February 2023

Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Hero Awards 2023 finalist place for Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia) collaboration.

A collaborative project which allowed researchers and filmmakers to literally see the world through the eyes of a Swansea couple living with dementia has been announced as a finalist in the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Hero Awards 2023.

Research by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre (ATiC) team informed a series of 10 new films from Swansea-based eHealth Digital Media Ltd, for the Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia) project, shortlisted in the Awards’ Research and Innovation category.

The Awards, which received almost 300 nominations from across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, recognise and celebrate the involvement and participation of people affected by dementia in activities and projects.  They  also demonstrate the nominees’ impact through meaningful involvement of people affected by dementia.

eHealth Digital Media’s films, about the daily lives and challenges of people living with dementia, focus on delivering support, training, and education for dementia patients, their families, carers, and healthcare professionals.

The ATiC team worked closely with the company’s Creative Director, Kimberley Littlemore, from Newton in Swansea.  Kimberley’s parents Clive, who sadly passed away in November 2022, and Pauline Jenkins, in their 80s, both lived with dementia and were her inspiration for the research project.

ATiC is an integrated research centre which puts user-centred thinking and strategic innovation tools into practice through its cutting-edge user experience (UX) and usability evaluation research facility located in Swansea’s Innovation Quarter in SA1.

Digital communications company eHealth Digital Media produce and deliver behavioural change content such as high-quality content information films through its established PocketMedic platform.

The project, which took just over a year to complete, used advanced UX and human behavioural research tools, such as eye tracking and facial expression recognition technology, in the creation and evaluation of the films.

Cameras were set up around Clive and Pauline’s home in Swansea to keep track of their daily lives. Additionally, the couple used wearable eye tracking glasses while performing household activities, so the team could ‘see the world through their eyes.’

This footage helped the team to detect and understand any patterns and triggers over time and to pick out key moments, which could be analysed and discussed further by clinicians and academics in the field.

The films are available on eHealth Digital Media’s PocketMedic platform, which delivers high-quality health information films ‘prescribed’ by clinicians to support their patients in managing their health.  And as the learning materials are screen-based and not published or print-based, they are readily accessible to end users.

The films are available to view free of charge in Wales thanks to funding eHealth Digital Media received from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

Professor Ian Walsh, Provost of UWTSD Swansea and Cardiff Campuses, and Director of ATiC said: “I’m delighted that eHealth Digital Media’s work and its partnership with UWTSD’s ATiC research centre has been recognised in the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Hero Awards.  It reaffirms the importance of partnership and collaboration between the University and enterprises in accelerating innovation, which results in such a positive impact on people’s lives.”

Tim Stokes, ATiC Innovation Fellow and project lead, said: “This is excellent news and further positive recognition of the importance of this collaborative work with eHealth Digital Media, which placed people at the heart of the research.

“Initially this project began life as a simple experiment that sprang from the idea of Kimberley wanting ‘to see dementia through her parents’ eyes’.  It has helped us to understand how people with dementia live and understand what types of challenges they face daily.”

Kimberley Littlemore, Creative Director of eHealth Digital Media, said: “We are very proud of our collaboration with ATiC to see dementia through the eyes of my parents. The eye tracking technology allowed us to demonstrate and share through film in a very human way what researchers had been describing in their papers about changes in visual perception in people living with dementia.

“I have nothing but admiration for my parents, who allowed me to share their journey.  Something good is coming out of an incredibly challenging situation for us all.”

The Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia) project was supported through Accelerate, a pioneering collaboration between three of Wales’s universities, Cardiff University (Clinical Innovation Accelerator), Swansea University (Healthcare Technology Centre), UWTSD (ATiC), and Life Sciences Hub Wales.

Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh European Funding Office, Welsh Government's Health and Social Services group, universities, Life Sciences Hub Wales, and the health boards, the aim of the Accelerate programme is to create lasting economic value for Wales.

eHealth Digital Media’s work was also supported by Swansea University’s Centre for Innovative Ageing, and experts at home and abroad, including Teepa Snow and her Positive Approach to Care Team in the USA, experts from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research (CADR – Swansea University, Aberystwyth University and Bangor University), and the fantastic team of carers and allied health professionals who helped care for Clive and Pauline Jenkins.

The Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia) collaboration was the winner of the Benefitting Society award in the Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland in November 2022.

Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards celebrate the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges.  The Benefitting Society award recognised ATiC for its innovative research collaboration with eHealth Digital Media Ltd, and for the way the films are readily accessible to end users with minimal carbon footprint.

The winners of this year’s Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Hero Awards 2023 will be announced at a ceremony on Friday, April 28, in Birmingham.

