scholarly journals A Fall Risk mHealth App for Older Adults: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L Hsieh ◽  
Jason T Fanning ◽  
Wendy A Rogers ◽  
Tyler A Wood ◽  
Jacob J Sosnoff

BACKGROUND Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in older adults. Due to various constraints, objective fall risk screening is seldom performed in clinical settings. Smartphones offer a high potential to provide fall risk screening for older adults in home settings. However, there is limited understanding of whether smartphone technology for falls screening is usable by older adults who present age-related changes in perceptual, cognitive, and motor capabilities. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to develop a fall risk mobile health (mHealth) app and to determine the usability of the fall risk app in healthy, older adults. METHODS A fall risk app was developed that consists of a health history questionnaire and 5 progressively challenging mobility tasks to measure individual fall risk. An iterative design-evaluation process of semistructured interviews was performed to determine the usability of the app on a smartphone and tablet. Participants also completed a Systematic Usability Scale (SUS). In the first round of interviews, 6 older adults participated, and in the second round, 5 older adults participated. Interviews were videotaped and transcribed, and the data were coded to create themes. Average SUS scores were calculated for the smartphone and tablet. RESULTS There were 2 themes identified from the first round of interviews, related to perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. While instructions for the balance tasks were difficult to understand, participants found it beneficial to learn about their risk for falls, found the app easy to follow, and reported confidence in using the app on their own. Modifications were made to the app, and following the second round of interviews, participants reported high ease of use and usefulness in learning about their risk of falling. Few differences were reported between using a smartphone or tablet. Average SUS scores ranged from 79 to 84. CONCLUSIONS Our fall risk app was found to be highly usable by older adults as reported from interviews and high scores on the SUS. When designing a mHealth app for older adults, developers should include clear and simple instructions and preventative strategies to improve health. Furthermore, if the design accommodates for age-related sensory changes, smartphones can be as effective as tablets. A mobile app to assess fall risk has the potential to be used in home settings by older adults.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hory Sankar Mukerjee ◽  
G. K. Deshmukh ◽  
U. Devi Prasad

Present study is an attempt to measure technology readiness of Indian customers towards self checkout service (SCS) through mobile app at retail stores at Hyderabad, India. Self-checkout services (SCS), a key offering of self service technology (SST), ‘is the technological enablement of customers to make payments and complete a checkout, after shopping, with little or no interaction with a service employee.’ Researchers also studied correlations between technology readiness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and likelihood to use SCS. For the purpose of the study TRI 2.0 developed by Parasuraman and Colby (2015) was used along with items of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, adapted from Davis (1989) , and items of ‘likelihood to use’ adapted from Bitner, Ostrom and Meuter (2002) . The findings of the study reveal that respondents’ technology readiness was moderate with respect to mobile based SCS. Significant positive correlations were found between: technology readiness and perceived ease of use, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and likelihood to use, perceived usefulness and likelihood to use. Further the respondents were categorised in to five technology segments as sceptics, explorers, pioneers, avoiders and hesitators.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyung-Jin Yoon ◽  
Ye Seul Bae ◽  
Yujin Park ◽  
Taekhoon Kim ◽  
Taehoon Ko ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The concept of MyData emerged as a paradigm shift in personal data management and the process of seeking to transform the current organization-centered system. MyData enables the utilization of one’s own personal information that is scattered among various institutions as a system for data subjects to exercise rights of self-determination. OBJECTIVE We aimed to develop and demonstrate a MyData platform (MyHealthData) that allows data subjects to download and manage health-related personal data stored in various medical institutions. METHODS The platform consists of a mobile app for users, API (application program interface) for data conversion and exchange installed in the hospital information system (HIS), and a relay server connected to the blockchain to prove data integrity. User surveys were conducted to explore perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and satisfaction. RESULTS We provided four services to users through the platform developed in this study: inquiring about medical and health checkup records, health coaching, checking conditions of participation in clinical research, and claims, by using an app. A total of 1,228 participants signed for the service and the overall user satisfaction was high, especially with ‘inquire about medical and health checkup records.’ CONCLUSIONS MyData brings a user-centered paradigm in which data subjects can directly participate in the use of their own data. MyData will improve healthcare data interoperability, allowing it to be used not only in research areas but also in other areas by sharing and integrating various healthcare data.  


