{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,25]],"date-time":"2026-10-25T11:51:04Z","timestamp":1792929064222,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]],"date-time":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1636934400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]],"date-time":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1636934400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Geriatr"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Digital health solutions such as assistive technologies create significant opportunities to optimise the effectiveness of both health and social care delivery. Assistive technologies include \u2018low-tech\u2019 items, such as memory aids and digital calendars or \u2018high-tech\u2019 items, like health tracking devices and wearables. Depending on the type of assistive devices, they can be used to improve quality of life, effect lifestyle improvements and increase levels of independence. Acceptance of technology among patients and carers depends on various factors such as perceived skills and competencies in using the device, expectations, trust and reliability. This service evaluation explored the impact of a pilot service redesign focused on improving health and wellbeing by the use of a voice-activated device \u2018smart speaker\u2019, Alexa Echo Show 8.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>A service evaluation\/market research was conducted for a pilot service redesign programme. Data were collected via a survey in person or telephone and from two focus groups of patients (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200944) and informal carers (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20097). The age of the study participants ranged from 50 to 90\u2009years. Also, the participants belonged to two types of cohort: one specifically focused on diabetes and the other on a range of long-term health conditions such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, depression and others.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>The device had a positive impact on the health and social well-being of the users; many direct and indirect benefits were identified. Both patients and carers had positive attitudes towards using the device. Self-reported benefits included: reminders for medications and appointments improved adherence and disease control; increased independence and productivity; and for those living alone, the device helped combat their loneliness and low mood.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>The findings from the study help to realise the potential of assistive technology for empowering supporting health\/social care. Especially, the season of COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for remote management of health, the use of assistive technology could have a pivotal role to play with the sustainability of health\/social care provision by promoting shared care between the care provider and service user. Further evaluation can explore the key drivers and barriers for implementing assistive technologies, especially in people who are ageing and with long-term health conditions.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-021-02436-y","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]],"date-time":"2021-11-15T13:02:59Z","timestamp":1636981379000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":72,"title":["Digital personal assistants are smart ways for assistive technology to aid the health and wellbeing of patients and carers"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0916-0479","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gayathri Victoria","family":"Balasubramanian","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Beaney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruth","family":"Chambers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"2436_CR1","first-page":"1","volume":"2017","author":"Public Health England","year":"2019","unstructured":"Public Health England. 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Both audit and service evaluation are considered part of usual professional practice in the NHS, they are exempt from a review by a research ethics committee (REC) as any ethical concerns should be identified as inherent in clinical or professional ethics. This is set out in the document. \u201cDecision Tools: Defining Research Table () by the Health Research Authority. According to the document UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research definition of research:\u201c3.1 For the purpose of this policy framework, research is defined as the attempt to derive generalisable or transferable new knowledge to answer or refine relevant questions with scientifically sound methods. This excludes audits of practice and service evaluations. It includes activities that are carried out in preparation for or as a consequence of the interventional part4 of the research, such as screening potential participants for eligibility, obtaining participants\u2019 consent and publishing results. It also includes noninterventional health and social care research (i.e. projects that do not involve any change in standard treatment, care or other services), projects that aim to generate hypotheses, methodological research and descriptive research. Projects whose primary purpose is educational to the researcher, either in obtaining an educational qualification or in otherwise acquiring research skills, but which also fall into the definition of research, are in scope of this policy framework. Activities that are not research according to this definition should not be presented as research and need not be conducted or managed in accordance with this framework. A decision tool that provides a definitive answer about whether a project counts as research under this policy framework is available at The NHS guidance for seeking ethics approval as set out in:  states that Post Market Surveillance (PMS) studies may be classified as service evaluation, where all the following criteria are met:\nSince the current study can be classified as a Post Market Surveillance Study of a product that was used unmodified for service evaluation or service redesign no ethics approval was required. The document \u201cGovernance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees: 2018 Edition (GAfREC 2018)\u201d by NHS and \u201cStandard Operating Procedures for Research Ethics Committees version 7.3 (September 2018) by NHS Health Research Authority provide guidance on the area. Additionally, there were no participants lacking in cognitive decline to such an extent that they could not give informed consent to participate\/publication.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"This service redesign programme was undertaken as usual service, and thus did not require specific patient consent over and above implied patient consent for usual delivery of primary care. Also, there are no identifying images or other personal or clinical details of participants in this study to declare that compromise their anonymity. Thus, this was not applicable to the current research.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"GB is a research student at Staffordshire University; RC is employed by Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group; PB has no declarations of interest.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"643"}}