An innovative project exploring the daily experiences and challenges of those with dementia has been recognised for its contribution to society.
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre (ATiC) won the Benefitting Society award in this year’s Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland earlier this month, for its Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia) project.
The project involved research by the ATiC team over a period of just over a year to inform a series of 10 new films from Newton-based eHealth Digital Media.
The films, about the daily lives and challenges of people living with dementia, focus on delivering support, training, and education for dementia patients, their families, carers, and healthcare professionals.
The project used advanced UX and human behavioural research tools, such as eye-tracking and facial expression recognition technology, in the creation and evaluation of the films.
Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards celebrate the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges. The 2022 winners were announced at a ceremony held at Loughborough University on 8 November.
The Benefitting Society award recognised ATiC for its innovative research collaboration with Swansea enterprise eHealth Digital Media Ltd.
ATiC is an integrated research centre which puts user-centred thinking and strategic innovation tools into practice through its cutting-edge user experience (UX) and usability evaluation research facility located in Swansea’s Innovation Quarter in SA1.
Digital communications company eHealth Digital Media produce and deliver behavioural change content such as high-quality content information films through its established PocketMedic platform.
‘See the world through their eyes’
The ATiC team worked closely with eHealth Digital Media’s creative director, Kimberley Littlemore, whose parents – the late Clive, who sadly passed away a week before the awards and Pauline Jenkins, in their 80s – both lived with dementia and were her inspiration for the research project.
Cameras were set up around Clive and Pauline’s home to keep track of their daily lives. Additionally, the couple used wearable eye-tracking glasses while performing household activities, so the team could ‘see the world through their eyes.’
This footage helped the team to detect and understand any patterns and triggers over time and to pick out key moments, which could be analysed and discussed further by clinicians and academics in the field.
Littlemore said: “Demonstrating and sharing the lived experience of dementia, with its ups as well as its downs, has proven to be an inspirational way of delivering information and building confidence in carers and family members.
“Looking through the UX evaluation, it is so encouraging and rewarding to read that people feel more confident about supporting people to live well with dementia as a result of watching these films.
“We are very proud of our collaboration with ATiC to see dementia through the eyes of my parents. The eye tracking technology allowed us to demonstrate and share through film in a very human way what researchers had been describing in their papers about changes in visual perception in people living with dementia.
“I have nothing but admiration for my parents, who allowed me to share their journey. Something good is coming out of an incredibly challenging situation for us all.”
The films now are available on eHealth Digital Media’s PocketMedic platform, which delivers high-quality health information films ‘prescribed’ by clinicians to support their patients in managing their health. The films are also available to view free of charge in Wales thanks to funding from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
Understanding people
The Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia) project was supported through Accelerate, a pioneering collaboration between three of Wales’ universities, Cardiff University (Clinical Innovation Accelerator), Swansea University (Healthcare Technology Centre), UWTSD (ATiC), and Life Sciences Hub Wales.
Professor Ian Walsh, Provost of UWTSD Swansea and Cardiff Campuses, and director of ATiC commented: “I’m delighted UWTSD’s commitment to sustainable development through its research activity has again been recognised in these prestigious national awards. It reaffirms the importance of partnership and collaboration between the University and enterprises in accelerating innovation and developing more sustainable models of practice.”
Tim Stokes, ATiC Innovation Fellow and project lead, added: “It all sounds highly technical but at the heart of it all, it simply involves understanding people. Understanding how they interact with each other; understanding their needs; and helping to develop the best health and wellbeing products, services, and systems – placing people at the heart of the research.
“Initially this project began life as a simple experiment that sprang from the idea of Kimberley wanting ‘to see dementia through her parents’ eyes’ – and we were literally able to help her do that by using our mobile retinal tracking glasses.
“It has helped us to understand how people with dementia live and understand what types of challenges they face on a daily basis.”
