Inclusive design of digital health interventions for the aging population
Older adults face barriers when interacting with digital health tools. This project develops guidelines to design inclusive, user-friendly digital health interventions, contributing to improved access and efficacy of digital health services
Factsheet
-
Schools involved
Bern Academy of the Arts
School of Engineering and Computer Science -
Institute(s)
Institute of Design Research
Institute for Patient-centered Digital Health (PCDH) - Research unit(s) Social Design
- Funding organisation BFH
- Duration (planned) 01.01.2025 - 31.10.2025
-
Head of project
Kerstin Denecke
Beatrice Kaufmann - Keywords Design, Digital health, Patient-centered, Accessibility
Situation
Digital health interventions (DHIs) are evidence-based tools, such as apps or telehealth platforms, designed to prevent, manage or treat health conditions. With the increasing digitalisation of healthcare, older adults are increasingly faced with the need to navigate DHIs independently. However, accessibility and health literacy are often neglected in the design and delivery of these tools, leading to potential patient safety risks and reduced effectiveness. To address this gap, the project aims to develop comprehensive design heuristics, guidelines and best practices to improve the accessibility, usability and user experience of DHIs for older adults. By promoting equitable and effective solutions, the project aims to empower the ageing population to confidently and independently engage with digital health interventions, ultimately improving their health outcomes and quality of life.
Course of action
The central research question guiding this project is: What are accessible and inclusive design elements for digital health interventions (DHIs) for older adults? The project will begin with a literature review and search for existing guidelines to identify design heuristics tailored to the ageing population. Interviews and focus groups will then be conducted with older adults, carers and gerontological experts to gain insight into their needs for accessible DHIs. In the third phase, we will analyse existing applications and conduct simulation studies with older adults to identify both effective and ineffective practices in DHI design. These findings will inform the creation of a first set of design heuristics, which will serve as the basis for validation in a follow-on project. To ensure that the heuristics are practical and to engage directly with the target audience, we will establish collaborations with practice partners from the field of geriatrics. A workshop with representatives of these organisations will be organised to gather their experiences with DHIs and their accessibility for the ageing population.
Result
The project will deliver design heuristics as basis for developing inclusive and accessible digital health solutions for the ageing population.
