Tracking down a solution: exploring the acceptability and value of wearable GPS devices for older persons, individuals with a disability and their support persons

Abstract

Wearable GPS devices are potentially useful in providing individuals who have safety concerns with reassurance and access to assistance as required. To ensure successful utilization, future device design and device selection should consider the user's familiarity with technology and their health condition. This study also revealed that not all wearable GPS devices provide continuous location tracking. It is therefore critical to ensure that the device's location tracking functions address the wearer's requirements and reason for using the device. Implications for Rehabilitation The acceptability and usability of wearable GPS devices is strongly influenced by the device features, ease of use, cost, appearance, the reliability of the device to provide accurate and timely GPS coordinates, as well as the health condition of the wearer and their familiarity with technology. Wearable GPS devices need to be simple to use and support and training is essential to ensure they are successfully utilized. Not all wearable GPS devices provide continuous location tracking and accuracy of location is impacted by line of sight to satellites. Therefore, care needs to be taken when choosing a suitable device, to ensure that the device's location tracking features are based on the wearer's requirements and value behind using the device.

Usability evaluation for the Amulet Wearable Device in rural older adults with obesity

“…Unfashionable devices, even when designed for older adults, may propagate the stigma of limitations observed in older age 11 . The emergence of commercially available devices for older adults is a major predictor of acceptance 12, 13 .…”

Real Time Monitoring of Children, and Adults with Mental Disabilities Using a Low-Cost Non-Invasive Electronic Device

“…In all cases, the tracking devices are potentially useful for providing the geo-location of patients and thus reducing institutional costs [15]. It is convenient to make sure these devices are practical and easy to use and that their cost, appearance, and reliability encourage their usage [16]. Current epidemiology surveillance systems based on a minimal number of subjects confirmed by lab tests face the fact of over-saturation due to a substantial increase in the transportation of large numbers of passengers [17,18,19].…”

User experience and clinical effectiveness with two wearable global positioning system devices in home dementia care

“…To date, studies on prototype and commercial GPS devices in dementia care have used different product types with similar functions and design features. Typically, products are small (e.g., pager sized or watch sized), discrete or nonvisible (e.g., worn around the waist, neck, wrist, or placed inside a pocket or shoe sole), have two to six main functions (e.g., location, telephone, geofencing, alarm, fall detection, and speed alert), no buttons (i.e., passive systems) or one to three buttons (i.e., active systems), and are lightweight [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] . These functions and features are in line with most expert recommendations [7] , [12] .…”

“…Therefore, the central aim of this study was to perform an in‐depth comparison of the UX of PwDs and their informal CGs with two similar commercial GPS watches in home dementia care. To date, only three studies have compared more than one commercial GPS device, yet the product types differed [5,11,18]. Of these studies, one did not collect data from PwDs [11], one did not focus on UX [5], and the other focused on acceptability without describing the devices used [18].…”

“…To date, only three studies have compared more than one commercial GPS device, yet the product types differed [5,11,18]. Of these studies, one did not collect data from PwDs [11], one did not focus on UX [5], and the other focused on acceptability without describing the devices used [18]. A direct comparison of GPS watches is particularly warranted given that it has been recommended that products take the form of familiar, everyday objects (e.g., watch) to help ensure their adoption [7,10].…”