Leader: Rabih Chattat (UNIBO); Other collaborator(s): Ilaria Chirico (UNIBO)
The purpose of this task is to build a structured, multidisciplinary information and training pathway for informal caregivers of people with dementia, with the dual aim of increasing the quality of care and, at the same time, ensuring adequate levels of health and well-being for caregivers by reducing the risks related to caregiving.
The aim is to increase community empowerment, based on the transfer of knowledge and skills that will improve caregiving skills, through a structured and personalized process, with spillover effects on the promotion of home care and health care costs.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
There will be 4 phases of the project:
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Strengths of the training course will be:
The partners involved in this task have experience in developing educational and training materials and have been involved previously in similar projects. Therefore, the task will benefit from experience in delivering already developed online courses and training modules.
Each task conducted a literature review regarding its topic of expertise. In this case, the literature review aimed to systematize the knowledge gained through the analysis of literature in relation to training needs and educational initiatives directed at formal and informal caregivers caring for the elderly with dementia.
Each task participated in data collection to co-design the platform and its content. Specifically, this task participated conducted the interviews and focus groups with informal caregivers.
Moreover, contributions were presented at national and international conferences.
Each task participated in the construction and revision of the lessons that will constitute the content of the platform. Specifically, this task prepared the following learning modules: dementia and prevention, diagnosis, therapy, the care of the caregiver, services available for caregiver and support communities.
Moreover, contributions were presented at national and international conferences.
During this period, significant progress was made in reviewing and refining the learning modules, ensuring their relevance, clarity, and alignment with the needs of informal caregivers of patients with dementia.
Furthermore, members of this task started collaborating with the external company hired to design the e-learning platform. Meetings were held to review progress, provide feedback, and ensure that the design and development of the platform can be closely aligned with the needs identified in the co-design phase. This collaboration ought to allow for the integration of user-centered features into the platform, with particular attention to user experience, usability, and functionality. The research team aim to ensure that all technological developments remain consistent with the project’s goals of accessibility, equity, and social inclusion.
Furthermore, contributions continued to be presented at national and international conferences.
During this period, task 5.4 advanced substantially in the implementation phase of the e-learning platform. Following the awarding of the public call and the selection of an AI-based chatbot as the medium for delivering training content, the task’s research team worked in close collaboration with the appointed company and other project units to ensure coherence with the pedagogical framework and user-centric vision defined during earlier co-design activities.
To support this collaboration, the researchers took part in multiple coordination meetings with the cooperative's development team. These meetings served to supervise ongoing technical work and to provide iterative feedback, helping to align the platform’s functionalities with the specific needs of end-users, paying particular attention to informal caregivers, migrant care workers, and allied professionals.
At the same time, the team initiated the transformation of the developed training modules into structured textual resources, which will be used as input data to train the chatbot. This work entails refining and formatting the content to make it suitable for integration into the AI system, ensuring that the language remains clear, accessible, and thematically well-organized, so the chatbot can respond effectively and accurately to users’ informational needs.
Furthermore, the team submitted academic papers to peer-reviewed journals and continued the dissemination of research findings through presentations at both national and international conferences, thereby contributing to the broader scientific visibility of the task’s results.
During this period, the members of this task contributed to the finalisation of the textual materials derived from the learning modules, which now constitute the knowledge base of the chatbot. These materials were reviewed and adapted to ensure clarity, thematic coherence, and accessibility for all target users.
In parallel, researchers closely supervised the production process carried out by the selected technology company. This phase included the development of the chatbot’s Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture and the integration of the finalised knowledge base into the system. Regular coordination meetings ensured continuous alignment between the technical implementation and the pedagogical objectives identified during the co-design phase.
A first demo version of the chatbot was completed and delivered. Researchers are currently conducting internal testing activities to assess the chatbot’s performance, with specific attention to the relevance, accuracy, and clarity of the responses provided. This testing phase aims to identify areas for refinement in preparation for a broader user evaluation.
Moreover, academic dissemination activities continued throughout the quarter. Members of the task authored academic articles based on the methodological and empirical findings of the project and presented them at national and international conferences.