JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Community-based social participation has shown promise in delaying cognitive decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are at risk of developing dementia. While group storytelling interventions have proven effective, the need for a skilled workforce to support people with MCI can limit broader community implementation. Technology-based interventions may offer a solution by replicating the abilities of therapists.

Objective:

This study presents the co-design to identify design requirements and usability evaluation of a digital storytelling intervention.

Methods:

The co-design study involved three stages, engaging people with MCI (n=12), their caregivers (n=4), and therapists (n=5) in Beijing, China. In the first stage, we used card sorting and voting methods to identify potential incentives for social participation and target the specific abilities people with MCI wanted to enhance. The second stage involved brainstorming sessions with people with MCI and their caregivers to identify the potential features of a digital storytelling application named “HUIYOU”. Finally, we assessed HUIYOU's usability with people with MCI and therapists, leading to iterative improvements based on the usability findings.

Results:

We uncovered a crucial link between boosting self-confidence in people with MCI and their ability to address social participation challenges. Notably, we identified memory improvement and enhanced language expression as key factors for effective communication with grandchildren. Subsequently, participants suggested features and interfaces to address these challenges, leading to the development of 'HUIYOU': a group-based digital storytelling application featuring functions such as generating story materials, memory retrieval activities, and sharing stories. It received an 'Excellent' rating in the UEQ benchmark, displaying high levels of attractiveness, dependability, stimulation, and novelty. Out of 22 usability tasks, people with MCI achieved an average task completion rate of 87%. However, feedback from people with MCI and therapists highlighted usability issues in navigation, activity management, user interface (UI), and feature optimization, indicating a need for improved accessibility and efficiency.

Conclusions:

The co-design approach contributed to developing the HUIYOU prototype, supporting community-based social participation. User feedback highlighted its potential to enhance well-being and facilitate meaningful social interactions while maintaining crucial existing relationships. Clinical Trial: NA