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Study on the Acceptability of an ICT Platform for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

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Abstract

EhcoBUTLER is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solution funded by the European Union (H2020; ID: 643566) and intended especially for elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to improve their health, independence and quality of life, particularly at the social level. The purpose of this study is to assess the acceptability of ehcoBUTLER based on a survey delivered to potential users and actors involved in their care, exploring their expectations and preferences, while anticipating the system’s functional requirements. The survey was delivered online to 313 participants (11% end users, 25% informal caregivers, 48% formal caregivers and 16% administration/management staff) from eight countries. Participants rated the different functionalities of ehcoBUTLER positively, 86.1% perceiving it as an interesting and useful system. Likewise, they assessed it as a commercially attractive product (75.1%). End users expressed a stronger preference for the social module. Nevertheless, they would be ready to pay a low monthly price for ehcoBUTLER. Professionals would be willing to pay choosing its functionalities modularly, but they would also expect it to be funded by the National Health System, centres or businesses. The conclusion is that all participants found ehcoBUTLER interesting, useful and ergonomic. However, to effectively implement it, it is necessary to bridge the digital gap and address the issue of insufficient investment in products aimed at older adults with cognitive impairment. To supplement cognitive training systems with social, emotional or entertainment functionalities could improve adherence to their use.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to give special thanks to the ehcoBUTLER project partners who participate collecting data in the stakeholder survey: EVERIS SPAIN SL (Spain), ASISTEL DOO BEOGRAD (Serbia), CLALIT HEALTH SERVICES (Israel), E-SENIORS: INITIATION DES SENIORS AUX NTIC ASSOCIATION (France), IDEA- INNOVACIÓN Y DESARROLLO ASISTENCIAL SL (Spain), FUNDACIÓN INTRAS (Spain), SENLAB, DRUZBA ZA INFORMACIJSKO TEHNOLOGIJO, DOO (Slovenia), STICHTING NATIONAAL OUDERENFONDS - Nationaal Ouderenfonds (Netherlands), VIDAVO S.A. (Greece), TELEFÓNICA MÓVILES ESPAÑA S.A. (Spain), AIMA NAPOLI ONLUS (Italy), YOUR DATA SRL (Italy), CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN BIOMÉDICA EN RED - CIBER (Spain).

Funding

The ehcoBUTLER project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [Grant Agreement 643566].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Leslie María Contreras-Somoza, Eider Irazoki, María Victoria Perea-Bartolomé & Manuel Ángel Franco-Martín

  2. Department of Research and Development, Iberian Institute of Research in Psycho-Sciences, INTRAS Foundation, Zamora, Spain

    Leslie María Contreras-Somoza, Eider Irazoki, José Miguel Toribio-Guzmán & Esther Parra-Vidales

  3. Fundación INTRAS, Ctra. de la Hiniesta 137, 49024, Zamora, Spain

    Leslie María Contreras-Somoza

  4. Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Diana Castilla

  5. CIBER Physiopathology, Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Carlos III Health Institute, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Diana Castilla & Cristina Botella

  6. Department of Basic Psychology, Clinic and Psychobiology, University of Jaume I, Castellón, Spain

    Cristina Botella & Carlos Suso-Ribera

  7. Innovation and Care Development, S.L., Pamplona, Spain

    Pilar Suárez-López

  8. Río Hortega Hospital’s Psychiatry and Mental Health Service, Valladolid, Spain

    Manuel Ángel Franco-Martín

  9. Zamora Public Welfare Complex, Zamora, Spain

    Manuel Ángel Franco-Martín

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  1. Leslie María Contreras-Somoza
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  2. Eider Irazoki
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Correspondence to Leslie María Contreras-Somoza.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 14 Categories for each module assessed by end users
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Table 15 Stakeholders’ sociodemographic characteristics
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Contreras-Somoza, L.M., Irazoki, E., Castilla, D. et al. Study on the Acceptability of an ICT Platform for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Med Syst 44, 120 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-020-01566-x

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