The quality of life of older adults may be improved by the use of computer or Web-based services. A limited number of experimental studies on this topic have shown mixed results. We carried out a randomized, controlled intervention study that aimed to examine the causal relationship between computer use and measures of physical well-being, social well-being, emotional well-being, development and activity, and autonomy. We randomly assigned a group of 191 participants to an intervention group, a training-no intervention group, or a no training-no intervention group. A fourth group consisted of 45 participants with no interest in computer use. We collected data at baseline, after 4 months, and after 12 months. The results showed that using computers and the Internet neither positively nor negatively influenced everyday functioning, well-being and mood, and the social network of healthy older individuals. We discuss possibilities for future studies.

Codesign with people living with cognitive or sensory impairments poses challenges for researchers and designers, due to differences in their mutual experiences and due to the fact that many well-established codesign methods and techniques may not be appropriate and need adjustment. This paper describes a search for an appropriate, dedicated methodological approach for involving people living with impairments in codesign projects. Based on both existing literature and on a series of three academic workshops, we aimed to understand how researchers and designers adjust common codesign techniques and to derive general principles from those adjustments. During our search for a dedicated codesign approach, however, we came to change our view, and therefore our aims. The outcomes of the workshops, more specifically the identification of common challenges that researchers and designers experience, showed that such a dedicated approach may not be the best way to advance the field of codesign methods for people living with impairments. Instead, we now advocate a highly individual approach towards adjusting codesign techniques. In addition, we suggest a new tradition of sharing experiences in order for researchers and designers to learn from one another in the form of method stories.

Learning to use a computer and the internet does not benefit healthy, communitydwelling older adults with respect to many domains of cognitive functions. The implications of these findings for future studies that use cognitive challenge to counteract usual cognitive aging are discussed.

Background Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a disease that requires complex management involving multiple medications, exercise, and lifestyle changes. It mainly affects older patients with depression and anxiety, who commonly find management difficult. Existing mobile apps supporting the self-management of CHF have limited features and are inadequately validated. Objective The HeartMan project aims to develop a personal health system that would comprehensively address CHF self-management by using sensing devices and artificial intelligence methods. This paper presents the design of the system and reports on the accuracy of its patient-monitoring methods, overall effectiveness, and patient perceptions. Methods A mobile app was developed as the core of the HeartMan system, and the app was connected to a custom wristband and cloud services. The system features machine learning methods for patient monitoring: continuous blood pressure (BP) estimation, physical activity monitoring, and psychological profile recognition. These methods feed a decision support system that provides recommendations on physical health and psychological support. The system was designed using a human-centered methodology involving the patients throughout development. It was evaluated in a proof-of-concept trial with 56 patients. Results Fairly high accuracy of the patient-monitoring methods was observed. The mean absolute error of BP estimation was 9.0 mm Hg for systolic BP and 7.0 mm Hg for diastolic BP. The accuracy of psychological profile detection was 88.6%. The F-measure for physical activity recognition was 71%. The proof-of-concept clinical trial in 56 patients showed that the HeartMan system significantly improved self-care behavior (P=.02), whereas depression and anxiety rates were significantly reduced (P<.001), as were perceived sexual problems (P=.01). According to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology questionnaire, a positive attitude toward HeartMan was seen among end users, resulting in increased awareness, self-monitoring, and empowerment. Conclusions The HeartMan project combined a range of advanced technologies with human-centered design to develop a complex system that was shown to help patients with CHF. More psychological than physical benefits were observed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03497871; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/history/NCT03497871. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s12872-018-0921-2

