Evaluation of Cognitive Prosthetics

An important aspect when developing assistive technical services for persons with dementia is the assessment of usability and usefulness from the perspective of the user. The COGKNOW project aims at developing an assistive device for persons with mild dementia and the evaluation of the first pilot device was based on a multiple case study design using mainly a qualitative approach in data collection. The design of the evaluation used a mix method approach using semi-structured interviews, combining structured and open questions, and semi-structured observations. Persons with dementia provide special challenges in assessing usefulness and user friendliness due to their cognitive impairments. The experiences from the first test of the COGKNOW device showed that the use of a mix method approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the usefulness and user friendliness that overcome some of the challenges.

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