USING IPADS TO PROMOTE PATIENT SAFETY AND REDUCE STAFF INJURIES IN DEMENTIA CARE

Background: The changes associated with dementia can lead to mood alterations and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). BPSD are common, affecting up to 90% of persons with dementia over the course of their illness. Not only do BPSD cause distress for the patients with dementia, but also place hospital staff at risk for injury.This project examines whether using an iPad to play a video purposively created for the patient by his or her family may contribute to preventing and reducing BPSD of patients with dementia. Methods: We used a single case study design and mixed methods. With an ABAB withdrawal design, a patient was observed in four phases, A1 (baseline, no intervention), B1 (intervention), A2 (withdrawal, no intervention) and B2 (intervention again). Also, we conducted staff interviews and video analysis to investigate contextual factors and staff experiences. Results: Our preliminary findings support positive effects of the intervention. Staff described the benefits and barriers of integrating iPad into everyday care activities on the hospital unit. Conclusions: This research contributes to the knowledge base of using technology (iPad) as a non-pharmacological intervention in dementia care. The iPad has great potential to be a safe, easy and low cost solution for supporting patient safety and reduction of staff injuries in clinical settings.