Several applications are already available for helping people with dementia in daily life activities. The SMART4MD study will however, be one of the few to measure the true value and impact of a mobile application via a large-scale clinical study in different EU countries. The involvement of the end-users (people with dementia, health professionals and carers) in the different development and testing phases of the application is a tremendous advantage. Cooperation with partners in the SMART4MD project will also boost the development of e-health applications for the elderly at our institution (research group ‘Active Ageing’ at University Colleges Leuven-Limburg, UCLL, Belgium).

To date, there have been a number of interesting developments in applications to support people with cognitive decline. However, due to mostly small-scale trials, any impact has been difficult to establish, although the individuals often perceived them as beneficial. The much-needed SMART4MD study, with its randomised controlled design, provides an opportunity to demonstrate whether we can have a positive impact on clinical parameters and on people’s wellbeing.

SMART4MD is a technological solution that can contribute in the wellbeing and quality of life of cognitively impaired elderly citizens.

SMART4MD es una solución tecnológica que puede contribuir al bienestar y a la calidad de vida de los ciudadanos con deterioro cognitivo

The aim of SMART MD study is to provide a new tool for the care and support of people who live with dementia at early stages and their careers. The platform address the challenge of living independently while experiencing cognitive decline and an innovative system for sharing information between health professionals, careers and patients. Four case studies conducted for evaluation of the system will collect large datasets on a wide range of topics including health&wellbeing, quality of life, burden and costs. This data will be essential to asses efficiency of existing system of care as well as the development of new products or services for improvement of care of dementia.

La plataforma SMART 4 MD consiste en una aplicación electrónica desarrollada específicamente para la atención y soporte de las personas con demencia en estados iniciales y sus cuidadores. Su interfaz está diseñada para adaptarse a las necesidades y características de usuarios con baja familiaridad con las nuevas tecnologías. Permite que los profesionales, pacientes y sus familiares compartir información para el seguimiento y manejo de la enfermedad. Los resultados del amplio estudio de casos en cuatro regiones diferentes permitirán reunir una amplia colección de datos acerca del estado actual de las personas que viven con demencia y sus cuidadores y ofrecerá oportunidades para el desarrollo de nuevos productos y servicios