Thesis

The co-design, development, and evaluation of a novel digital application to enable People with Dementia (PwD) to regularly self-report Quality of Life (QoL) Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2024
Thesis identifier
  • T17089
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201854966
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Best practice in modern healthcare for People with Dementia (PwD) prioritises the importance of a Person-Centred Care (PCC) approach that encourages greater involvement of patients in care decisions; a greater focus on quality of life (QoL); and remaining in a home environment where possible. The use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and digital technologies have had a significant impact on the QoL in other populations as a way to monitor and support patients more frequently and less intrusively. Similar benefits could be realised in dementia care if effort is made to overcome cognitive barriers of dementia and foster inclusion for PwD in the design of such tools. This thesis therefore aimed to co-design a novel application directly with PwD to enable them to report PROMs using different modalities with a tool that can be adjusted to their needs. This qualitative study implemented co-design during iterative workshops that followed an agile methodology where PwD were invited to contribute to every stage of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). First, a narrative review on existing technologies that enabled PwD to self-report data was conducted which identified technology and PROM preferences and the need for greater user involvement. PwD, informal carers (IC) and healthcare professionals (HCP) were then recruited to prototype development workshops where PwD were directly involved in co-designing the application, from initial concepts to functional prototype. The study concluded in a summative evaluation phase where all stakeholders evaluated the functional prototype for its feasibility, usability, and utility. The results found significant support for the application with it being praised for being highly accessible; offering options for users to adjust modalities and have greater control over their data; and for simplifying the questionnaire into an easy-to-use interface. PwD and IC were keen to see the application validated for clinical use and HCP wished to pilot it in a real-world environment.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Egan, Kieren
  • Maguire, Roma
Resource Type
DOI

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