Guiding Assistive-Technology Adaptations Through Intelligent Stream Mining of Patient Data

Abstract

Users with cognitive impairments use assistive technology as part of a treatment plan. As the AT interface is manipulated, data stream mining techniques are used to monitor user goals. In this context, data mining aids caregivers in tracking user behaviors as they attempt to achieve their goals. Divergences over consecutive stream-mined models identify potential changes in user goal attainment, as the user learns his or her personalized emailing system. When a data-mined model diverges significantly from recent models, the user's behavior is flagged as a significant behavioral change. The specific changes in behavior are then characterized by analyzing model divergence as well as the underlying data. This chapter describes how divergence analysis of decision-tree and hidden Markov models can aid recognition and diagnoses of behavioral changes in support of AT adaptation, in a case study of cognitive AT for emailing. The technique may be more widely applicable to other behavior monitoring contexts.

Emerging Issues of Intelligent Assistive Technology Use Among People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: A U.S. Perspective

“…It is critical that attention be paid when a technology or device is no longer desirable for a person whose dementia may have progressed. Our mini review is concordant with several current systematic reviews addressing the need for frameworks, guidelines, and regulations for IAT adoption among caregivers and those with dementia (21)(22)(23). In addition to the need for increasing access among rural and lower socioeconomic populations, it is imperative that these ethical and value laden systems for responsible innovation be implemented collaboratively and compassionately.…”

“…Our mini review of the current research suggests that increasingly the developers of IAT tools and technologies are becoming more cognizant of the need to engage with both the caregivers and the potential older users, including those with early stages of dementia in the design and development of tools and systems that may be helpful and useful for them. While we note that the majority of the citations are US-based, and hence limit our generalizability, we believe that many of these issue are of concern worldwide, as indicated by the attention being paid by international and national organizations such as the World Health Organization (31) and scientific organizations in other countries (32,33) We also found support for this in several recent articles targeted at technology designers and developers (21)(22)(23).…”