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Ethical adoption: A new imperative in the development of technology for dementia
Author(s) -
Robillard Julie M.,
Cleland Ian,
Hoey Jesse,
Nugent Chris
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.04.012
Subject(s) - engineering ethics , software deployment , dementia , psychological intervention , participatory design , set (abstract data type) , process (computing) , ethical issues , harm , citizen journalism , knowledge management , psychology , computer science , engineering , medicine , nursing , social psychology , mechanical engineering , disease , parallels , pathology , programming language , operating system , world wide web
Technology interventions are showing promise to assist persons with dementia and their carers. However, low adoption rates for these technologies and ethical considerations have impeded the realization of their full potential. Methods Building on recent evidence and an iterative framework development process, we propose the concept of “ethical adoption”: the deep integration of ethical principles into the design, development, deployment, and usage of technology. Results Ethical adoption is founded on five pillars, supported by empirical evidence: (1) inclusive participatory design; (2) emotional alignment; (3) adoption modelling; (4) ethical standards assessment; and (5) education and training. To close the gap between adoption research, ethics and practice, we propose a set of 18 practical recommendations based on these ethical adoption pillars. Discussion Through the implementation of these recommendations, researchers and technology developers alike will benefit from evidence‐informed guidance to ensure their solution is adopted in a way that maximizes the benefits to people with dementia and their carers while minimizing possible harm.