I’ve covered a number of technologies to help dementia patients in the past few years, whether in terms of diagnosing it earlier or treating it among those who have it.  A recent study from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers suggests that these technologies must involve the patients, their carers and healthcare providers in order for them to be as effective as possible.

The number of people with dementia is predicted to double by 2040, so it’s vital that new technologies are utilized to treat and manage the condition effectively.  To date however, the authors believe that there has been insufficient research into the deployment of technology to support patients and their carers.

Robust regulation

The report calls for a new regulatory framework to improve the robustness of research and speed up the clinical testing of new AI technologies, including voice control of communication devices.

“The introduction of these technologies to support dementia patients and their carers poses some significantly different and potentially unique challenges compared with other healthcare technologies,” the authors say.  “The technologies need to be compatible with a wide range of symptoms and must be adaptable as the condition will inevitably progress over time.”

The report is part of a wider body of work undertaken by the body to explore the best way to deliver healthy ageing for populations as they get older, with a key requirement being that people retain their independence for as long as possible.  The latest report makes a number of recommendations, including:

• A Dementia Technology Advisory Board should be set up by 2019 to define and oversee the specification, development and introduction of ethically-sound and effective technology.
• The Advisory Board should focus on the following activities:

• Promote investment in healthcare infrastructure systems to ensure compatibility with IATs, ensuring both social benefits and cost savings.
• Ensure designers and engineers involve all stakeholders in the development of appropriate devices including patients, carers, hospitals and care homes.
• Investigate and clarify the ethical dimensions of these devices and ensure these issues are addressed in the early stage of product development.

Much of this work would fall under the remit of the new UK Dementia Research Institute, which is a joint £290 million investment from the Medical Research Council (MRC), Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

As dementia and the wider aspects of healthy ageing become a more pressing concern, it’s important that we explore all ways to ensure this happens.  Greater research into the issues surrounding the use of technology to support that has to be welcomed, and it will be interesting to see if the report’s recommendations are enacted.