INTERNET/CD-ROM DEMENTIA DECISION-MAKING GUIDE

DESCRIPTION: The number of persons in the United States with dementing disorders, now between 4-5 million, will quadruple in 50 years. One consequence of the progressive nature of dementia is that family caregivers must assume the role of primary decision makers. This Phase I proposal will develop an Internet-based prototype and companion CD-ROM Dementia Decision-making Guide based on an established decision-making guide to assist family caregivers of persons with dementia in making decisions. The research design will include an iterative approach to prototype development. Formative evaluation will include first testing the Dementia Guide with caregivers experienced in using a decision-making guide, followed by caregivers who have no experience in using a decision-making guide. Each group of caregivers will review the Dementia Guide and participate in focus group discussions and individual interviews, and complete a questionnaire about overall utility of the decision guide. Refinements will be made based on suggestions for improvement after each group. A final group of caregivers will be involved in formative evaluation activities, and participate in a pilot study to develop preliminary information about the effectiveness of the Dementia Decision-making Guide. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Our commercialization strategy has four primary cornerstones: partnerships with health care insurer groups such as HMO's; collaborative efforts with disease advocacy groups such as the Alzheimer's Association; advertising revenue from drug companies and manufacturers of products marketed to Alzheimer's patients; and joint marketing agreements with educational and healthcare-related software distribution companies such as cdromshop.com.