Designing a Technology Coach: A multidisciplinary team models a system that can alert users of a complex medical device when they make an error (original) (raw)
Related papers
2007
Formally involving users in the design of eHealth solutions can be beneficial. However, within the eHealth domain, the design process is often technology driven. In contrast, we present the need for and benefits of a user-centered approach to technology development. In addition, we argue that smart home environments, such as Georgia Tech's Aware Home, Philips' Home & CareLab and TNO/DUT's Experience Labs, facilitate this approach. In this article, we describe two studies that were recently conducted in the Aware Home to examine monitoring in a home environment. One project involved a formative evaluation of the perceived needs and perceived benefits of using visual sensing systems within the homes of older adults. The other involved the usability evaluation of a computer assistant for the supervision of older diabetics' self-care. Both evaluations suggested that older adults recognized the potential benefits of having these types of monitoring technologies in home environment.
Methods of Information in Medicine, 2008
Objectives: We developed an adaptive computer assistant for the supervision of diabetics' self-care, to support limiting illness and need for acute treatment, and improve health literacy. This assistant monitors self-care activities logged in the patient's electronic diary. Accordingly, it provides context-aware feedback. The objective was to evaluate whether older adults in general can make use of the computer assistant and to compare an adaptive computer assistant with a fixed one, concerning its usability and contribution to health literacy.
Gerontechnology, 2011
Assessing the needs of older adults with dementia and their caregivers. Objective: To determine the needs of older adults with dementia and their family caregivers during Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and the role of intelligent assistive technology (AT) in supporting these needs. Methods An 85 item questionnaire was administered to family caregivers of older adults with dementia exploring: (i) challenging ADL for an older adult with dementia to complete independently, (ii) difficult ADL for a caregiver to assist, (iii) the role of AT supporting ADL completion, and (iv) the features and functions of in-home AT designed to support ADL. Results Respondents (n=106) indicated the person they care for has partial ability to complete ADL, that private tasks (e.g., showering) are difficult to assist, and that AT designed to support ADL must be autonomous, familiar, simple and unobtrusive. Respondents also showed little knowledge of existing AT that support ADL. Conclusions Designers of AT should focus on supporting caregivers and older adults with dementia in the completion of private and personal ADL.
Designing Appropriate Assistive Technology for Home Users Barlow
1998
This paper is concerned with explicating some of the multiple concerns involved in designing appropriate assistive technology in domestic, or home, settings. As society becomes increasingly reliant on computer-based systems, and as domestic settings become increasingly technologised (Dewsbury 2001), the systems themselves have become increasingly complex and the need for dependable systems correspondingly important. Achieving sufficient dependability in these systems, and demonstrating this achievement in a rigorous and convincing manner, appears crucial in moving towards an inclusive Information Society. The paper reflects our interest in making some initial steps towards developing improved means of specifying, designing, assessing, deploying and maintaining complex socio-technical systems in domestic contexts where high dependability is crucial. As computer-based systems and artefacts penetrate more and more into people's everyday lives and homes, the 'design problem' is not so much concerned with the creation of new technical artefacts as it is with their effective and dependable configuration and integration. It is evident that satisfactory resolution of such concerns demands major, interdisciplinary breakthroughs in understanding the development of complex socio-technical systems in domestic environments since inadequate understanding of the context of the lived reality of use and user needs is often a significant cause of lack of dependability. The paper also explores the ongoing DIRC project that, currently, is ethnographically investigating these areas within its Project Activity 'Dependable Ubiquitous Computing In The Home'. Whilst this paper does not attempt to solve all of the presented issues it does aim to illuminate some fields of investigation that might form the basis for future and ongoing research and development agendas for appropriate technological interventions in domestic settings.
Designing a cognitive aid for the home
ACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing, 2003
Cognitive impairments play a large role in the lives of surviviors of mild traumatic brain injuries who are unable to return to their prior level of independence in their homes. Computational support has the potential to enable these individuals to regain control over some aspects of their lives. Our research aims to carefully seek out issues that might be appropriate for computational support and to build enabling technologies that increase individuals' functional independence in the home environment. Using a case-study approach, we explored the needs and informed the design of a pacing aid for an individual with a cognitive impairment whose quality of life was negatively affected by her inability to pace herself during her morning routine.
Designing a cognitive aid for the home: a case-study approach
ACM Sigaccess Accessibility and Computing, 2003
Cognitive impairments play a large role in the lives of surviviors of mild traumatic brain injuries who are unable to return to their prior level of independence in their homes. Computational support has the potential to enable these individuals to regain control over some aspects of their lives. Our research aims to carefully seek out issues that might be appropriate for computational support and to build enabling technologies that increase individuals' functional independence in the home environment. Using a case-study approach, we explored the needs and informed the design of a pacing aid for an individual with a cognitive impairment whose quality of life was negatively affected by her inability to pace herself during her morning routine.
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2020
Sensing technologies hold enormous potential for early detection of health changes that can dramatically affect the aging experience. In previous work, we developed a health alert system that captures and analyzes in-home sensor data. The purpose of this research was to collect input from older adults and family members on how the health information generated can best be adapted, such that older adults and family members can better self-manage their health. Five 90-minute focus groups were conducted with 23 older adults (mean age = 80 years; 87% female) and fi ve family members (mean age = 64; 100% female). Participants were asked open-ended questions about the sensor technology and methods for interacting with their health information. Participants provided feedback regarding tailoring the technology, such as delegating access to family and health care providers, receiving health messages and alerts, interpreting health messages, and graphic display options. Participants also noted concerns and future likelihood of technology adoption. [Journal of Geron-tological Nursing, 46(7), 35-40.]
Towards adaptive interfaces for supporting elderly users in technology-enhanced home environments
Proceedings of the …, 2010
This paper describes first steps in the design process of an open and integrative test bed for studying the acceptance of Ambient Assisted Living technologies. The research work reported in this paper was conducted within the project "eHealth -Enhancing Mobility with Aging", an interdisciplinary research project funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments. In the first part of the paper, several formative studies are described, which were conducted in order to analyze personal and medical needs of potential end users, as well as the habits they have in dealing with their illnesses. The insights gained in these studies were used to define fundamental requirements for the design of an intelligent home environment. The second part of the paper shows how the concept was realized and presents several technical prototypes of intelligent home components.
Technologies Applied to Improving Lifestyle Quality in Older Adults at Home: Senior Guardian
A medida que avanza la edad, pueden aparecer algunas enfermedades que poco a poco impactan en la salud de las personas. Entre ellas, algunas enfermedades crónicas y neurodegenerativas que impiden mantener la independencia en las actividades básicas de la vida diaria, aumentando los riesgos en el hogar, como las caídas que, además de impactar en la autonomía, provocan una disminución del bienestar y la calidad del estilo de vida. El actual avance de las tecnologías de la información y el abaratamiento del hardware permiten afrontar este problema desde una perspectiva preventiva más que reactiva, es decir antes de que las consecuencias para la salud se vuelvan irremediables. Las viviendas inteligentes surgen desde esta perspectiva, definidas como ambientes confortables que cuentan con inteligencia ambiental y control automático, que permiten responder al comportamiento de los residentes de manera no intrusiva ni invasiva. Este trabajo muestra parte de los resultados de una intervenció...