A Novel Auditory-Cognitive Training App for Delaying or Preventing the Onset of Dementia: Participatory Design With Stakeholders

Abstract

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet #Preprint #PeerReviewMe: Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint. Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn. Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period. Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author). Background: Multiple gaming applications under the dementia umbrella for skills such as navigation exist, but there has yet to be an application designed specifically to investigate the role hearing loss may have in the process of cognitive decline. There is a demonstrable gap in utilising serious games to further the knowledge of the potential relationship between hearing loss and dementia. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the needs, facilitators and barriers in designing a novel auditory-cognitive training gaming application. Methods: A participatory design approach was used to engage key stakeholders across audiology and cognitive disorders specialisms. Two rounds, including paired semi-structured interviews and focus groups were completed and thematically analysed. Results: 18 stakeholders participated in total and 6 themes were identified to inform the next stage of the application’s development. Conclusions: The findings can now be implemented into the development of the beta-version of the application. The application will be evaluated against outcome measures of speech listening in noise, cognitive and attentional tasks, quality of life and usability.