Development of Personalized Assistive Technology to Improve Dementia Care at Home

描述（由申请人提供）：由格鲁吉亚亚特兰大的SimpleC提交的这份快速SBIR申请，要求提供资金，以测试我们目前针对痴呆症患者（PWD）的行为管理技术，SimpleC伴侣，并开发和测试一种新的移动的平板电脑，SimpleC健康教练，在家中，老年人在地方市场，绝大多数PWD接受他们的护理。SimpleC的高度个性化的人工客户服务和先进的无线计算网络使创建和提供有意义的护理干预的大规模，具有成本效益。目前，伴侣是一个固定的所有功能于一身的电脑触摸屏，提供个性化的护理干预（“护理节目”），以残疾人在辅助生活和专门的记忆护理单位在长期护理设施。重点是改善照顾者识别的常见行为和神经精神症状，如冷漠，攻击和ADL问题。我们基于技术的方法源于应用一系列经过测试的心理社会干预方法，如回忆，音乐，现实取向，以及使用数字媒体演示的模拟存在或“可信的声音”，当根据个人客户的偏好和需求进行定制时，会导致积极的行为改变。我们的专有系统依赖于个性化而不是通用媒体来吸引用户的参与。与通用的、一刀切的基于媒体的 SimpleC辅助技术包括频繁的个人参与测试和定制的护理节目。我们产品的独特之处在于能够处理Companion使用模式以反馈到系统，从而不断完善护理服务并适应进行性神经退行性疾病不断变化的需求。在早期结局评估中，护理人员报告使用Companion后护理人员负担减轻，生活质量（QOL）改善。在第一阶段，我们将测试伴侣的可用性和早期功效，以在新的护理环境（私人家庭）中建立原理证明，并定义移动的健康教练的设计迭代。在第二阶段，我们将设计和测试一个移动的健康教练原型，这是用户友好的老年夫妇老化的地方（有和没有痴呆症），并建立30个测试单位，以测试可用性和有效性在一个试点随机对照试验与一系列疾病的严重程度条件和一系列照顾者的安排，以评估该产品与非配偶照顾者。初步疗效研究的主要目标是生成有关减少PWD行为问题的早期结局数据，并测量关注的临床人群的家庭护理人员负担和QOL。第三阶段商业化的计划包括扩大网络和客户服务能力，扩大我们的市场分销系统，包括家庭护理服务提供商和其他与PWD合作的公司，并扩展移动的平板电脑的功能，开始为中风和创伤性脑损伤后认知障碍的临床人群提供服务。 公共卫生相关性：SimpleC开发了一种基于无线媒体的行为管理技术，以提高美国阿尔茨海默病和相关痴呆症患者的生活质量和独立性，并减轻近1500万家庭护理人员的护理负担。这项研究将测试桌面SimpleC伴侣，和一个新的移动的平板电脑设备，SimpleC健康教练，在老化的地方，在家庭市场。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Fast-Track SBIR application submitted by SimpleC of Atlanta, Georgia, requests funds to test our current behavior management technology for persons with dementia (PWD), the SimpleC Companion, and to develop and test a new mobile tablet, the SimpleC Wellness Coach, in the in-home, aging in place market where the overwhelming majority of PWD receive their care. SimpleC's highly personalized human customer service and advanced wireless computing network enable the creation and delivery of meaningful care interventions on a large, cost-effective scale. Currently, the Companion is a stationary all-in-one computer touch screen that delivers personalized care interventions ('care shows') to PWD in assisted living and dedicated memory care units in long-term care facilities. The focus is on ameliorating common behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms identified by caregivers, such as apathy, aggression and trouble with ADL. Our technology-based approach grew out of applying a mix of tested psychosocial intervention methods such as reminiscence, music, reality orientation, and simulated presence or 'trusted voice' using a digital media presentation that, when customized to the individual client's preferences and needs, resulted in positive behavior change. Our proprietary system relies on personalized rather than generic media to elicit engagement in users. In distinct contrast to generic, one-size-fits-all media-based products, SimpleC assistive technology includes frequent individual engagement testing with the customized care shows. Unique to our product is the ability to process Companion usage patterns to feed back to the system in order to continuously refine care offerings and adjust to the changing demands of a progressive, neurodegenerative disease. In early outcome assessments, caregivers reported reduced caregiver burden and improved quality of life (QOL) after using the Companion. In Phase I, we will test the usability and early efficacy of the Companion to establish proof-of-principle in a new care environment, the private home, and define design iterations for the mobile Wellness Coach. In Phase II, we will design and test a mobile Wellness Coach prototype that is user-friendly for senior couples aging in place (with and without dementia), and build 30 beta units to test for usability and efficacy in a pilot randomized control trial with a range of disease severity conditions and a range of caregiver arrangements in order to evaluate the product with non-spouse caregivers. The main goal of the pilot efficacy study is to generate early outcome data on reducing behavior problems in the PWD and to measure caregiver burden and QOL in the home in the clinical population of interest. Plans for Phase III commercialization include scaling up the network and customer service capabilities, expanding our market distribution system to include home care services providers and other companies that work with PWD, and expanding the functionality of the mobile tablet to start serving clinical populations with cognitive impairment following stroke and traumatic brain injury. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: SimpleC has developed a wireless media-based behavior management technology to improve the quality of life and independence of Americans with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias as well as reduce the care burden for nearly 15 million family caregivers. This research will test the desktop SimpleC Companion, and a new mobile tablet device, the SimpleC Wellness Coach, in the aging in place, in-home market.