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RemindMe – A web-based cognitive support to facilitate everyday life

Life is so complicated today that very many people would not be able to manage for a single day without their calendar. With that in mind, think about how the world will seem to a person who has difficulties structuring their daily life and remembering appointments. 

That group of people can now turn to RemindMe – a new web-based calendar with reminders that can offer them independence and freedom in school, at work and in everyday life. In the project we are developing and testing a new digital tool that helps people plan their day-to-day life and remember activities.

RemindMe – an interactive, web-based reminder aid

RemindMe is a new and cost-effective digital tool that works on all mobile phones and offers interactive feedback. RemindMe has been developed for people who need help planning, structuring and carrying out important activities in their daily life.

Greater expectations

Society’s expectations when it comes to planning and organising activities, and coordinating one’s timetable with others, are increasing. There is a growing demand for user-friendly, efficient, evidence-based digital tools and methods that facilitate daily life, from users and families as well as municipal and county council operations. Everyday support using technology offers considerable potential for individuals who need help structuring, remembering and carrying out activities, provided use of the technology becomes habitual and integrated with everyday life. Research aimed at developing support and aid in practical day-to-day situations, in order to improve life conditions for individuals needing support, needs to be developed as a complement to existing medical and pedagogic research within the field.

A component project of ICT

RemindMe has been developed for children and young people, but is also being tested for older people, and is a component project of the care research programme Supporting Self Care by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for older people with long term conditions.

RemindMe makes everyday life easier

Preliminary results showed that RemindMe is seen as intuitive and easy to understand and use. In tests, the web-based calendar was found to be simple, clear and user-friendly in terms of colour schemes and size. 

“Yes, the calendar was very… pleasant to look at, like … well… because there weren’t those really loud colours. And it wasn’t messy, it was all very, like, clean so you’re not bombarded with information, which of course is good.”

Preliminary results also showed that the requirement for action, ie the user’s reply to the text message, led to an increased likelihood of the activity being done since the user was more aware of it.

“The fact that you have to respond actively makes you more aware of… Because I mean you can put any number of alarms on your mobile, for example, but they don’t make you act so much as simply turn it off. But here you have to respond, and once you’ve said YES you usually also do it. So that’s the good thing, that you get a clear… a clear reminder and an action to carry out”.

“Today most people have mobiles, smartphones, and they also come with calendars and reminders, so some people might be fine with that, but then you don’t get this feedback, and I mean that’s the difference too.”

Results also showed that RemindMe has the potential to facilitate everyday life for support persons, because they can spend less time reminding about planned and regular activities.

“I mean I would save time! Yes, it would make it simpler… What I would save time on is not having to try to contact them and everything, instead I would just register the reminder, and then I know they’ll confirm it”.

Functions


Simple and smart

Activities and reminders are easy to register in RemindMe by means of a user-friendly and intuitive web-based calendar.


Straight to your mobile

For each reminder about an activity, a text message is sent to the user’s ordinary mobile phone. RemindMe works on all types of mobile phones, regardless of the model or system.


Collaboration

RemindMe was specifically designed to enable several people to collaborate on everyday planning. Users can plan their week by themselves or with the help of a support person and register activities and reminders in RemindMe.


Interactive follow-up

The user confirms via text message whether he/she is going to carry out the activity or not, and this information is saved in RemindMe’s unique feedback loop. This saved information can then be used for follow-ups, further planning and evaluation together with the user and his/her family.



Contacts

Photo of Vedrana Bolic Baric

Vedrana Bolic Baric

Associate Professor
Photo of Maria Andreassen

Maria Andreassen

Associate Professor

External partners

  • Thomas Ahlström, LiU Innovation
  • Ann-Christine Larsson, Testbädd Norrköping
  • FORTE programstöd - vård
  • Monkeydancers AB

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