Facilitating Information Sharing Concerning Dementia : Designing the interface of an online multimedia library

Abstract: There is a lack of technology that facilitates knowledge sharing in the medical sector. In several countries there is a shortage of medical staff with the proper education to take care of patients suffering from dementia. However, modern mobile and web technology pave the way for new online knowledge sharing platforms which could help remedy this problem. This study investigates how an interface of a mobile e-library, aimed at sharing dementia-related knowledge, could be created. It also examines how care workers perceive it and if they could be willing to adopt the technology in the future. This thesis project was carried out at Svenskt Demenscentrum, a non-profit organization with the purpose of disseminating and collecting knowledge concerning dementia. The prototype was designed using the double diamond process. This included an initial literature study and state-of-the-art analysis, which was followed by two workshops with professional care workers. The final design was created iteratively with feedback from a focus group. A total of four sessions with the focus group were organized. The final prototype was evaluated using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model. 12 participants took part in the user tests, all had previously taken care of patients suffering from dementia. The findings of the user tests suggest that the users perceived the interface as both useful and easy to use. This finding also indicates that the users, according to the TAM model, would be willing to adopt the technology if fully developed. All of the participants found the application fitting for smartphone devices. Some suggestions regarding further implementations of the interface included the addition of an onboarding process for those less familiar with modern design conventions and the inclusion of a social forum or discussion page that would allow for a direct knowledge exchange between the users.