# Feasibility of the SmartPrompt for Improving Everyday Function in Dementia

> **NIH NIH R21** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2020 · $232,700

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Difficulty completing everyday tasks is a primary reason for the high cost of care, loss of caregiver paid hours,
and general caregiver burden associated with dementia. Electronic reminder applications hold promise as a
low-cost solution to improve daily functioning, promote aging in place, and reduce caregiver burden and cost of
care, particularly as older adults become more computer literate. There are many electronic reminders
available for healthy individuals, but few have been developed to target the specific cognitive difficulties that
impede completion of everyday tasks in people with dementia (i.e., premature decay of task goals, decreased
motivation to perform tasks, distractibility, semantic knowledge degradation, etc.). Furthermore, there is a
dearth of feasibility research on the fundamental efficacy and usability of reminder applications for people with
dementia. This R21 proposal addresses these gaps with a feasibility study of the SmartPrompt, an enhanced
electronic reminder aid designed for people with dementia that is used with an inexpensive smartphone. A
diverse sample of older adults with mild dementia (N = 40) and their caregivers (N =40) will be trained to use
the SmartPrompt and then asked to use the application to perform a target task (hydration, meals, or
medication) twice per day in their homes for one week. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that the SmartPrompt is
effective at promoting everyday task completion (i.e., efficacy) relative to a one- week control period without
the SmartPrompt. Using an AB/BA crossover design, efficacy outcomes will be obtained during the
SmartPrompt and Control Conditions and will include participant and caregiver reports of task completion,
caregiver report of burden, and participant report of frustration Aim 2 will investigate whether the SmartPrompt
will be perceived favorably by participants and caregivers and the extent to which technical support is needed
for its use (i.e., usability). Usability measures will be obtained from caregivers (report of technical problems,
questionnaire), participants (questionnaire), the study team (training time, technical support required), and the
smartphone (i.e., measures of smartphone use, response times to prompts). A third exploratory aim is to
examine participant and caregiver features that are associated with efficacy and usability outcomes, including
participant cognitive profile, participant/caregiver demographics, computer proficiency and self-efficacy, desire
to change, etc. Results will be used to inform 1) a working model of barriers and facilitators for the use and
efficacy of prompting applications that may be tested in future studies and 2) SmartPrompt design
modifications for a future Phase II clinical trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984243
- **Project number:** 5R21AG060422-02
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Tania Giovannetti
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $232,700
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984243

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984243, Feasibility of the SmartPrompt for Improving Everyday Function in Dementia (5R21AG060422-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984243. Licensed CC0.

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