scholarly journals Investigating Best Practices for Remote Summative Usability Testing with People with Mild to Moderate Dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Rachel Wood ◽  
Emma Dixon ◽  
Salma Elsayed-Ali ◽  
Etka Shokeen ◽  
Amanda Lazar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Usability Testing ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Main Study ◽  
Testing Methods ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Hard To Reach Populations

People with dementia may miss out on the benefits of using technology, because they often find it difficult to use. Usability testing is one method to identify barriers and areas for improvement in technology. Unfortunately, usability testing is often not conducted with people with dementia, independent of their caregivers. Difficulty recruiting local participants with dementia who regularly use technology further compounds the problem. Remote methods have been proposed as one approach to recruiting hard-to-reach populations. Currently, it is unclear how to effectively conduct remote summative usability testing with people with dementia. We recruited 15 participants. Five took part in the pilot study and 10 participated in the main study. We identify best practices and make suggestions for remote summative usability tests with people who have mild to moderate dementia, independent of caregivers. We discuss our findings in three sections: (1) logistics for planning remote summative usability testing, (2) approaches for conducting remote summative usability testing, including modifications of research methods, and (3) considerations when evaluating findings from remote summative usability sessions. We also present modified usability testing methods we developed to meet the unique needs of users with mild to moderate dementia, and summarize lessons learned and new directions for research on this topic.

scholarly journals COGNIC - A Mobile Device Application Used for Cognitive Stimulation in Older People with Dementia

Abakós ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-42
Author(s):  
Antônio Augusto de Faria Guimarães Melo Pertence ◽  
Rosilane Ribeiro da Mota ◽  
Luciana de Oliveira Assis
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Older People ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
Frequent Form ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
And Control

Dementia is characterized by marked cognitive impairment and is a prevalent mental illness among older people. Alzheimer’s disease is the most frequent form of dementia, affecting memory and other cognitive functions. Although there is no cure for the disease, there are treatments that can relieve cognitive symptoms and control the behavior of affected individuals. In recent years, there has been a progressive increase in the use of applications designed for smartphones and tablets for the non-pharmacological treatment of dementia. This article describes the development of an application for mobile devices with the Android® platform operating system based on guidelines established in the literature to be used by health professionals who provide care for older people with a diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. The application was evaluated employing usability tests and questionnaires, the results of which indicated that the application met the proposed objectives, validating the guidelines established in the literature for the development of applications for this population.

Usability Testing: Making it Work for the Army

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (25) ◽  
pp. 1868-1872
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Savage-Knepshield
Keyword(s):  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Usability Testing ◽  
End Users ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Test Procedures ◽  
Thinking Aloud ◽  
Usability Test ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
Hybrid Solutions ◽  
Early Formative

During an early formative usability test, representative end-users perform a set of tasks using a prototype or simulation of a system. While performing tasks and thinking aloud, a skilled specialist observes and takes notes recording how easily a participant performs the tasks and logging issues encountered. Sessions are conducted in a usability test lab, while interested parties watch from a separate observation room through a one-way mirror. Due to cost, schedule, and resource constraints many elements of conventional usability testing are not viable for use when testing equipment with Warfighters. To overcome these challenges and meet the needs of system developers, usability test procedures were modified and hybrid solutions developed. Descriptions and examples of these modifications are provided as are lessons learned and insights gained through their use during the course of seven usability tests.

Adapting Tactical Military Structures to the Current and Future Operational Environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-162
Author(s):  
Paul Tudorache ◽  
Lucian Ispas
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Organizational Adaptation ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
The Future ◽  
Military Units

AbstractUsing the lessons learned from recent military operations such as Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) from Syria and Iraq, we proposed to investigate the need for tactical military units to adapt operationally to grapple with the most common requirements specific to current operational environments, but also for those that can be foreseen in the future. In this regard, by identifying the best practices in the field that can be met at the level of some important armies, such as USA and UK, we will try to determine a common denominator of most important principles whose application may facilitate both operational and organizational adaptation necessary for tactical military units to perform missions and tasks in the most unknown future operational environments.

scholarly journals Impact of Social Isolation on People with Dementia and Their Family Caregivers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Lílian Viana dos Santos Azevedo ◽  
Ismael Luis Calandri ◽  
Andrea Slachevsky ◽  
Héctor Gastón Graviotto ◽  
Maria Carolina Santos Vieira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
South American ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Dementia Caregivers ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Severity Of Dementia

Background: People with dementia and their family caregivers may face a great burden through social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be manifested as various behavioral and clinical symptoms. Objective: To investigate the impacts of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with dementia and their family caregivers. Methods: Two semi-structured questionnaires were applied via telephone to family caregivers of people diagnosed with dementia in three cities in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, in order to assess clinical and behavioral changes in people with dementia and in their caregivers. Results: In general, 321 interviews were conducted. A significant decline in memory function has been reported among 53.0%of people with dementia. In addition, 31.2%of individuals with dementia felt sadder and 37.4%had increased anxiety symptoms. These symptoms of anxiety were greater in individuals with mild to moderate dementia, while symptoms of agitation were greater in individuals with severe dementia. Moreover, compulsive-obsessive behavior, hallucinations, increased forgetfulness, altered appetite, and increased difficulty in activities of daily living were reported more frequently among individuals with moderate to severe dementia. Caregivers reported feeling more tired and overwhelmed during this period and these symptoms were also influenced by the severity of dementia. Conclusion: Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a series of negative behavioral repercussions, both for people with dementia and for their family caregivers in these three South American countries.

