Using Wearable Sensors to Measure Goal Achievement in Older Veterans with Dementia

Authors

Jennifer Freytag
Ram Kinker Mishra
Richard L Street
Angela Catic
Lilian Dindo
Lea Kiefer
Bijan Najafi
Aanand D Naik

Publication Date

12-16-2022

Journal

Sensors

DOI

10.3390/s22249923

PMID

36560290

PMCID

PMC9782012

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

12-16-2022

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-Print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Humans, Aged, Goals, Veterans, Cognitive Dysfunction, Dementia, Wearable Electronic Devices

Abstract

Aligning treatment with patients’ self-determined goals and health priorities is challenging in dementia care. Wearable-based remote health monitoring may facilitate determining the active participation of individuals with dementia towards achieving the determined goals. The present study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using wearables to assess healthcare goals set by older adults with cognitive impairment. We present four specific cases that assess (1) the feasibility of using wearables to monitor healthcare goals, (2) differences in function after goal-setting visits, and (3) goal achievement. Older veterans (n = 17) with cognitive impairment completed self-report assessments of mobility, then had an audio-recorded encounter with a geriatrician and wore a pendant sensor for 48 h. Follow-up was conducted at 4–6 months. Data obtained by wearables augments self-reported data and assessed function over time. Four patient cases illustrate the utility of combining sensors, self-report, notes from electronic health records, and visit transcripts at baseline and follow-up to assess goal achievement. Using data from multiple sources, we showed that the use of wearable devices could support clinical communication, mainly when patients, clinicians, and caregivers work to align care with the patient’s priorities.

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