ForgetMeNot

Abstract

Smartphone reminding apps can compensate for memory impairment after acquired brain injury (ABI). In the absence of a caregiver, users must enter reminders themselves if the apps are going to help them. Poor memory and apathy associated with ABI can result in failure to initiate such configuration behaviour and the benefits of reminder apps are lost. ForgetMeNot takes a novel approach to address this problem by periodically encouraging the user to enter reminders with unsolicited prompts (UPs). An in situ case study investigated the experience of using a reminding app for people with ABI and tested UPs as a potential solution to initiating reminder entry. Three people with severe ABI living in a post-acute rehabilitation hospital used the app in their everyday lives for four weeks to collect real usage data. Field observations illustrated how difficulties with motivation, insight into memory difficulties and anxiety impact reminder app use in a rehabilitation setting. Results showed that when 6 UPs were presented throughout the day, reminder-setting increased, showing UPs are an important addition to reminder applications for people with ABI. This study demonstrates that barriers to technology use can be resolved in practice when software is developed with an understanding of the issues experienced by the user group.

Memory Manipulations in Extended Reality

“…These tools can substitute prospective memory (memory of actions to do), to ensure that we remember things we intend to do in the future (e.g., using calendar to remember to attend an appointment). New technologies (e.g., smartphones) provide effective reminder tools (e.g., Google calendar [80]) [18,58,59,113]. External memory aids can also substitute retrospective memory (memory of past events), to increase the amount of past events that can be recalled (e.g., by storing pictures in a computer) [18,58].…”

Managing challenging behaviours in adults with traumatic brain injury: A scoping review of technology-based interventions

“…When the severity was specified, four studies included participants with mild TBI 57,58,60,63 and six studies included participants with moderate-tosevere TBI. 59,61,62,[64][65][66] Most studies included samples having a majority of males, except for two female-only case studies. 56,58 The following results are organized per specific research questions.…”

“…70 Stakeholders who provided the intervention. All mobile applications were intended to be ultimately used independently by participants with an ABI with no input from health care professionals, 60,61,63,64,70 except when specified otherwise (e.g., training, interviews, home visits; 61,63,64,70 ).…”

“…FASTER: Phase of intervention development. As described in Table 1, three studies were situated in Phase 1 (i.e., development and documentation 38,67,68 ) and 11 studies were in Phase 2 (i.e., feasibility 56,[57][58][59][62][63][64][65][66]70 ). Overall, only two studies were in Phase 3 (i.e., implementation and effectiveness 60,61 ).…”

Designing ApplTree: usable scheduling software for people with cognitive impairments

“…In the context of independently using a smartphone to set a reminder, users may not remember to, or think that they need to, enter reminders in the first place [14]; or it may be difficult for them to learn how to use the reminding technology [32,35]. It is possible for a carer or family member to enter the reminders for the individual.…”