None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Pain often goes unrecognised and under-treated in people with communication difficulties such as those with dementia. Although, tools exit to assess pain in people with dementia, they are often subjective, manually based and subsequently underutilised. PainChek® is an approved medical device in the form of a smart device App, which combines artificial intelligence and smart automation to identify and quantify pain in real time. The App has been validated and used for assessing pain in people with moderate to severe dementia. PainChek® works by using facial recognition technology and analysis to detect pain through facial muscle movements which indicate the presence of pain. A number of studies have reported that PainChek® (formerly known as ePAT) is valid, reliable and accurate in identifying pain in people with moderate to severe dementia living in aged care facilities. It has also been used to assess pain in community-dwelling people with dementia referred to Dementia Support Australia. However, to date its use by family carers of people with dementia, and by people with mild dementia as an aide- memoire have not been studied. The study will therefore focus on investigating the views of stakeholders (family caregivers, people suffering from dementia and healthcare professionals) about applying PainChek® to better detect and measure pain in older people with dementia and those living in the community. The results of this study will be used to adapt strategies to facilitate family carers of people with dementia to use PainChek® to assess and monitor the pain of their loved ones, and for people with dementia who may wish to use the application as a way to document their pain experience.
Interventions
PainChek® is an approved medical device in the form of a smart device App, which combines artificial intelligence and smart automation to identify and quantify pain in real time. The App has been validated and used for assessing pain in people with moderate to severe dementia. PainChek® works by using facial recognition technology and analysis to detect pain through facial muscle movements which indicate the presence of pain.
This qualitative study focuses on investigating the views of stakehol
PainChek® is an approved medical device in the form of a smart device App, which combines artificial intelligence and smart automation to identify and quantify pain in real time. The App has been validated and used for assessing pain in people with moderate to severe dementia. PainChek® works by using facial recognition technology and analysis to detect pain through facial muscle movements which indicate the presence of pain. This qualitative study focuses on investigating the views of stakeholders (family carers, people with dementia and healthcare professionals) regarding applying PainChek® to better detect and quantify pain in older people with dementia living in the community. Three focus groups each consisting of 6-8 participants are proposed: a group of healthcare professionals from Dementia Support Australia (DSA), a group of family carers (i.e. person caring for a relative with dementia in their home) through DSA, and a group of patients with mild dementia (i.e. people with dementia but living independently or with support in their own home). The family carers and healthcare professionals will be recruited with the assistance of DSA. Whilst people living with dementia will be recruited with the assistance of Alzheimer’s WA. Focus groups will occur at baseline (i.e. before App being implemented). Focus groups will be conducted at a convenient time and in a comfortable place at the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, and last approximately 50-90 minutes. All sessions will be run by an independent facilitator and audio recorded. The primary investigator will be present and take notes from the meeting. The results of this study will be used to tailor strategies to facilitate family carers of people with dementia to use PainChek® to assess and monitor their loved one’s pain, and for people living with dementia who may wish to use the PainChek® a means to document their pain experience.
Sponsors
Curtin University
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Three focus groups each consisting of 6-8 participants are proposed: a group of healthcare professionals (from Dementia Support Australia consultants), a group of family carers (i.e. person caring for a relative with dementia in their home), and a group of patients with mild dementia (i.e. people with dementia but living independently or with support in their own home).
Exclusion criteria
People with dementia and family carers exclusion criteria: Those not fluent in English or who have difficulty understanding English.
Outcome results
None listed