title: Encouraging Innovation for Assistive Health Technologies in Dementia: Barriers, Enablers and Next Steps to Be Taken.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Innovative Assistive Health Technology (AHT) has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with dementia or their families. Although development is in its preliminary stages, research shows first promising results. Despite such progress, we are still to observe widespread integration of technology into communities. If society is to benefit from innovative AHT to assist people with dementia and their caregivers, we must deepen our understanding of the needs, barriers, and enablers of innovative AHT.
  
  
  METHODS
  In March 2015, multinational focus groups were undertaken to identify the barriers, enablers, stakeholder actions, and a future perspective for the use of AHT in dementia. This exploratory study was carried out in preparation of the first World Health Organization Ministerial Conference on the Global Action against Dementia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The focus group study identified that innovative AHT for people with dementia and caregivers is at an early stage of development; however, there is substantial promise across a range of different care needs. Focus group discussions identified internationally relevant barriers and enablers for the development of innovative AHT centring on an improved understanding for needs in dementia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are many diverse barriers to the development of innovative AHT but none that appear insurmountable regarding the enablers that were mentioned. There is now an overriding imperative for a systematic, coordinated multistakeholder approach with the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers as the centerpiece.
authors.affiliation: Centre collaborateur de l'OMS pour la Recherche et la Formation en Santé mentale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kieren J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: potam@who.int.
authors.forename: Anne Margriet
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pot
mesh_terms: D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000639:trends*
keywords: Hospitalization; aging; comorbidity; disability; mobility