Public Involvement
In June 2024, we organised our first focus group for the DIADEM study to gather feedback on Mantal: our digital auditory battery for dementia.
A total of 20 members of the public from diverse backgrounds attended the workshop to learn about the DIADEM study, the value of timely diagnosis in dementia, and how hearing loss is related to dementia risk.
| Number of attendees |
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|---|---|
| Age range | 28 to 81 years old |
| Experience of hearing loss |
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| Experience of mild cognitive impairment |
|
| Experience of dementia |
|
| Experience of healthcare research |
|
Attendees of the workshop were then organised into five groups and contributed to the co-production of the Mantal digital auditory battery. Here was how the focus group responded to the discussion questions:
The Mantal was generally well-received and most members agreed that it was easy for individuals without hearing loss or mild cognitive impairment to understand the task requirements. Instructions could be followed with little issue and the 3-second countdown was appreciated by most members of the focus group.
The focus group members reported that the hearing tasks were not particularly difficult. However, the tasks demanded a significant and sustained level of concentration throughout the test considering that they became more challenging with better performance.
Overall, the group agreed that the hearing tasks would be acceptable for individuals with hearing loss. However, the cause of hearing loss (e.g., age-related decline, mechanical damage, neurological change) was believed to show different patterns of performance.
The group members unanimously agreed that the hearing tasks would be challenging for individuals living with dementia to complete. Most members also stated that the difficulty of the task may be especially stressful for individuals with a relatively advanced stage of dementia.
Most expressed that translating the test to the native language of participants would yield better responses. The universality of numbers and the selected sound effects increases the cultural sensitivity of the hearing tasks.