Embedded assessment of aging adults: A concept validation with stakeholders

Abstract

Abstract-Sensing systems embedded in the homes of elders have the potential to monitor individuals for early signs of functional and cognitive decline. However, it is not clear how the data collected from these embedded assessment systems can be useful for elders to support awareness and for their doctors to make better diagnoses. We conduct a concept validation of embedded assessment sensing concepts with elders, family caregivers, and clinicians. We describe their reactions to the sensing concepts, their different information needs, how they would use the information, and what limits its usefulness and provide recommendations for designers of embedded assessment systems.

Challenges and opportunities of sensor based user empowerment

“…The validation is to be performed against workflow, basically performing their workflow activities. This since other approaches such as concept validations [33] is not suitable for the individuals with cognitive impairments in focus. This mainly for two reasons, since the persons with cognitive impairments may have difficulties in envisioning the concept, and that the acceptance process including training are of importance.…”

Orchestrated Informal Care Coordination

“…A large amount of HCI and health informatics research has investigated smart home technologies for senior's independent living (Lee & Dey 2010;Frisardi et al 2011;Le et al 2012;Morris et al 2013). These studies explored a substantial possibility of smart home technologies for revolutionizing home health care.…”

Requirements Gathering for the Delivery of Healthcare Data in Aware Homes

“…A study presented in [13] involves monitoring how well older adults perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and presenting this information back to older people, their caregivers and clinicians. The study probed older adults on whether they would find various health care information useful, including a monitor for their medication and information on activity performance including making a cup of coffee and telephone usage.…”

“…The study probed older adults on whether they would find various health care information useful, including a monitor for their medication and information on activity performance including making a cup of coffee and telephone usage. The older adults they interviewed (N=4) stated that they would be interested in this information as they got older, but also that they would want to know why there were declines in ADLs so that they could 'fix' any problems [13]. A study by Bhachu et al focused on how older adults felt about technology devices that might deliver health-related information, rather than attitudes to the type of data they might display [4].…”

“…For example, one study found that people who suffer from a disability are more open to sharing data about their health than those without a disability [3]. In the study by Lee and Dey [13], older adults reported having no issues about sharing health information with their family members, friends, or clinicians. While this is positive, it is important that older adults are given control over who has access to their data.…”