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SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

COS7004 USER-CENTRED DESIGN Assignment #1 Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology

EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH TO SOFTWARE REQUIRMENTS

Submitted By: Name: Pratick Regmi ID: 102855561 Word Count: 1351

Submitted To: Karola von Baggo

15 April, 2020

Executive Summary The present paper constitutes about the dementia and evidence-based approach to software requirement. Dementia is a condition where a person suffering from is not able to think properly and perform day to day activity causing them to wander off without knowing. It is not a specific disease but a collection of different symptoms. In this situation, it is extremely difficult for the care giver to take care of them and know if they have wander off. So, this paper discusses about the use of assistive technology like Global Positioning System (GPS) to track and monitor them even though having some concerns regarding the privacy and ongoing debates towards the use of this technology as well as the evidence of different requirements on the devices by care giver which embeds GPS technology. This paper focuses on different elements and criteria of this technology including functionality, useability, acceptability and effectiveness of the technology based on the user designed principles of user, tasks and system environment that are required for the care giver as well as person suffering from dementia to be treated and cared well.

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION

3

USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

3

Functionality Useability and acceptability Effectiveness Debate

3 4 4 4

CONCLUSION

5

REFERENCES

5

Introduction It is a right for every individual to have a better life and a living freely and happily however to some people, having certain condition which would not allow them to have this perfect life they are looking for. One of that condition is Dementia. It is extremely difficult for the caregiver to help the patient with dementia as they are very high risk associated with this condition where the patient get lost without knowing. Many researchers have published different papers on this condition and the appropriate solution for it. One of them is the use of assistive technologies which helps people to have a good life even though living with dementia. There are many different kinds of tracking and communication devices available which has been designed for the dementia patient and the caregivers. Among them one of the promising one is “Global positioning System” (GPS). According to World Health Organization (WHO) out of 10 people globally only 1 have access to this technology. (Belinda et al. 2017, p.749). The purpose of this paper is to review the academic papers related to GPS tracking system to understand the user’s attitude towards the use of technology and how they are being used to provide benefits for the caregivers as well as patients suffering with dementia.

Use of Assistive Technology Use of assistive technology like Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has been growing very rapidly in current technology era with the use of smartphones, it has been really easy to track and find out the exact location of any individual with precise location on the map. With the use of this technology it can offer great benefit towards the caregiver who wants to track the patient with dementia. Different variety of new systems and devices are commercially being created with the use of GPS technology which are specially designed for the people with cognitive impairments who may have experience way finding difficulties. (Copper et al. 2019, p. 3).

Functionality As described earlier with the use of GPS technology how it can track and monitor the patients. There could be different types of functionalities and features which can be used like an aid to navigation, alarm feature to use if the user is lost and having a pre-set radius (a geo fence) that alerts the care giver if the person with dementia leaves this pre-determined area(Copper et al. 2019, p3). In today’s world this technology has been embedded in different

devices like smartphone, handheld devices that are size of a pager which can be placed in the pocket, web browser via internet connection. As stated by Copper et al. (2019, p. 6) “It includes three functions. For the track and trace function, the device sends position coordinates to a secured website, via the mobile phone network, after contact with the GPS satellites”. Based on the research made by Cooper et al. (2019, p. 6), different feedbacks and opinions were given by the users regarding the device on how they would like to use like wearing in in their neck, holding it and placing it in the pocket, needs to be rechargeable and removeable.

Useability and acceptability There has been many conflict and ongoing debate on the use of GPS technology with people with dementia causing the people to think that it is an invasion of privacy. (BantryWhite, 2018, cited in Copper et al., 2019). People with dementia when they are lost and wander off there is very high burden to the care giver so having this technology to locate them has been very beneficial to the caregiver. It has been reviewed by Cooper et al., (2019, p2) that “To date, there are no systematic reviews that explore the perceptions of key

stakeholders, including people living with dementia, on attitudes towards the use of GPS systems for people with dementia. This review aims to meet this gap by discovering the perceptions held by all potential stakeholders in the use of GPS to promote independent, safe outdoor walking for people with dementia”. People with dementia are vulnerable and at a risk of deprivation as they are limited to access the normal day to day activities properly. On the other hand, staying at age care home, noisy or busy places might be very challenging for them as well as the care giver to monitor their activities, so having to use this technology considering the environment will be really crucial when choosing this technology. The primary group of users would be the caregiver where they need full and complete access to the technology wherever they are like home, office, outdoor, where they can have similar set of actions or task they will perform to track and monitor the patients.

