A Care Knowledge Management System Based on an Ontological Model of Caring for People With Dementia: Knowledge Representation and Development Study

Abstract

Background Caregivers of people with dementia find it extremely difficult to choose the best care method because of complex environments and the variable symptoms of dementia. To alleviate this care burden, interventions have been proposed that use computer- or web-based applications. For example, an automatic diagnosis of the condition can improve the well-being of both the person with dementia and the caregiver. Other interventions support the individual with dementia in living independently. Objective The aim of this study was to develop an ontology-based care knowledge management system for people with dementia that will provide caregivers with a care guide suited to the environment and to the individual patient’s symptoms. This should also enable knowledge sharing among caregivers. Methods To build the care knowledge model, we reviewed existing ontologies that contain concepts and knowledge descriptions relating to the care of those with dementia, and we considered dementia care manuals. The basic concepts of the care ontology were confirmed by experts in Korea. To infer the different care methods required for the individual dementia patient, the reasoning rules as defined in Semantic Web Rule Languages and Prolog were utilized. The accuracy of the care knowledge in the ontological model and the usability of the proposed system were evaluated by using the Pellet reasoner and OntOlogy Pitfall Scanner!, and a survey and interviews were conducted with caregivers working in care centers in Korea. Results The care knowledge model contains six top-level concepts: care knowledge, task, assessment, person, environment, and medical knowledge. Based on this ontological model of dementia care, caregivers at a dementia care facility in Korea were able to access the care knowledge easily through a graphical user interface. The evaluation by the care experts showed that the system contained accurate care knowledge and a level of assessment comparable to normal assessment tools. Conclusions In this study, we developed a care knowledge system that can provide caregivers with care guides suited to individuals with dementia. We anticipate that the system could reduce the workload of caregivers.

A web-based care assistant for caregivers of the elderly: Development and pilot study

“…The knowledge model is stored according to the resource description framework for representing directed graphs in the form of semantic triples. Additionally, the knowledge model was extended by incorporating feedback from caregivers regarding their needs for daily life care and care schedule knowledge, such as knowledge of regular meals, sleep, and dressing, based on the previous knowledge model 21 .…”

“…In this pilot study, we developed and evaluated the elderly care assistant (ECA) system, which is designed to facilitate the sharing of care knowledge among various types of caregivers for elderly care. We improved our previous ontology-based care knowledge management system, which can generate and share personalized care guides for both family members and care facility staff 21 . Knowledge on daily life care and care schedules was added so that the proposed ECA system can help caregivers in adult daycare centers (ADCs) share information about the elderly and summarize their observations during care.…”

Usability Evaluation of a Knowledge Graph–Based Dementia Care Intelligent Recommender System: Mixed Methods Study

“…Internet-based interventions are relatively low cost and more accessible to caregivers, especially those who live in remote areas or find it difficult to leave their care recipients, and they increase equal access health care [18,19]. Such internet-based interventions have gradually been applied to people with dementia [20,21] and their caregivers [22][23][24], but most of these interventions are more general in nature, offering universal support services. Studies have shown that personalized internet-based supportive interventions are more effective and favored by caregivers [25,26].…”