Author(s):  
Patricio Ramírez-Correa ◽  
Elizabeth E. Grandón ◽  
Muriel Ramírez-Santana ◽  
Leonard Belmar Órdenes

Previous studies suggest that older adults are living increasingly alone and without the company of their close relatives, which cause them depression problems and a detriment to their health and general wellbeing. The use of social network sites (SNS) allows them to reduce their isolation, improve their social participation, and increase their autonomy. Although the adoption of various information technologies by older adults has been studied, some assumptions still predominate, for example, that older adults use SNS only for utilitarian purposes. However, considering SNS as hedonic information systems, and in order to extend the theoretical explanation of the intention to use hedonic systems to their actual use, this study aims to determine the influence of perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use on the use of SNS by elders in Concepción, Chile. Two hundred fifty-three older adults participated in the cross-sectional study. The results indicate that perceived ease of use is the variable that has the greatest total effect in explaining the use of SNS and that by adding the perceived enjoyment construct, the explanatory power of the model increases significantly. Therefore, advancement in user acceptance models, especially in the use of SNS by elders, can be made by focusing on the type of system, hedonic or utilitarian.


Author(s):  
Hazel Williams-Roberts ◽  
Catherine Arnold ◽  
Daphne Kemp ◽  
Alexander Crizzle ◽  
Shanthi Johnson

ABSTRACT Given the rising numbers of older adults in Canada experiencing falls, evidence-based identification of fall risks and plans for prevention across the continuum of care is a significant priority for health care providers. A scoping review was conducted to synthesize published international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and recommendations for fall risk screening and assessment in older adults (defined as 65 years of age and older). Of the 22 CPGs, 6 pertained to multiple settings, 9 pertained to community-dwelling older adults only, 2 each pertained to acute care and long-term care settings only, and 3 did not specify setting. Two criteria, prior fall history and gait and balance abnormalities, were applied either independently or sequentially in 19 CPG fall risk screening algorithms. Fall risk assessment components were more varied across CPGs but commonly included: detailed fall history; detailed evaluation of gait, balance, and/or mobility; medication review; vision; and environmental hazards assessment. Despite these similarities, more work is needed to streamline assessment approaches for heterogeneous and complex older adult populations across the care continuum. Support is also needed for sustainable implementation of CPGs in order to improve health outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-35
Author(s):  
Shampy Kamboj ◽  
Shruti Rana ◽  
Vinayak A. Drave

The advent of smartphones revolutionized and took the market to a new level. Now a days, majority of internet users spend their maximum time on smartphones, specifically on mobile apps. The emergence of numerous apps in smartphones with games features has brought about a different trend, mobile app gamification. The emerging popularity of smartphone technologies and their mobile apps have led various companies to engage their consumers with mobile apps, specifically through gamification. Therefore, companies gain consumers attention integrate their mobile marketing into their overall marketing strategy. This study explores the domain of consumer engagement and their intentions through the gamification of mobile apps. The research focuses on how mobile app gamification drives consumer engagement and their intentions drawing upon SDT and TAM. Using survey method data collected from 270 respondents, data analysis was done with structure equation modeling (SEM). The findings assert that various features of gamification of mobile apps (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and enjoyment) have a significant influence on consumer engagement. However, convenience was unexpectedly found not to be significantly associated with consumer engagement. Additionally, consumer engagement was found to be associated to smartphone user's intentions to use gamification of mobile apps. The results of present study have theoretical and practical implications.


