Innovative Training for Smarter Eldercare

Description

What happens when cutting-edge AI technology combines with behavioural profiling in the context of healthcare training?

A scalable and innovative learning platform that uses AI-powered simulations to provide realistic and effective training for healthcare personnel, while enabling coaching to be far more time-efficient.
 

By leveraging smart algorithms to analyse behavioural patterns and adapt learning pathways to individual needs, tech startup Nudgyt Pte. Ltd emerged as the winning collaborator for Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital (KWSH)’s application—at IAL’s innovPlus Challenge—to develop an advanced training platform focused on improving the skills of healthcare personnel in screening the elderly population.
 

Launched in 2016, innovPlus brings together innovative learning technology providers and industry partners to co-create practical solutions for real-world learning challenges. Winners receive up to $200,000 in prototyping funding to develop scalable solutions that advance continuing education and training practices. Since its inauguration, innovPlus has spurred exciting learning innovations by awarding 50 grants to date.
 

A Challenge in geriatric care

As Singapore’s population ages, ensuring effective geriatric care has become a national priority. A crucial first step in this effort is accurate health screening and data collection. However, effective communication with elderly patients—who come from diverse backgrounds—poses significant challenges, including language barriers, differing communication styles, and cognitive decline.

Recognising this, KWSH developed a challenge statement for innovPlus Run 1 in 2023: to find a solution that could effectively train healthcare screening personnel to navigate complex interactions with elderly patients while gathering critical health information for medical care, through simulated role-play scenarios.
 

“When we saw KWSH’s challenge statement, we immediately knew it was a great fit,” recalled Ms Kathleen Yu, CEO and Chief Data Scientist at tech startup Nudgyt. “We already had an AI-powered toolset designed to analyse learner behaviours and simulate personalised learning pathways. What excited us was the opportunity to apply it in a real-world setting and test its relevance.”

Nudgyt promptly proposed a solution which KWSH decided to explore, leading to the birth of a practical application that solves healthcare gaps.

“By integrating AI and behavioural science into our training processes for healthcare professionals, we aim to level up the quality of care that elderly clients receive,” commented Mr William Loh, Assistant Director, Learning & Organisational Development/Community Training Institute, KWSH. Mr Loh, who is also the hospital lead of this AI initiative, proclaimed the solution a game changer, “This will ensure that our healthcare professionals and learners are well trained and equipped to adapt to the challenges of their elderly clients in the field.”
 

Creating avatars and prototyping realistic simulations



Consistent practice is critical to developing effective communication skills in screening elderly patients.

Nudgyt’s solution allows just that, permitting learners to access the platform anytime and anywhere, enabling them to practise as many times as they want.

The avatars, designed based on behavioural science, “understand and behave more like people”. This allows healthcare learners to engage “elderly” facing challenges such as memory loss, social isolation and other social-health situations at their convenience. The learning application continuously learns from user interactions, refining the avatars’ responses over time. Learners also receive immediate feedback, helping them sharpen their communication skills and build confidence before working with real patients.

For Ms Yu, she was particularly appreciative of the advice received during regular milestone check-in sessions to ensure the solutioning is in good progress, such as IAL’s guidance in improving learning design elements. “They introduced us to the concept of ‘productive failure’—gradually increasing the challenge so that learners stay engaged rather than feeling overwhelmed,” she cited as an example.

Interestingly, as learners became more familiar with the platform, Nudgyt noted that avatars with difficult personalities became twice as popular in learning interactions, proving that with the right scaffolding, adult learners would find challenges exciting rather than daunting.

Another insight IAL provided during the prototyping phase also helped to enhance the solution’s effectiveness for its target audience. Instead of one solution for all, the solution was able to differentiate the learning needs of non-healthcare trained community screeners and trained nurses in healthcare settings like nursing homes.

Community screeners typically screen elders who are still living in their own house or with family, and are more focused on finding out if these elderly face any form of frailty or challenges with daily living activities. Nurses in long-term care homes, however, have to monitor their residents throughout their stay for potential progress in preexisting conditions, such as dementia.

Enhancing AI-powered learning

Scalability, effectiveness, innovativeness—the team’s resulting solution met the criteria IAL was looking for in innovPlus solutions. Now successfully implemented, the learning platform is also being adopted by other healthcare institutions, further extending its impact.

Through innovPlus, Nudgyt has built a platform which delivers personalised training that is relevant in real-world settings by bringing together findings in behavioural science, research from workplace learning, generative AI, and gamification.

For Nudgyt, the journey does not stop at innovPlus. The company has also since been expanding its network in the industry through IAL’s recommendations. “The data from learners using the platform has been very useful and shows us clear directions for future development. We are now looking into using AI to deliver personalised, directed coaching, modelled after how experienced coaches would help trainees develop,” Ms Yu enthused. “This would make a world of difference to small enterprises who normally would not have the resources to access top-notch coaching by consultants.”