DAPAS: Cáritas Coimbra has an article published on measuring the wellbeing of older people and subsequent ethical issues
Measuring the quality of life and well-being of older people is a huge challenge, as digital technologies emerge every day that find new ways to measure it. All the while, researchers further develop new methods, scales and surveys to assess this topic. The article was led by the Innovation Department of Cáritas Coimbra and is based on guidelines concerning the measurement of well-being via technology. The article highlights the DAPAS project, the improvement in the measurement of well-being and quality of life, ethical issues, and privacy and accidental findings that may arise from this measurement.
DAPAS project aims to provide an innovative solution to meet the needs of older adults and their caregivers. The objective of the system is to integrate differentiated service packages that increase security, support daily life activities and facilitate communication. Among the features of the solution, there is also the measurement of the well-being of older people. Project participants receive a daily message asking how they are feeling. If the user wants to, the answer may be shared with the caregiver who will be more relaxed when receiving this daily feedback. However, the project’s research team found that privacy issues may arise from this well-being measurement. Hence, the team coordinated this article to ensure that the system complies with legislation and ethical regulations.
The article was published in the magazine EGITANIA E SCIENCIA, a special edition that is a result of the discussions held at the Age.comm Congress of Instituto Politécnico da Guarda. The article is available here: http://egitaniasciencia2.ipg.pt/index.php/egitania_sciencia/article/view/389
DAPAS is co-funded by the European Programme AAL (Active Assisted Living – ICT for Ageing, 2017) and in Portugal by the Foundation for Science and Technology Portugal, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.
