Empowering Dementia Caregivers using a Culturally Relevant Cyber-Human System

非裔美国人比美国其他群体更经常被诊断患有痴呆症。尽管患病率很高，但很少有针对技术使用的研究，以增强患有痴呆症的非裔美国人及其照顾者的功能。这项研究利用一种新的方法来开发一种研究模型，推进网络人类系统对非裔美国人社区痴呆症的研究。该项目利用文化基础来探索用户的需求和偏好，以推动非裔美国人社区可以随时采用的技术系统的开发。此外，这项研究将有助于提高对文化敏感的研究方法的认识，以提高对痴呆症技术使用的理解。最终，该项目将成为未来与文化相关的智能和互联健康技术进步的催化剂。该项目的总体目标是开发一个与文化相关的网络人类系统，通过减轻照顾者的负担，提高痴呆症患者的照顾者的效率，并随后提高其他不同人群的效率。这种网络人类系统建模方法利用来自痴呆激动发作、自我报告的护理者反应（例如，情绪和感知压力），以及非裔美国人社区痴呆症的独特属性。这些数据被用于网络人类系统中，以预测无偏见的激动模型，以便护理人员可以获得最佳响应，从而减轻他们的负担并支持痴呆症患者的功能。这项研究的结果将提高网络人类系统的使用为家庭ballaving.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

African Americans are more frequently diagnosed with dementia than other groups in the United States. Despite the prevalence, there is little research targeting technology use to enhance the functioning of African Americans living with dementia and their caregivers. This study utilizes a novel approach to develop a research model that advances cyber-human systems research on dementia caregiving in the African American community. The project uses a cultural foundation to explore the needs and preferences of users to drive the development of technological systems that can be readily adopted by the African American community. Moreover, this study will contribute to increasing awareness of culturally-sensitive research approaches to improve the understanding of the use of technology in dementia. Ultimately, this project will serve as the catalyst for future technological advances in culturally-relevant smart and connected health.The overarching goal of this project is to develop a culturally-relevant cyber-human system than can improve the effectiveness of caregivers of people with dementia -- and subsequently other diverse populations -- by reducing caregiver burden. This cyber-human system modeling approach utilizes information from dementia agitation episodes, self-reported caregiver response (e.g., mood and perceived stress), as well as unique attributes of the African American community with dementia. These data are used in a cyber-human system to predict unbiased agitation models so that caregivers and can be primed with an optimal response that reduces their burden and supports the functioning of the person with dementia. The results of this study will enhance the use of cyber-human systems for family caregiving.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.