2020 ◽  
Vol Volume 15 ◽  
pp. 1625-1636
Author(s):  
WMA Meekes ◽  
Chantal Leemrijse ◽  
JC Korevaar ◽  
JMAE Henquet ◽  
M Nieuwenhuis ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 132-132
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Vincenzo ◽  
Tiffany Shubert ◽  
Jennifer S. Brach ◽  
Jennifer Tripken ◽  
Lori Schrodt ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To describe trends in fall risk screening and referrals to community-based programs among physical therapy professionals.To compare fall risk screening practices to clinical practice guidelines amongTo identify gaps in fall risk screening and referrals to community-based programs among physical therapy professionals.METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A panel of experts between the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) - Geriatrics, and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) developed a web-based survey to identify practices among physical therapy professionals (PTs) for fall risk screenings and community-based referrals for older adults. The web-based survey was disseminated to PTs via email, e-blasts, and social media. The survey focused on questions related to knowledge of fall risk screening tools, fall risk management for older adults, and knowledge of and referrals to community-based interventions. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: To date, 453 PTs representing 50 states completed the survey. The majority of PTs (50.9%) had over 20 years of experience in various settings. Eighty-three percent regularly screen older adults for fall risk. Approximately 40% conduct community-based screenings. The majority (81.3%) were somewhat to very familiar with the CDC-recommended STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) screening toolkit. Despite familiarity, only 32% responded to the question if they used STEADI for screening. Of those, 83.4% used the tool. The majority (73.4%) of PTs were aware that NCOA recommends evidence-based programs to address health needs of aging adults and 59.6% refer. PTs did not refer due to lack of knowledge that programs existed (21.3%) or lack of knowledge of availability (33.3%). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Although PTs are have some familiarity with the STEADI for fall risk screening, the tool is not common in practice. PTs are lacking awareness of local evidence-based community programs to address health needs of aging adults. Educational efforts should target these knowledge gaps and provide additional resources to improve referrals.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailiang Wang ◽  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Lisha Yu ◽  
Jiaxing Liu ◽  
Inez Maria Zwetsloot ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Telehealth is an effective means to assist existing health care systems, particularly for the current aging society. However, most extant telehealth systems employ individual data sources by offline data processing, which may not recognize health deterioration in a timely way. OBJECTIVE Our study objective was two-fold: to design and implement an integrated, personalized telehealth system on a community-based level; and to evaluate the system from the perspective of user acceptance. METHODS The system was designed to capture and record older adults’ health-related information (eg, daily activities, continuous vital signs, and gait behaviors) through multiple measuring tools. State-of-the-art data mining techniques can be integrated to detect statistically significant changes in daily records, based on which a decision support system could emit warnings to older adults, their family members, and their caregivers for appropriate interventions to prevent further health deterioration. A total of 45 older adults recruited from 3 elderly care centers in Hong Kong were instructed to use the system for 3 months. Exploratory data analysis was conducted to summarize the collected datasets. For system evaluation, we used a customized acceptance questionnaire to examine users’ attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention on the system. RESULTS A total of 179 follow-up sessions were conducted in the 3 elderly care centers. The results of exploratory data analysis showed some significant differences in the participants’ daily records and vital signs (eg, steps, body temperature, and systolic blood pressure) among the 3 centers. The participants perceived that using the system is a good idea (ie, attitude: mean 5.67, SD 1.06), comfortable (ie, self-efficacy: mean 4.92, SD 1.11), useful to improve their health (ie, perceived usefulness: mean 4.99, SD 0.91), and easy to use (ie, perceived ease of use: mean 4.99, SD 1.00). In general, the participants showed a positive intention to use the first version of our personalized telehealth system in their future health management (ie, behavioral intention: mean 4.45, SD 1.78). CONCLUSIONS The proposed health monitoring system provides an example design for monitoring older adults’ health status based on multiple data sources, which can help develop reliable and accurate predictive analytics. The results can serve as a guideline for researchers and stakeholders (eg, policymakers, elderly care centers, and health care providers) who provide care for older adults through such a telehealth system.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110637
Author(s):  
Antonio V. Martín-García ◽  
Rosa Redolat ◽  
Sacramento Pinazo-Hernandis

The use of digital technology by older adults has improved in recent years in response to the need for their functional adaptation to an increasingly technological social context. Understanding this type of technological adaptation has recently become an important field of inquiry in both social and gerontological studies. Working within this framework, the aim of this study is to identify the main determinants that influence the intention of older people to use digital technology in their daily lives, using the Technological Acceptance Model. A study was carried out with the participation of 1155 people over 65 years of age in Spain. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and structural equation models (SEM) were performed. The results show that the TAM is a useful model to explain the intention of older adults to use Digital Technology, showing a high predictive power, highlighting Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use as the main predictor variables.


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