Effectiveness According to the research made by Pot et al. (2012, p. 213), “caregivers showed a tendency to feel less worried after the three months use of the track and trace technology as shown by a trend in their scores on the worry scale between pre- and post-measurement”. When using this technology GPS coordinates should be very precise to track the location of the patient otherwise there may be high risk of neglecting this technology by the caregiver. “Among the familial carers interviewed in the studies, GPS was either used as the prime method of preventing their relative from getting lost or as a backup to strategies already in place.” (Bantry-White E, 2014 cited in Cooper et al., 2019, p. 6). To minimize the risk and privacy, this technology can be used when it requires rather than monitoring it every time. As for primary group of users i.e. caregiver, it is impossible task to monitor the patients every time for long period of time, so to effectively use this technology, such devices are required which can alert them and take necessary actions based on the alert and environment.

Debate According to Copper et al. (2019, p. 2), “Few studies or reviews has been performed examining the efficacy of GPS in facilitating independent outdoor walking for people with dementia”. Much of the published debate is around using such devices to “manage wandering behaviour” rather than to promote independent outdoor walking. (Plastow NA, 2006, cited in Copper et al., 2019). Using GPS indeed is an invasion of privacy however one also needs to think the reason for building such devices and technology which could give the caregiver benefits and to find the person who get lost. So “a decision not to use GPS to preserve the autonomy of the person with dementia may to harm to familial career” (Bantery-White E, 2018 cited in Copper et al., 2019 p. 2) as family members are more concerned about the patient rather than their privacy.

Conclusion Use of GPS technology creates a great benefit to the care giver to monitor and track the patient suffering from Dementia. Although there has been some debate and risk related to the privacy and use of the technology at the end it is about the risk of any individual suffering from dementia who wander off and get lost. “In spite of the shift in design technology towards the involvement of people with dementia, the vast majority of people are accessing GPS devices accompanied by a narrative of risk management rather than empowerment.” (Wood E et al., 2015 cited in Cooper et al., 2019, p. 7). It is for each individual to have positive attitude towards the person suffering from dementia as well as the solution or technology that can be used to effectively monitor them in case of emergency. Use of this technology is not just only for the care giver but most importantly it is for the care receiver as well on how well they can use it via different means like wearing them, keeping in pocket, holding in hands. According to Pot et al. (2012, p. 133) “It is important to define the specific problem of the specific person with dementia and his or her caregiver and to search for the most appropriate solution for the problems of this particular dyad”. The more care giver is used to the technology and know how to properly use it, it gives much more benefit to them as well as the patient suffering from dementia. The use of this devices and technology together depends on the environment, users and actual tasks which they are trying to perform to monitor them.

References Belinda Bennett,Fiona McDonald,Elizabeth Beattie,Terry Carney,Ian Freckelton,Ben Whitea & Lindy Willmotta, Bull World Health Organ 2017, Assistive technologies for people with dementia: ethical considerations, viewed May 12 2017,

Cooper, J, Burrow, S, & Pusey, H 2019, What are the perceptions of people living with dementia, family carers, professionals and other potential stakeholders to the use of global positioning systems to promote safer outdoor walking?: a qualitative literature review,

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, ePub. Pot, A M, Willemse, B M, & Horjus, S 2012 A pilot study on the use of tracking technology: Feasibility, acceptability, and benefits for people in early stages of dementia and their informal caregivers, Aging & Mental Health, vol 16, no.1, pp. 127- 134....