore the effectiveness of MindMate reminder alerts delivered to a smartphone or tablet computer as a memory aid for people with a diagnosis of Mild Dementia.Method
Three participants with a diagnosis of dementia, who are considered to be in the early stages and who report everyday prospective memory difficulties, will be recruited from Older People Community Mental Health teams within Greater Glasgow and Clyde. They will own a smart phone or tablet and will be living with a partner or family member who will also participate in the study. During the initial baseline phase, the partner or family member will monitor the number of pre defined tasks the participant remembered and forgot. They will record this information on a weekly monitoring form and this phase will last between five to seven weeks. This will be followed by a five-week intervention phase where MindMate reminder alerts will be sent to the participant’s phone or tablet. Again, tasks that require remembering will be identified prior to the intervention phase, and family members or carers will monitor their success on a form.Results will be analysed using visual inspection and Tau-U analysis.
Applications
This study will provide information on the effectiveness of a form of assistive technology at supporting people with a dementia, which could improve quality of life of those with a diagnosis.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
16/WS/0219
Date of REC Opinion
3 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion