Helena Lindgren | Umeå University (original) (raw)

Papers by Helena Lindgren

Research paper thumbnail of Conceptual Model for Behaviour Change Progress – Instrument in Design Processes for Behaviour Change Systems

pHealth 2021, 2021

The aim of the work presented in this article was to develop a conceptual model for behavior chan... more The aim of the work presented in this article was to develop a conceptual model for behavior change progress, which could be used for automated assessment of reasons for progress or non-progress. The model was developed based on theories for behavior change, and evaluated by domain experts. The information models of two prototype systems of a digital coach under development for preventing cardio-vascular diseases and stress respectively, were evaluated by comparing the content of the prototypes with concepts in the model. The conceptual model was found useful as instrument to evaluate to what extent the prototypes are based in theories for behavior change, whether some vital information is missing, and to identify mechanisms for short and long time goal setting. Moreover, the connection between the ontology underpinning the prototypes and the conceptual model could be defined. Future work includes the integration of the conceptual model to function as a meta-ontology, which could be...

Research paper thumbnail of Sociotechnical Systems as Innovation Systems in the Medical and Health Domain

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2013

It is argued that a development of healthcare systems should emerge within a healthcare providing... more It is argued that a development of healthcare systems should emerge within a healthcare providing organization and as part of daily practice instead of something implemented by a third party, in order to become successful. This sociotechnical view on system development is shared with new methods developed in the end-user development field. However, is it possible to realize this in practice? This paper explores the obstacles and potentials in the realization, leading to a discussion about sociotechnical systems as innovation systems. We describe two examples of sociotechnical innovation systems, and discuss the results from an end user driven innovation process perspective.

Research paper thumbnail of Limitations in Physicians' Knowledge when Assessing Dementia Diseases - an Evaluation Study of a Decision-Support System

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2011

There is a need to provide tools for the medical professional at the point of care in the assessm... more There is a need to provide tools for the medical professional at the point of care in the assessment of a suspected dementia disease. Early diagnosis is important in order to provide appropriate care so that the disease does not cause unnecessary suffering for the patient and relatives. DMSS (Dementia Management and Support System) is a clinical decision-support system that provides support in the diagnosis of a dementia disease, which is in use in controlled clinical evaluation settings in four countries. This paper reports the results of evaluations done in use environments in these places during a period of two years. Data in 218 patient cases were collected by 21 physicians during their use of the system in clinical practice. In 50 of the cases the use of the system were also observed and the physicians were interviewed in 88 cases. The collected data and inferences made by the system were analyzed. To summarize the results, DMSS gave appropriate support considering the patient ...

Research paper thumbnail of Instrument-Oriented Approach to Detecting and Representing Human Activity for Supporting Executive Functions and Learning

Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics 2017, 2017

The goal of this study is to develop a computer-interpretable model for activity detection and re... more The goal of this study is to develop a computer-interpretable model for activity detection and representation, based on existing informal models of how humans perform activity. Appropriate detection of purposeful human activity is an essential functionality of active assistive technology aiming at providing tailored support to individuals for improving activity performance and completion. The main contribution is the design of a model for detection and representation of human activities based on three categories of instruments, which is implemented as two generic and supplementary terminology models: an event ontology and a core ontology. The core ontology is extended for each new knowledge domain into a domain ontology. The model builds the base for personalization of services generated by the cooperative reasoning performed by a human collaborating with an intelligent and social software agent. Ongoing and future work includes user studies in the different application domains.

Research paper thumbnail of Diagnostic Reasoning Guided by a Decision-Support System: a Case Study

Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics 2017, 2017

A clinical decision-support system for dementia investigation was used in clinical practice. User... more A clinical decision-support system for dementia investigation was used in clinical practice. User information was collected based on interactions with the application. The aim of this study is to identify features in logged data that can be used for detecting learning and reasoning patterns in the user. A case of a physician who is novice to both the application and the dementia domain was studied and compared to the case of an expert physician using the system. Differences between them were found, and a clear pattern that indicates that learning takes place, both how to use the system and about dementia, was observed in the novice user. Further studies need to be conducted, focusing on whether patterns become stable over time, and with complementary methods that can detect reasons for observed behaviors. Software for automatic detection will be developed based on the results of this study.

Research paper thumbnail of Autonomous adaptation of software agents in the support of human activities

This paper is aimed at formalize the interplay among a person to be assisted, an assistive agent-... more This paper is aimed at formalize the interplay among a person to be assisted, an assistive agent-based software, and a caregiver. We propose principles that agents should follow in such interplay, this principles may have impact in different agent-based assistive technology. We propose a mechanism to integrate individual’s information into the final decision-making process of an agent. Moreover, we endow agents with mechanisms for evaluating the distance between independent and supported activity execution, the so called zone of proximal development (ZPD) in four scenarios: I) independent activity execution; II) ZPDH activity performance of a person when is supported by another person (e.g. a therapist); III) the ZPDS representing a potential activities when a person is supported by a software agent; and IV) the ZPDH+S when a person is supported by a caregiver and a software agent. Formal argumentation theory is used as foundation. Our formal models were tested using a prototype usi...

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative development of knowledge-based support systems: a case study

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2012

We investigate a user-driven collaborative knowledge engineering and interaction design process. ... more We investigate a user-driven collaborative knowledge engineering and interaction design process. The outcome is a knowledge-based support application tailored to physicians in the local dementia care community. The activity is organized as a part of a collaborative effort between different organizations to develop their local clinical practice. Six local practitioners used the generic decision-support prototype system DMSS-R developed for the dementia domain during a period and participated in evaluations and re-design. Additional two local domain experts and a domain expert external to the local community modeled the content and design of DMSS-R by using the modeling system ACKTUS. Obstacles and success factors occurring when enabling the end-users to design their own tools are detected and interpreted using a proposed framework for improving care through the use of clinical guidelines. The results are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Older Adults Co-Creating Meaningful Individualized Social Activities Online for Healthy Ageing

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2018

Social isolation and loneliness among older people is a growing problem with negative effects on ... more Social isolation and loneliness among older people is a growing problem with negative effects on physical and mental health. In co-creation with older adults individualized social activities were designed where older adults through computer mediated communication were able to participate in social activities without leaving their homes. Four types of activities were designed; outdoor activity, music event, visiting a friend and leisure activity. A participatory action research design was applied, where end users together with scientists from two research fields developed, tested and evaluated online participation in the activities. Usability and safety of the systems were major concerns among older adults. The evaluation pointed out that level of simplicity, usability and audio-video quality determined the level of satisfaction with the human interaction during the activity, thereby affecting the meaningfulness of the activity. The research presented in this paper constitutes the fi...

Research paper thumbnail of Tangible Communication of Emotions with a Digital Companion for Managing Stress

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of A Semantic Model of Human-Agent Dialogues

A common conversation between an older adult and a nurse about health-related issues includes top... more A common conversation between an older adult and a nurse about health-related issues includes topics such as troubles with sleep, reasons for walking around nighŠime, pain conditions, etc. Such a dialogue can be regarded as a ”natural” dialogue emerging from the participating agents’ lines of thinking, their roles, needs and motives, while switching between topics as the dialogue unfolds. Œe purpose of this work is to de€ne a generic model of purposeful human-agent dialogue activity including di‚erent types of argumentation dialogues, suitable for health-related topics. Œis is done based on analyses of scenarios, personas and models of human behavior. Œe model will be shared between the human and the agent, allowing for adaptation to the human’s reasoning, needs and motives.

Research paper thumbnail of Applying the Zone of Proximal Development when Evaluating Clinical Decision Support Systems: A Case Study

The goal to facilitate a continuing medical education can be incorporated in the design of a clin... more The goal to facilitate a continuing medical education can be incorporated in the design of a clinical decision-support system. Developing a method for evaluating knowledge and skill development as part of evaluating the system is the aim for the research presented in this paper. The activity supported by the system was analyzed using Activity theory and structured into a protocol. Four clinicians were studied using the system for the first time, and their activity were assessed using the concept of Zone of Proximal Development. Initial results show how the system was used for clinician with different level of skills, and provide implications for further development of the methodology and the system.

Research paper thumbnail of Detecting Learning and Reasoning Patterns in a CDSS for Dementia Investigation

Reasoning conducted in clinical practice is manifested through different and often combined reaso... more Reasoning conducted in clinical practice is manifested through different and often combined reasoning and learning strategies, adjusted to the characteristics of the available information, the medical professional's experience and skills, and the available tools, such as clinical practice guidelines. This research outlines a design model for supporting the commonly used strategies. This design model was implemented into a clinical decision-support system (CDSS), in addition to a method for detecting reasoning strategies applied when using the CDSS. This method was applied in a case study, with preliminary results presented in this paper and will be further implemented in future studies.

Research paper thumbnail of A Generic Approach for Data Management and End-User Development of Clinical Decision Support Systems

The main purposes of clinical decision-support systems (CDSS) are disseminating evidence-based me... more The main purposes of clinical decision-support systems (CDSS) are disseminating evidence-based medical knowledge (EBM), supporting a continued medical education, and improving clinical decision mak ...

Research paper thumbnail of A Method for Co-Designing Theory-Based Behaviour Change Systems for Health Promotion

A methodology was defined and developed for designing theory-based behaviour change systems for h... more A methodology was defined and developed for designing theory-based behaviour change systems for health promotion that can be tailored to the individual. Theories from two research fields were combined with a participatory action research methodology. Two case studies applying the methodology were conducted. During and between group sessions the participants created material and designs following the behaviour change strategy themes, which were discussed, analysed and transformed into a design of a behaviour change system. Theories in behavioural change and persuasive technology guided the data collection, data analyses, and the design of a behaviour change system. The methodology has strong emphasis on the target group's participation in the design process. The different aspects brought forward related to behaviour change strategies defined in literature on persuasive technology, and the dynamics of these are associated to needs and motivation defined in literature on behaviour ...

Research paper thumbnail of Personalised Persuasive Coaching to Increase Older Adults’ Physical and Social Activities: A Motivational Model

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2017

The overall aim of this research is to develop an adaptive digital coaching system that gives sen... more The overall aim of this research is to develop an adaptive digital coaching system that gives seniors personalized support for increasing physical activity, and promoting participation in social activity and their own care. The main research question is how can different behavioral and motivational factors of an individual be formally integrated into the knowledge base of a coach agent for generating support tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences in a specific situation?

Research paper thumbnail of Argumentation-Based Health Information Systems: A Design Methodology

IEEE Intelligent Systems, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainable Behavior Change for Health Supported by Person-Tailored, Adaptive, Risk-Aware Digital Coaching in a Social Context: Study Protocol for the STAR-C Research Programme

Frontiers in Public Health, 2021

Introduction: The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) in the Region Västerbotten Sweden is ... more Introduction: The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) in the Region Västerbotten Sweden is one of the very few cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programmes globally that is integrated into routine primary health care. The VIP has been shown as a cost-effective intervention to significantly reduce CVD mortality. However, little is known about the effectiveness of a digital solution to tailor risk communication strategies for supporting behavioral change. STAR-C aims to develop and evaluate a technical platform for personalized digital coaching that will support behavioral change aimed at preventing CVD.Methods: STAR-C employs a mixed-methods design in seven multidisciplinary projects, which runs in two phases during 2019–2024: (i) a formative intervention design and development phase, and (ii) an intervention implementation and evaluation phase. In the 1st phase, STAR-C will model the trajectories of health behaviors and their impact on CVDs (Project 1), evaluate the role...

Research paper thumbnail of Explaining Sympathetic Actions of Rational Agents

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Older adults’ perceptions of contexts surrounding their social participation in a digitalized society—an exploration in rural communities in Northern Sweden

European Journal of Ageing, 2020

Social participation and digital engagement can contribute to health and well-being among older a... more Social participation and digital engagement can contribute to health and well-being among older adults. Because of older adults’ decline in abilities, coupled with complex technology and its perceived insufficient relevance to daily life, there is a need to create and tailor social opportunities and services that are supported by digital technologies for older adults to continue participating in society. Thus, it becomes relevant to explore older adults’ perceptions about contexts surrounding their social participation in a digital society. This exploration used a qualitative research design with focus group interviews and qualitative content analysis. Eighteen older adults, aged 66–81 years, from rural communities in Northern Sweden, participated in this study. The analysis resulted in three categories: experiencing conditions for social participation in a state of flux, perceiving drawbacks of urbanization on social participation, and welcoming digital technology that facilitates ...

Research paper thumbnail of An activity-centric argumentation framework for assistive technology aimed at improving health

Argument & Computation, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Conceptual Model for Behaviour Change Progress – Instrument in Design Processes for Behaviour Change Systems

pHealth 2021, 2021

The aim of the work presented in this article was to develop a conceptual model for behavior chan... more The aim of the work presented in this article was to develop a conceptual model for behavior change progress, which could be used for automated assessment of reasons for progress or non-progress. The model was developed based on theories for behavior change, and evaluated by domain experts. The information models of two prototype systems of a digital coach under development for preventing cardio-vascular diseases and stress respectively, were evaluated by comparing the content of the prototypes with concepts in the model. The conceptual model was found useful as instrument to evaluate to what extent the prototypes are based in theories for behavior change, whether some vital information is missing, and to identify mechanisms for short and long time goal setting. Moreover, the connection between the ontology underpinning the prototypes and the conceptual model could be defined. Future work includes the integration of the conceptual model to function as a meta-ontology, which could be...

Research paper thumbnail of Sociotechnical Systems as Innovation Systems in the Medical and Health Domain

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2013

It is argued that a development of healthcare systems should emerge within a healthcare providing... more It is argued that a development of healthcare systems should emerge within a healthcare providing organization and as part of daily practice instead of something implemented by a third party, in order to become successful. This sociotechnical view on system development is shared with new methods developed in the end-user development field. However, is it possible to realize this in practice? This paper explores the obstacles and potentials in the realization, leading to a discussion about sociotechnical systems as innovation systems. We describe two examples of sociotechnical innovation systems, and discuss the results from an end user driven innovation process perspective.

Research paper thumbnail of Limitations in Physicians' Knowledge when Assessing Dementia Diseases - an Evaluation Study of a Decision-Support System

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2011

There is a need to provide tools for the medical professional at the point of care in the assessm... more There is a need to provide tools for the medical professional at the point of care in the assessment of a suspected dementia disease. Early diagnosis is important in order to provide appropriate care so that the disease does not cause unnecessary suffering for the patient and relatives. DMSS (Dementia Management and Support System) is a clinical decision-support system that provides support in the diagnosis of a dementia disease, which is in use in controlled clinical evaluation settings in four countries. This paper reports the results of evaluations done in use environments in these places during a period of two years. Data in 218 patient cases were collected by 21 physicians during their use of the system in clinical practice. In 50 of the cases the use of the system were also observed and the physicians were interviewed in 88 cases. The collected data and inferences made by the system were analyzed. To summarize the results, DMSS gave appropriate support considering the patient ...

Research paper thumbnail of Instrument-Oriented Approach to Detecting and Representing Human Activity for Supporting Executive Functions and Learning

Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics 2017, 2017

The goal of this study is to develop a computer-interpretable model for activity detection and re... more The goal of this study is to develop a computer-interpretable model for activity detection and representation, based on existing informal models of how humans perform activity. Appropriate detection of purposeful human activity is an essential functionality of active assistive technology aiming at providing tailored support to individuals for improving activity performance and completion. The main contribution is the design of a model for detection and representation of human activities based on three categories of instruments, which is implemented as two generic and supplementary terminology models: an event ontology and a core ontology. The core ontology is extended for each new knowledge domain into a domain ontology. The model builds the base for personalization of services generated by the cooperative reasoning performed by a human collaborating with an intelligent and social software agent. Ongoing and future work includes user studies in the different application domains.

Research paper thumbnail of Diagnostic Reasoning Guided by a Decision-Support System: a Case Study

Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics 2017, 2017

A clinical decision-support system for dementia investigation was used in clinical practice. User... more A clinical decision-support system for dementia investigation was used in clinical practice. User information was collected based on interactions with the application. The aim of this study is to identify features in logged data that can be used for detecting learning and reasoning patterns in the user. A case of a physician who is novice to both the application and the dementia domain was studied and compared to the case of an expert physician using the system. Differences between them were found, and a clear pattern that indicates that learning takes place, both how to use the system and about dementia, was observed in the novice user. Further studies need to be conducted, focusing on whether patterns become stable over time, and with complementary methods that can detect reasons for observed behaviors. Software for automatic detection will be developed based on the results of this study.

Research paper thumbnail of Autonomous adaptation of software agents in the support of human activities

This paper is aimed at formalize the interplay among a person to be assisted, an assistive agent-... more This paper is aimed at formalize the interplay among a person to be assisted, an assistive agent-based software, and a caregiver. We propose principles that agents should follow in such interplay, this principles may have impact in different agent-based assistive technology. We propose a mechanism to integrate individual’s information into the final decision-making process of an agent. Moreover, we endow agents with mechanisms for evaluating the distance between independent and supported activity execution, the so called zone of proximal development (ZPD) in four scenarios: I) independent activity execution; II) ZPDH activity performance of a person when is supported by another person (e.g. a therapist); III) the ZPDS representing a potential activities when a person is supported by a software agent; and IV) the ZPDH+S when a person is supported by a caregiver and a software agent. Formal argumentation theory is used as foundation. Our formal models were tested using a prototype usi...

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative development of knowledge-based support systems: a case study

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2012

We investigate a user-driven collaborative knowledge engineering and interaction design process. ... more We investigate a user-driven collaborative knowledge engineering and interaction design process. The outcome is a knowledge-based support application tailored to physicians in the local dementia care community. The activity is organized as a part of a collaborative effort between different organizations to develop their local clinical practice. Six local practitioners used the generic decision-support prototype system DMSS-R developed for the dementia domain during a period and participated in evaluations and re-design. Additional two local domain experts and a domain expert external to the local community modeled the content and design of DMSS-R by using the modeling system ACKTUS. Obstacles and success factors occurring when enabling the end-users to design their own tools are detected and interpreted using a proposed framework for improving care through the use of clinical guidelines. The results are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Older Adults Co-Creating Meaningful Individualized Social Activities Online for Healthy Ageing

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2018

Social isolation and loneliness among older people is a growing problem with negative effects on ... more Social isolation and loneliness among older people is a growing problem with negative effects on physical and mental health. In co-creation with older adults individualized social activities were designed where older adults through computer mediated communication were able to participate in social activities without leaving their homes. Four types of activities were designed; outdoor activity, music event, visiting a friend and leisure activity. A participatory action research design was applied, where end users together with scientists from two research fields developed, tested and evaluated online participation in the activities. Usability and safety of the systems were major concerns among older adults. The evaluation pointed out that level of simplicity, usability and audio-video quality determined the level of satisfaction with the human interaction during the activity, thereby affecting the meaningfulness of the activity. The research presented in this paper constitutes the fi...

Research paper thumbnail of Tangible Communication of Emotions with a Digital Companion for Managing Stress

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of A Semantic Model of Human-Agent Dialogues

A common conversation between an older adult and a nurse about health-related issues includes top... more A common conversation between an older adult and a nurse about health-related issues includes topics such as troubles with sleep, reasons for walking around nighŠime, pain conditions, etc. Such a dialogue can be regarded as a ”natural” dialogue emerging from the participating agents’ lines of thinking, their roles, needs and motives, while switching between topics as the dialogue unfolds. Œe purpose of this work is to de€ne a generic model of purposeful human-agent dialogue activity including di‚erent types of argumentation dialogues, suitable for health-related topics. Œis is done based on analyses of scenarios, personas and models of human behavior. Œe model will be shared between the human and the agent, allowing for adaptation to the human’s reasoning, needs and motives.

Research paper thumbnail of Applying the Zone of Proximal Development when Evaluating Clinical Decision Support Systems: A Case Study

The goal to facilitate a continuing medical education can be incorporated in the design of a clin... more The goal to facilitate a continuing medical education can be incorporated in the design of a clinical decision-support system. Developing a method for evaluating knowledge and skill development as part of evaluating the system is the aim for the research presented in this paper. The activity supported by the system was analyzed using Activity theory and structured into a protocol. Four clinicians were studied using the system for the first time, and their activity were assessed using the concept of Zone of Proximal Development. Initial results show how the system was used for clinician with different level of skills, and provide implications for further development of the methodology and the system.

Research paper thumbnail of Detecting Learning and Reasoning Patterns in a CDSS for Dementia Investigation

Reasoning conducted in clinical practice is manifested through different and often combined reaso... more Reasoning conducted in clinical practice is manifested through different and often combined reasoning and learning strategies, adjusted to the characteristics of the available information, the medical professional's experience and skills, and the available tools, such as clinical practice guidelines. This research outlines a design model for supporting the commonly used strategies. This design model was implemented into a clinical decision-support system (CDSS), in addition to a method for detecting reasoning strategies applied when using the CDSS. This method was applied in a case study, with preliminary results presented in this paper and will be further implemented in future studies.