This paper critically looks at the role of people with dementia (and their network) when involved in a participatory design (PD) process and the role of designers when involving a person with dementia (and their network). Two participatory projects (ATOM and Dementia Lab) were analyzed and challenges in doing PD together with people with dementia are defined. Author Keywords People with dementia; participatory design ACM Classification Keywords H.5.2 User Interfaces INVOLVING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROCESSESDementia is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of psychiatric and cognitive symptoms. Personality changes, depression, hallucinations and delusions are the most known psychiatric symptoms. On a cognitive level people with dementia almost always suffer from a deterioration of memory (such as amnesia), difficulties in language (aphasia), the inability to perform purposeful movements (apraxia) and orientation in time and place (agnosia) (APA, 2000). Additional behavioral and cognitive problems (irritation/frustration, short attention span, an inability to learn new routines,…) can occur. As a large group of people with dementia belong to the group of older persons, physical ailments like impaired eyesight, hearing or physical coordination are likely to appear (Lobo et al., 1999). A wide variety of types of dementia exists and the way it affects daily life will be different for each person. Involvement in research and designTo involve people with dementia in a research and design process is not an easy thing. In the domain of design of IT applications, Span et al. (2013) found that only 2 out of 26 research projects involved the person with dementia not as an object of study or informant, but as a partner (or co-designer) in the design and research process. To see the person with dementia as a mere object of study or to only rely on proxies stems from the vision on the person with dementia as the 'uncollected corpse' (Miller, 1990) or as someone who no longer possesses a sense of self. Kitwood (1997), however, states that a person with dementia must be recognized as a person with thoughts, emotions, wishes and thus, a person who should actively be included in research. Participatory design with people with dementiaTo actively include people with dementia in research and design can be done by using participatory design methods. Although we see good examples of working in a participatory manner with people with dementia (Holbø, et al., 2013;Lindsay, Brittain, et al., 2012;Mayer & Zach, 2013;Meiland et al., 2012), the question we are trying to answer in this paper, is what the challenges experienced in doing PD with people with dementia in two projects were. We will look at the role of the participants (person with dementia, designer,…), the analysis and the scalability of the research results and the impact of the PD process on the participants. CHALLENGES OF DOING PARTICIPATORY DESIGN WITH PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIAWe define 7 challenges in doing PD with people with dementia coming from our ...

Cognitively challenging activities may support the mental abilities of older adults. The use of computers and the Internet provides divergent cognitive challenges to older persons, and in previous studies, positive effects of computer and Internet use on the quality of life have been demonstrated. The present study addresses two research aims regarding predictors of computer use and the relationship between computer use and changes in cognitive abilities over a 6-year period in both younger (24-49 years) and older adults (older than 50 years). Data were obtained from an ongoing study into cognitive aging: the Maastricht Aging Study, involving 1823 normal aging adults who were followed for 9 years. The results showed age-related differences in predictors of computer use: the only predictor in younger participants was level of education, while in older participants computer use was also predicted by age, sex and feelings of loneliness. Protective effects of computer use were found for measures of selective attention and memory, in both older and younger participants. Effect sizes were small, which suggests that promotion of computer activities in older adults to prevent cognitive decline may not be an efficient strategy.

Background: Consolidating a standard for reporting qualitative research remains a challenging endeavor, given the variety of different paradigms that steer qualitative research as well as the broad range of designs, and techniques for data collection and analysis that one could opt for when conducting qualitative research. Method: A total of 18 experts in qualitative research participated in an argument Delphi approach to explore the arguments that would plead for or against the development and use of reporting guidelines (RGs) for qualitative research and to generate opinions on what may need to be considered in the further development or further refinement of RGs for qualitative research.Findings: The potential to increase quality and accountability of qualitative research was identified as one of the core benefits of RGs for different target groups, including students. Experts in our pilot study seem to resist a fixed, extensive list of criteria. They emphasize the importance of flexibility in developing and applying such criteria. Clear-cut RGs may restrict the publication of reports on unusual, innovative, or emerging research approaches.Conclusions: RGs should not be used as a substitute for proper training in qualitative research methods and should not be applied rigidly. Experts feel more comfortable with RGs that allow for an adaptation of criteria, to create a better fit for purpose. The variety in viewpoints between experts for the majority of the topics will most likely complicate future consolidation processes. Design specific RGs should be considered to allow developers to stay true to their own epistemological principles and those of their potential users.

Older adults experience more problems than younger people when using everyday technological devices such as personal computers, automatic teller machines and microwave ovens. Such problems may have serious consequences for the autonomy of older adults since the ability to use technology is becoming essential in everyday life. One potential cause of these difficulties is age-related decline of cognitive functions. To test the role of cognitive abilities in performing technological tasks, we designed the Technological Transfer Test (TTT). This new and ecologically valid test comprises eight technological tasks that are common in modern life (operating a CD player, a telephone, an ATM, a train-ticket vending machine, a microwave-oven, an alarm clock, a smart card charging device and a telephone voice menu). The TTT and a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests were administered to 236 healthy adults aged 64–75 years on two separate occasions. The results demonstrated that the performance time for five of the eight tasks was predicted by cognitive abilities. The exact cognitive functions affecting technological performance varied by the technological task. Among several measures and components of cognition, the speed of information processing and cognitive flexibility had the greatest predictive power. The results imply that age-related cognitive decline has a profound effect on the interaction between older adults and technological appliances.