LEND project update: developing the digital intervention

At our July programme meeting, the LEND team reviewed early progress on the development of the project’s digital intervention.

The prototype brings together some of the key ideas set out in the LEND proposal, including access to dementia-related stories, bookmarking, filtering, and early thinking about how stories might be recommended to people based on their needs and preferences.

As part of the early development work, a sample collection of dementia-related videos has been transcribed and categorised. This includes information such as the type of dementia discussed, whether the story is from the perspective of a person living with dementia or a carer, the tone of the story, and whether advice or positive and negative experiences are shared.

The team discussed how the website could support people to find stories that feel relevant and helpful, while also making sure that users can pause, stop, or give feedback if they find any content difficult or distressing. Future versions may include richer feedback options, more conversational ways of searching for stories, and accessibility features such as subtitles, visual cues, printable content, and alternative formats.

There was also discussion about involving public contributors more closely in the design process. One suggestion was to establish an intervention development group, where people with lived experience could provide regular feedback as the prototype develops.

The next steps will include gathering feedback on the prototype, continuing ethics work, and developing the intervention in collaboration with public contributors and the wider project team.