University of Twente Student Theses
Contactless In-Home Monitoring Technology for Home-Based Dementia Care : Perceptions and Acceptance of Informal Caregivers
Rosenkranz, Ronja (2022) Contactless In-Home Monitoring Technology for Home-Based Dementia Care : Perceptions and Acceptance of Informal Caregivers.
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| Abstract: | Providing home care to people with dementia is often perceived as burdensome by informal caregivers. In-home monitoring can reduce the burden on caregivers by allowing them to monitor their care recipients’ health and safety from a distance. However, existing in-home monitoring systems are often perceived as invasive, which is why contactless systems are being developed. To ensure that this technology will be accepted by informal caregivers, it is crucial to involve them in the development process. This study aimed to examine informal caregivers’ perceived benefits and concerns regarding contactless in-home monitoring and their intention to use it in home-based dementia care. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted online among informal caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment in Germany and the Netherlands (N=85). The survey assessed informal caregivers’ perceived benefits and concerns and their intention to use in-home monitoring for different purposes and at different points in time. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (percentage, median, interquartile range) and inferential statistics (Friedman's test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Pearson’s correlation). Results: Descriptive statistics indicate that informal caregivers perceived various benefits of in-home monitoring as relevant (e.g., better self-care surveillance, extended independent living). At the same time, they took a neutral stance towards most potential risks of in-home monitoring (e.g., information overload, privacy). The risk of replacing human contact with technology was perceived as a minor concern. The inferential analyses revealed that informal caregivers’ intention to use contactless in-home monitoring was significantly higher for a future declined situation than for the current situation (p = .001). Besides, their intention to use the technology for the detection of urgent situations was significantly higher than for the prediction of risks (p = .003). Moreover, all eight benefits were significantly positively associated with caregivers’ intention to use in-home monitoring (p < .001). Except for the concern ‘uncertainty of whether to respond to monitoring data’, the concerns were significantly negatively correlated with intention (.001 ≤ p ≤ .033). This study highlights the importance of considering the perceived benefits and concerns of informal caregivers as well as their preferences regarding the purpose of use when it comes to the development and implementation of contactless in-home monitoring technology. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/91454 |
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