November 2022

We are very proud to announce that we were winners of the Green Gown Award for Benefitting Society with the University of Wales Trinity St David’s Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre (ATiC)

Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges. With sustainability moving up the agenda, the Awards have become established as the most prestigious recognition of best practice within the further and higher education sector.  Winners automatically enter the international version of this competition in July 2023 as part of the United Nations high level political forum.

Seeing dementia through their eyes (Living with Dementia)

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre (ATiC) worked with eDigital Health Media Ltd, through the Accelerate Wales programme, to deliver support for people living with dementia in a different and innovative way.

Research undertaken by the ATiC team in a period of just over a year informed a series of 10 new films, entitled Living well with Dementia, which focus on delivering support, training, and education for dementia patients, their families, carers, and healthcare professionals.

The research used advanced user experience (UX) and human behavioural research tools, such as eye-tracking and facial expression recognition technology, in the creation and evaluation of the films.

The films, which are now free to view in Wales following funding from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, are available on our PocketMedic platform.

The wider collaboration also involved Swansea University’s Centre for Innovative Ageing, and Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care team.

What the Judges Thought

The judges were impressed with the innovative use of technology for social benefit and the film footage which was instructive for carers and others engaging with people with dementia.

What it Means to Win

‘We are delighted to be recognised for this prestigious award. It reaffirms the importance of collaborative partnerships between the University and enterprises in accelerating innovation and developing more sustainable models of practice. This project supports our key priorities to build strong digital learning foundations to develop employable, resilient, digitally literate graduates, whilst ensuring accessibility and equality for all.’
Professor Medwin Hughes, DL, Vice-Chancellor

“A wonderful tribute to my lovely father Clive Jenkins who died last week.  His contribution to the understanding of dementia lives on.”
Kimberley Littlemore, Creative Director eHealth Digital Media

Top 3 Learnings

1. First-hand recordings/behavioural observations of people living with dementia captures daily challenges in a compelling way.
2. Analysis of behaviours encouraged broader discussions on how best to support those living with dementia.
3. Evaluations of films by carers/clinicians provided rich feedback confirming how invaluable they were for training.

https://youtu.be/OudFxJB0bZA  little film comp that ATiC put together

February 2022

Our Creative Director Kimberley Littlemore has been selected as a lay member of the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) Wales Sub Committee.   It means that she will be a volunteer scorer to assess CEA applications that recognise and reward consultant doctors and dentists who provide evidence of clinical excellence over and above their job plan.  It promises to be a really interesting challenge and one that will help us learn about new research, teaching and delivery in Wales – exactly the kind of thing that we love to share through the PocketMedic library to the benefit of those who use our content to help them better self-manage chronic conditions.

October 2020

We are thrilled to be collaborating with Professor Tony Rahman, Director of Gastroenterology at The Prince Charles Hospital Brisbane and Queensland Health Authority to present at the Australasian Digital Health Institute Summit.  Prof Rahman will be presenting the following topic “Preparing for colonoscopies and endoscopies digitally - a collaboration to drive efficiency and effectiveness to help prevent bowel cancer”.  We made a series of films in Brisbane that are hosted on the PocketMedic platform about colonoscopies and endoscopies.  We follow Ada and John as they prepare themselves (and their bowels) for the procedure.  We help people navigate the subject of consent as well as the diet that needs to be followed in the run up to a colonoscopy.  The results have been interesting: reducing the number of outpatient appointments that patients need to attend, freeing up time for more complex patients as well as reducing the number of cancelled procedures as a result of poor prep.  The ambition is to help prevent bowel cancer and we are proud to be part of this innovation project in Australia.

October 2019

We collaborated with CDEP to create training materials for healthcare professionals about insulin safety and are delighted to announce that this endeavour was recognised at the Quality in Care Diabetes Awards 2019 with a win!!!

Dr Sam Rice donned a natty microphone for his key note speech about using digital media to help drive behavioural change and was recognised with an achievement award for his commitment and determination. (NB he has no financial interest in PocketMedic). Here’s the film that we made: www.medic.video/insulinsafety. It’s part of a series of training films www.medic.video/diabetesinhospitals.

If you’d like to help build the library of clinical training materials do drop us a line using contact form at the bottom of this page

September 2019

Stop press!  We are finalists once again in the Quality in Care Diabetes Awards for our work to share insulin safety information with clinicians in hospitals and the community.  See our clinical training films here www.medic.video/diabetesinhospital   We’ll find out more in November.

Liam Knox’s PhD about the effectiveness of PocketMedic respiratory films is awaiting publication – we’ll share the encouraging news as soon as we can.