Adapting Technology for Dementia Care: The Case of Emobook App in Reminiscence focused Music Therapy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Life Story books are frequently employed to facilitate reminiscence interventions, but their use in Music Therapy remains limited in the scientific literature. There is a paucity of research detailing the design processes involved in this context. OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to report on the adaptation of the Emobook Life Story Book App for a Reminiscence Music Therapy Program for people living with dementia. METHODS: An interdisciplinary team comprising an interaction designer, a software engineer, a music therapist, and a research assistant engaged in a Participatory Design process. The study comprised two distinct phases: "Adaptation Phase," aimed to identify features requiring adjustment to integrate Emobook into MT effectively and the "Implementation Phase," focused on evaluating the adequacy of these changes for Emobook's use within the Music Therapy Program RESULTS: By merging the requirements identified during each phase, additional improvements were generated, leading to the decision to evolve Emobook Post-Prototype towards a version tailored specifically for Music Therapy. CONCLUSION: Collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts are essential in advancing the incorporation of technology into music therapy practice. This study demonstrates the value of a Participatory Design approach in this regard