Digital Convergence: Better Solutions for People with Dementia

This book focuses on using analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to offer a high-quality value proposition to address dementia, a growing and concerning global healthcare problem. By enabling better decision-making support, minimizing medical errors and use of specific treatment strategies, digital technologies are key to effective care for People Living with Dementia (PLWD). By taking a unique triumvirate approach of focusing simultaneously on people issues, technical issues and process issues, the critical success issues are identified.

The first point of concern is the different major stakeholders, including PLWD, their family carer, their challenges and major barriers and facilitators. Next, the vast pool of digital tools is considered, such as the different forms of mobile, platforms, sensors, IoT, chatbots, avatars, robots, augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality. This leads next to looking at the important considerations for the design and development of digital health solutions for priority areas of action in the Global Action Plan on Dementia, including co-design and research. By using a global perspective, the international examples help to better appreciate culture and practices, as countries differ significantly regarding many key issues pertaining to healthcare delivery. The editors endeavour to cover all areas pertinent to leveraging digital health solutions to facilitate the realization of value-driven healthcare delivery for all healthcare systems.

This book is a new and comprehensive text, which would serve as an important resource for practitioners and professionals in healthcare and would be beneficial as a supplementary text for students undertaking studies relating to health informatics and public healthcare.

Nilmini Wickramasinghe Currently, Professor Wickramasinghe is the inaugural Optus Chair and Professor of Digital Health at La Trobe University . She also holds/has held honorary research professor positions at Epworth HealthCare, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Northern Health. After completing 5 degrees at the University of Melbourne, she was awarded a full scholarship to complete PhD studies at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA and later she was sponsored to complete executive education at Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA in Value-based HealthCare. For over 20 years, Professor Wickramasinghe has been actively, researching and teaching within the health informatics/digital health domain in US, Germany and Australia with a particular focus on designing, developing and deploying suitable models, strategies and techniques grounded in various management principles to facilitate the implementation and adoption of technology solutions to effect superior, value-based patient centric care delivery. In 2020 she was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt award for outstanding contribution to Digital Health, the first time this honour has been bestowed to someone in the discipline of Digital Health

Thu Ha Dang is a Research Fellow at the School of Computer, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, La Trobe University. Her background is in medicine, public health, and digital health. Her research focuses on applying digital technology in chronic conditions management. Within these areas, she has conducted a number of studies on cancer and dementia prevention, awareness, and care. She has extensive experience in co-design, development, and evaluation of digital health solutions; mixed-methods research; systematic reviews; and teaching. She has authored over 20 publications and contributed to nearly AU＄8.5 million in research funding

Tuan Anh Nguyen is a distinguished researcher and academic renowned for his significant contributions to dementia research, health equity, digital health and the creation of culturally tailored dementia interventions. His career is marked by a steadfast commitment to enhancing the well-being of vulnerable populations, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. He leads three international grants, has authored over 100 publications, presented at more than 70 conferences, and secured over ＄19 million in research funding.

Sasan Adibi is an expert in digital health innovation, currently serving as founder and CEO of Research Vitality and Director of Digital Health & AI at GENI. With over two decades of experience across healthcare, academia, and industry, he specializes in developing strategic solutions that bridge clinical practice and technology. His background includes senior roles at Austin Health and the Department of Health, where he led the Outbreak Management System development and managed frameworks for aged-care centers throughout Victoria. Previously, he served as the program leader and lecturer at Deakin University and he managed healthcare technology projects at BlackBerry Corp. Dr. Adibi holds a PhD in Communication and Information Systems from University of Waterloo and is PROSCI certified in change management.