Exploring the Requirements for Technology Design to Support People with MCI or Early-Onset Dementia at Work

Abstract

Work is an integral and meaningful part of many people’s lives. Research has shown that the consequences of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Early-Onset Dementia (EOD) before the age of sixty-five can profoundly affect a person’s vocational situation. Assistive technology plays an important role in supporting different abilities for people with MCI/EOD at communities and at home; however, there is little research to investigate the role of technology and address the technological requirements of people with MCI/EOD at work who are employed. This thesis proposes the cognitive task analysis - decision-centered design (CTA-DCD) model; a systematic human factors model to study people's tasks, activities, and requirements with the objective of developing a criteria for designing technology to support people with MCI/EOD at work. The CTA-DCD model was piloted with in-depth interviews with six people living with MCI/EOD and one caregiver. By characterizing the barriers or problems faced by people with MCI/EOD in the context of cognitive work, individual barriers of the participants in terms of macrocognitive activities and cognitive support requirements were characterized. The three design decisions that were derived for future technology design to support people with MCI/EOD at work were (1) having instruction options, (2) functions that support planning, and (3) display of important information and reminder prompts. The CTA-DCD model can be used systematically in different occupational contexts and domains in providing design decisions.