Sustainability Certification and Green Public Procurement: Ideals and Outcomes in a New Jersey School District

2021 ◽  
pp. 097340822110125
Author(s):  
Cluny Mendez ◽  
Christopher L. Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Green Public Procurement ◽  
The Subject

The implementation of sustainability and green public procurement (GPP) initiatives in school districts has been the subject of some debate; questions over definitions and programme goals have led to inconsistency and concerns about programme achievements. The legitimacy of programmes rests not only with the announcement of policy by officials, but with adherence to policy and staff buy-in. This study examines barriers districts face, and makes recommendations based upon district experience on ways to successfully implement sustainability and GPP initiatives. A review of the literature on GPP and legitimacy in the execution of public functions within the education domain begins the study. Major components relative to best practices for GPP programmes are studied through the review of GPP-related documents from a school district in New Jersey considered as an exemplar of such programmes. Analysis of an interview with the district’s representatives suggests that, despite the normative approval such programmes receive, and widespread understanding of the rationale for pursuing such initiatives, there remain critical failings in implementation of these programmes, stemming from education, resourcing of initiatives and prioritization of green procurement in relation to other district priorities. The study concludes with lessons learned from this case, which is important given its positioning within New Jersey as an exemplar and recommendations for future research where work in this area is needed.

scholarly journals What Are the Benefits of Pet Ownership and Care Among People With Mild-to-Moderate Dementia? Findings From the IDEAL programme

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482096261
Author(s):  
Carol Opdebeeck ◽  
Michael A. Katsaris ◽  
Anthony Martyr ◽  
Ruth A. Lamont ◽  
James A. Pickett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Active Life ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
The Ideal

Pet ownership has been associated with positive outcomes in many populations, yet the associations with physical and psychological wellbeing in people with dementia remain unclear. The current study used baseline data from 1,542 people living at home with mild-to-moderate dementia from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) programme. Regression analyses investigated associations of pet ownership and pet care with self-reports of walking, loneliness, depression, and quality of life (QoL). After adjusting for covariates, having any pet was associated with higher likelihood of walking over 3 hr in the last week. Those with a dog and who were involved in its care were less likely to be lonely than those with no dog. Having any pet but no involvement in its care was associated with increased depression and decreased QoL compared with those without a pet. The key factor in the associations was involvement in the care of the pet by the person with dementia.

Encouraging millennials to collaborate and learn on the job

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 118-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Trees
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Outcomes ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present enterprise social networking and gamification as two potential tools to help organizations engage Millennial employees in collaboration and learning. Design/methodology/approach – The research provides general descriptions of enterprise social networking and gamification approaches, shares data on adoption of these approaches from APQC’s “2015 Knowledge Management Priorities Data Report” (based on a January 2015 survey of 524 knowledge management professionals) and includes four company examples adapted from APQC’s Connecting People to Content and Transferring and Applying Critical Knowledge best practices studies. The methodology for APQC’s best practices studies involves screening 50 or more organizations with potential best practices in a given research scope area and identifying five or six with proven best practices. APQC then conducts detailed site visits with the selected organizations and publishes case studies based on those site visits. Findings – Enterprise social networking platforms are in place at 50 per cent of organizations, with another 25 per cent planning to implement them by the end of 2015. By providing near-immediate access to information and answers, enterprise social networking helps Millennials learn the ropes at their new workplaces, gives them direct access to more knowledgeable colleagues who can assist and mentor them, and helps them improve their business outcomes by reusing knowledge and lessons learned across projects. Younger workers can also harness the power of social networking to create a sense of belonging and build their reputations in large, dispersed firms, where it is particularly difficult for them to gain visibility. A recent APQC survey indicates that 54 per cent of organizations either currently employ gamification to encourage collaboration or expect to implement it within the next three years. The rush to gamify the enterprise is, at least in part, a reflection of employers’ desire to satisfy Millennials and make them feel connected to a community of co-workers. Although games appeal to a wide range of age groups, Millennials grew up with digital interaction and tend to prefer environments that emphasize teamwork, social learning and frequent feedback – all of which can be delivered through gamification. Originality/value – The value of this paper is to introduce the value of and relationship between enterprise social networking and gamification platforms to human resource (HR) professionals looking to increase engagement and retention rates for Millennial employees.

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