JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Electronic tracking devices, also known as locators, monitors, or surveillance devices, are increasingly being used to manage dementia related wandering, and subsequently raising various ethical questions. Despite the known importance technology design has on the ethics of technologies, little research has focused on the companies responsible for the design and development of electronic tracking devices. This article is the first to perform a qualitative analysis on the ethically relevant content on the websites of companies that design and develop electronic tracking devices.

Objective:

The objective is to answer the following research questions: How do companies that design, develop, and market electronic tracking devices for dementia care frame, through textual marketing content, (1) the vulnerabilities and needs of persons with dementia and caregivers; (2) the way in which electronic tracking devices response to these vulnerabilities and needs, and (3) the ethical issues and values at stake.

Methods:

First a systematic search of electronic tracking device company websites was performed. In total, 199 websites were identified and 29 were included. A qualitative analysis using a modified version of the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven was then undertaken on the included websites.

Results:

The way electronic tracking device content is currently conveyed excludes persons with dementia as a target audience, instead focusing content towards caregivers. Additionally, companies identify vulnerabilities (often inter-related in nature) facing both persons with dementia and caregivers and put forward devices that offer care tools meant to address these needs by bringing about a particular conception of life. In doing this, they link particular values to specific design decisions. For instance, linking privacy to the information made available by an electronic tracking device.

Conclusions:

Although persons with dementia are the focus of ETD use, they are not the focus of ETD company websites, rather they are relegated to the status of third-party observer. Focusing largely on caregivers, companies center content on a conceptual triptych consisting of identified vulnerabilities facing persons with dementia and caregivers, care tools present in their device, and a world aspired to brought about via use of their product. In presenting these concepts, companies, in some way, link their devices with stakeholder inclusion, academic research, and values. Future research should focus on understanding the internal processes that give rise to the website content of these devies.