Abstract
Background/aims: To inform and empower individuals in advance care planning (ACP), web-based tools have gained popularity. We developed an interactive website tailored to the unique needs of people with dementia and their families. This website aims to break away from the rigid ACP pathways in which ACP is shown as a linear process from information to reflection, communication, and documentation.
Aim: To assess the website’s usage by people with dementia and their families, identify distinct user engagement patterns, and visualise how users navigated the website.
Methods: We analysed interactions with the website, i.e. log data, from an 8-week evaluation study of the site, which included people with dementia and their family caregivers. Interactions included, e.g. visiting web pages or clicks on hyperlinks. Website usage was assessed by analysing the log data. Distinct user engagement patterns were identified using K-means clustering. Process mining was applied to visualise user pathways through the website.
Results: During the 8-week study, users spent an average of 35.3 (SD=82.9) minutes over 5.5 (SD=3.4) unique days on the website. Mostly, the family caregivers used the website, with only three people with dementia using it on their own. Three distinct engagement patterns emerged: low, moderate, and high. Low-engagement users spent less time on the website during the 8 weeks, following a linear path from information to communication and documentation. In contrast, moderate to high-engagement users showed more dynamic navigation, frequently transitioning between information pages, communication tips, and interactive tools to explore ACP-related topics and the question, what matters most to you?
Conclusions: The diverse navigation patterns emphasise the need for smooth transitions between website sections, challenging the conventional linear ACP representations in other tools. The limited use of the website by people with dementia should be assessed for future improvements.
Aim: To assess the website’s usage by people with dementia and their families, identify distinct user engagement patterns, and visualise how users navigated the website.
Methods: We analysed interactions with the website, i.e. log data, from an 8-week evaluation study of the site, which included people with dementia and their family caregivers. Interactions included, e.g. visiting web pages or clicks on hyperlinks. Website usage was assessed by analysing the log data. Distinct user engagement patterns were identified using K-means clustering. Process mining was applied to visualise user pathways through the website.
Results: During the 8-week study, users spent an average of 35.3 (SD=82.9) minutes over 5.5 (SD=3.4) unique days on the website. Mostly, the family caregivers used the website, with only three people with dementia using it on their own. Three distinct engagement patterns emerged: low, moderate, and high. Low-engagement users spent less time on the website during the 8 weeks, following a linear path from information to communication and documentation. In contrast, moderate to high-engagement users showed more dynamic navigation, frequently transitioning between information pages, communication tips, and interactive tools to explore ACP-related topics and the question, what matters most to you?
Conclusions: The diverse navigation patterns emphasise the need for smooth transitions between website sections, challenging the conventional linear ACP representations in other tools. The limited use of the website by people with dementia should be assessed for future improvements.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1.084 |
| Pages (from-to) | 169-169 |
| Journal | Palliative Medicine |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 1 Suppl |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 9 May 2024 |
