Research: Help shape website for technologies for sensory loss

The University of Strathclyde in Scotland is recruiting participants for a study on assistive technologies for older people with deafness or visual impairment.

They are looking for up 50 participants in total:

• Up to 30 health and social care professionals
• Up to 20 people with lived experience/their partners.

Participants can include sensory charity representatives.

Title of the study

The study is called “Co-design of a website of assistive technologies (products) for use by older people with visual and/or hearing impairment to support the safe and effective use of medicines“

What will the research be used for?

They are developing a website that can be searched to identify products that help older people who have visual and/or hearing impairment/loss to manage their medicines. Examples of products include timers, reminders, tactile dots, etc.

They anticipate the website will be used by Health and Social care Professionals, Older People with Sensory Impairment, and carers and family members of older people with visual and/or hearing impairment/loss.

To ensure that the website is designed and presented in an accessible and user-friendly manner for all users, we are inviting participants to help develop and test the website and review the type of content to include.

Who do they need?

The research team is seeking:

• health and social care professionals including charity representatives,
• people aged 65 years or older who live in their own home
• people aged 65 years or older who live in their own home and who have visual and/or hearing impairment/loss
• Formal or informal carers of older people with sensory impairment, for example, adult household members, family, friends.

What will participant be asked to do?

Participants will take part in up to 3 sessions.

• One introductory meeting (up to 60 minutes)
• Two workshops (up to 3 hours in total i.e. maximum of 90 minutes each)

These can be group workshops or 1-1 meetings either in-person or online (your preference). In-person workshops can take place either on university campus (Glasgow) or at your location. Online will be done via Teams or Zoom.

During each session participants will test and review a draft website and will be asked for opinions on its ease of use, content, as well as areas for improvement. 

Participants will be eligible for a gift voucher for participating in the study.

How to register?

To register your interest, contact Dr David Kernaghan: david.kernaghan@strath.ac.uk. More information can be found here.

*Please Note: Workshops will be recorded