# Staff, resident, and care partner perceptions on the use of a personalized tablet to mitigate the impact of isolation in long-term care residents

## TL;DR

This study explores how a personalized tablet can reduce isolation in long-term care residents and identifies challenges and opportunities for its adoption.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the barriers and facilitators of implementing personalized tablets in long-term care settings.

## Key findings

- Staff resistance due to workload and past tech issues hindered tablet adoption.
- Residents and care partners embraced the technology, highlighting the importance of personalization.
- Usability challenges and poor integration with organizational goals were key barriers.

## Abstract

The Dementia Isolation Toolkit (DIT) project developed DIT-Tech, a tablet-based tool to engage residents. Implementing such technology faces challenges like digital literacy and organizational resistance. This study aimed to develop an understanding of the staff, resident and care partner experiences, including barriers and facilitators to the adoption of remote-access personal tablets in long-term care homes (LTCHs).

Guided by the FITT framework, which emphasizes the alignment between technology, users, and clinical activities, this investigation sought to uncover the obstacles and drivers influencing the integration of DIT-Tech within the LTCH setting. Recruitment involved voluntary participation of various stakeholders within the LTCHs: 20 staff members, 23 care partners, and 7 residents who received the DIT-Tech tablets. Purposeful selection ensured representation across demographics and levels of tablet usage. Over the research period, a total of 59 in-depth interviews were conducted via telephone or video calls. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously. Coding strategies, incorporating both inductive and deductive approaches, were employed.

The study highlighted pivotal factors in DIT-Tech implementation within LTCHs. Initial enthusiasm among staff and care partners was countered by staff resistance due to workload and past tech issues. Personalization benefited residents but usability challenges and poor integration posed barriers. Aligning tech with organizational goals is crucial. Privacy measures were valued. Care partners and residents embraced DIT-Tech, emphasizing the need for targeted support for staff.

These findings stress the necessity of robust guidelines for implementing remote-controlled tablets in LTCHs, providing vital insights for enhancing technology in care settings.