Research paper thumbnail of A Generic Approach for Data Management and End-User Development of Clinical Decision Support Systems

The main purposes of clinical decision-support systems (CDSS) are disseminating evidence-based me... more The main purposes of clinical decision-support systems (CDSS) are disseminating evidence-based medical knowledge (EBM), supporting a continued medical education, and improving clinical decision mak ...

Research paper thumbnail of A Method for Co-Designing Theory-Based Behaviour Change Systems for Health Promotion

A methodology was defined and developed for designing theory-based behaviour change systems for h... more A methodology was defined and developed for designing theory-based behaviour change systems for health promotion that can be tailored to the individual. Theories from two research fields were combined with a participatory action research methodology. Two case studies applying the methodology were conducted. During and between group sessions the participants created material and designs following the behaviour change strategy themes, which were discussed, analysed and transformed into a design of a behaviour change system. Theories in behavioural change and persuasive technology guided the data collection, data analyses, and the design of a behaviour change system. The methodology has strong emphasis on the target group's participation in the design process. The different aspects brought forward related to behaviour change strategies defined in literature on persuasive technology, and the dynamics of these are associated to needs and motivation defined in literature on behaviour ...

Research paper thumbnail of Personalised Persuasive Coaching to Increase Older Adults’ Physical and Social Activities: A Motivational Model

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2017

The overall aim of this research is to develop an adaptive digital coaching system that gives sen... more The overall aim of this research is to develop an adaptive digital coaching system that gives seniors personalized support for increasing physical activity, and promoting participation in social activity and their own care. The main research question is how can different behavioral and motivational factors of an individual be formally integrated into the knowledge base of a coach agent for generating support tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences in a specific situation?

Research paper thumbnail of Argumentation-Based Health Information Systems: A Design Methodology

IEEE Intelligent Systems, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainable Behavior Change for Health Supported by Person-Tailored, Adaptive, Risk-Aware Digital Coaching in a Social Context: Study Protocol for the STAR-C Research Programme

Frontiers in Public Health, 2021

Introduction: The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) in the Region Västerbotten Sweden is ... more Introduction: The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) in the Region Västerbotten Sweden is one of the very few cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programmes globally that is integrated into routine primary health care. The VIP has been shown as a cost-effective intervention to significantly reduce CVD mortality. However, little is known about the effectiveness of a digital solution to tailor risk communication strategies for supporting behavioral change. STAR-C aims to develop and evaluate a technical platform for personalized digital coaching that will support behavioral change aimed at preventing CVD.Methods: STAR-C employs a mixed-methods design in seven multidisciplinary projects, which runs in two phases during 2019–2024: (i) a formative intervention design and development phase, and (ii) an intervention implementation and evaluation phase. In the 1st phase, STAR-C will model the trajectories of health behaviors and their impact on CVDs (Project 1), evaluate the role...

Research paper thumbnail of Explaining Sympathetic Actions of Rational Agents

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Older adults’ perceptions of contexts surrounding their social participation in a digitalized society—an exploration in rural communities in Northern Sweden

European Journal of Ageing, 2020

Social participation and digital engagement can contribute to health and well-being among older a... more Social participation and digital engagement can contribute to health and well-being among older adults. Because of older adults’ decline in abilities, coupled with complex technology and its perceived insufficient relevance to daily life, there is a need to create and tailor social opportunities and services that are supported by digital technologies for older adults to continue participating in society. Thus, it becomes relevant to explore older adults’ perceptions about contexts surrounding their social participation in a digital society. This exploration used a qualitative research design with focus group interviews and qualitative content analysis. Eighteen older adults, aged 66–81 years, from rural communities in Northern Sweden, participated in this study. The analysis resulted in three categories: experiencing conditions for social participation in a state of flux, perceiving drawbacks of urbanization on social participation, and welcoming digital technology that facilitates ...

Research paper thumbnail of An activity-centric argumentation framework for assistive technology aimed at improving health

Argument & Computation, 2016