George Demiris1, Shomir Chaudhuri1, Hilaire J Thompson2. 1. 1 Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington School of Medicine , Seattle, Washington. 2. 2 Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, University of Washington School of Medicine , Seattle, Washington.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Falls are a significant concern for the older adult (OA) population, many of whom are unable to get up following a fall. INTRODUCTION: While many devices exist designed to detect a fall, little work has been conducted to evaluate the usability of such devices. We present a longitudinal usability study of a fall detection (FD) device tested with OAs in real-world settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OAs were recruited and asked to use a wearable FD device for up to 4 months. Participants were interviewed at baseline and 2 and 4 months and encouraged to provide direct feedback on their experience. RESULTS: In total, 18 OAs participated in the study. Eight completed the 4-month trial. We conducted a total of 38 interviews (16 baseline, 7 midpoint, and 15 final) and logged a total of 78 comments. While participants enjoyed the GPS and automatic detection features of the device, they were unhappy with the volume of false alarms and obtrusiveness of the device. Many also did not see a great need for having the device or were embarrassed by the device. DISCUSSION: Engineers must work to better develop this technology so that it is accessible to people with hearing loss, limited dexterity, and low vision. Utilizing age-appropriate design techniques will help make such informatics tools more user friendly. CONCLUSION: We explored the usability of a particular FD device with OAs and provide design recommendations to help future device manufacturers create more age-appropriate devices.
BACKGROUND: Falls are a significant concern for the older adult (OA) population, many of whom are unable to get up following a fall. INTRODUCTION: While many devices exist designed to detect a fall, little work has been conducted to evaluate the usability of such devices. We present a longitudinal usability study of a fall detection (FD) device tested with OAs in real-world settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OAs were recruited and asked to use a wearable FD device for up to 4 months. Participants were interviewed at baseline and 2 and 4 months and encouraged to provide direct feedback on their experience. RESULTS: In total, 18 OAs participated in the study. Eight completed the 4-month trial. We conducted a total of 38 interviews (16 baseline, 7 midpoint, and 15 final) and logged a total of 78 comments. While participants enjoyed the GPS and automatic detection features of the device, they were unhappy with the volume of false alarms and obtrusiveness of the device. Many also did not see a great need for having the device or were embarrassed by the device. DISCUSSION: Engineers must work to better develop this technology so that it is accessible to people with hearing loss, limited dexterity, and low vision. Utilizing age-appropriate design techniques will help make such informatics tools more user friendly. CONCLUSION: We explored the usability of a particular FD device with OAs and provide design recommendations to help future device manufacturers create more age-appropriate devices.
Authors: Richard P Harte; Liam G Glynn; Barry J Broderick; Alejandro Rodriguez-Molinero; Paul M A Baker; Bernadette McGuiness; Leonard O'Sullivan; Marta Diaz; Leo R Quinlan; Gearóid ÓLaighin Journal: J Pers Med Date: 2014-06-04
Authors: Richard B Lipton; Mindy J Katz; Gail Kuslansky; Martin J Sliwinski; Walter F Stewart; Joe Verghese; Howard A Crystal; Herman Buschke Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: Gertrudis I J M Kempen; Lucy Yardley; Jolanda C M van Haastregt; G A Rixt Zijlstra; Nina Beyer; Klaus Hauer; Chris Todd Journal: Age Ageing Date: 2007-11-20 Impact factor: 10.668
Authors: Kevin Moore; Emma O'Shea; Lorna Kenny; John Barton; Salvatore Tedesco; Marco Sica; Colum Crowe; Antti Alamäki; Joan Condell; Anna Nordström; Suzanne Timmons Journal: JMIR Mhealth Uhealth Date: 2021-06-03 Impact factor: 4.773
Authors: Theresa E Matson; Anne D Renz; Michelle L Takemoto; Jennifer B McClure; Dori E Rosenberg Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2018-06-07 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Lorna Kenny; Kevin Moore; Clíona O' Riordan; Siobhan Fox; John Barton; Salvatore Tedesco; Marco Sica; Colum Crowe; Antti Alamäki; Joan Condell; Anna Nordström; Suzanne Timmons Journal: JMIR Form Res Date: 2022-01-06