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User evaluation of the DEMentia-specific Digital Interactive Social Chart (DEM-DISC). A pilot study among informal carers on its impact, user friendliness and, usefulness
van der Roest HG, Meiland FJ, Jonker C, Dröes RM.. Aging & mental health, 2010-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective The need for information about the disease and coping with the consequences, as well as on available care and welfare services, is frequently unmet in people with dementia and their carers. To provide carers of community-dwelling people with dementia with tailored information, the DEMentia-specific dynamic interactive social chart (DEM-DISC) was developed. The impact on the daily life of people with dementia and their carers, the user friendliness and usefulness of a first prototype of DEM-DISC was evaluated. Method DEM-DISC was tested among informal carers in a pretest-posttest control group design. Fourteen informal carers could access DEM-DISC at home during a two month period. Fourteen controls did not have access to DEM-DISC. Data were collected by separate interviews with people with dementia and carers at pretest and posttest, by means of digital logging, short telephone interviews, and a bottleneck checklist during the intervention period. Results People with dementia and informal carers reported more met and less unmet needs after DEM-DISC use and carers in the experimental group reported higher levels of competence than controls. Although they were not explicitly satisfied with this first prototype of DEM-DISC, carers found DEM-DISC easy to learn and relatively user friendly. Carers acknowledged the system's benefits. Conclusion The positive effects might be caused by the systematic and tailored individual way of information provisioning by DEM-DISC. It would be worthwhile to continue to develop DEM-DISC and to conduct randomized trials on the impact on patients and carers as well as the impact on nursing home admission and healthcare expenditure.
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APA 7th
van der Roest, H. G., Meiland, F. J., Jonker, C., & Dröes, R. M. (2010). User evaluation of the DEMentia-specific Digital Interactive Social Chart (DEM-DISC). A pilot study among informal carers on its impact, user friendliness and, usefulness. Aging & mental health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860903311741
Vancouver
van der Roest HG, Meiland FJ, Jonker C, Dröes RM. User evaluation of the DEMentia-specific Digital Interactive Social Chart (DEM-DISC). A pilot study among informal carers on its impact, user friendliness and, usefulness. Aging & mental health. 2010. doi:10.1080/13607860903311741. PMID: 20455122.
BibTeX
@article{vanderroest2010-20455122,
author = {van der Roest, H. G. and Meiland, F. J. and Jonker, C. and Dröes, R. M.},
title = {{User evaluation of the DEMentia-specific Digital Interactive Social Chart (DEM-DISC). A pilot study among informal carers on its impact, user friendliness and, usefulness}},
journal = {Aging \& mental health},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1080/13607860903311741},
pmid = {20455122},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860903311741}
}
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Key findings
- Results People with dementia and informal carers reported more met and less unmet needs after DEM-DISC use and carers in the experimental group reported higher levels of competence than controls.
Why it matters
In a pilot study, 14 informal carers who could access the DEM-DISC system at home for two months reported more met and less unmet needs, and carers in the experimental group reported higher levels of competence than controls, though they were not explicitly satisfied with the first prototype. This is a small pilot study of an information tool and does not test treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Aging & mental health) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Aging & Mental Health: journal h-index 153 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 72 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.0 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Rose‐Marie Dröes: h-index 55 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: institution h-index 938 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20455122) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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