The Association of Technology-Based Ageism with Using Digital Technology in Physical Therapy for Older Persons.

Integrating digital technologies in healthcare for older adults can enhance their independence and quality of life. Nevertheless, ageism among healthcare professionals impacts treatment decisions and may deprive older patients of technology-based treatment. This study explores whether technology-specific ageism influenced physiotherapists' use of technology-based healthcare with older patients. Seventy-eight physiotherapists in Luxembourg filled out an online survey. Participants filled out the Attitudes Towards Older Adults Using Technology (ATOAUT-11) scale, Expectations Regarding Aging, attitudes towards technology use in the work environment, and whether they had not offered technology-based treatment in the past because of a patient's age. Using logistic regression, negative ATOAUT was found to predict not offering technology-based treatment, such that participants with more negative attitudes (1 standard deviation) were two times more likely not to offer treatment. Positive attitudes towards using technology in the work environment were also found to be a significant predictor. All other characteristics (gender, age, experience and percentage of patients over 50) were not predictive of not offering treatment. This study demonstrates that technology-specific ageism may lead to discrimination and deprive older persons of optimal treatment. More research is needed to identify the magnitude of ageism in using technology-based treatment and develop interventions to overcome it.

Plantar intrinsic foot muscle activation during functional exercises compared to isolated foot exercises in younger adults.

BACKGROUND: Training the plantar intrinsic foot muscles (PIFMs) has the potential to benefit patients with lower extremity musculoskeletal conditions as well as the aged population. Isolated foot exercises, often standard in clinical practice, are difficult to perform, whereas functional exercises are much easier to accomplish. However, it is unclear whether functional exercises are comparable to isolated foot exercises in activating the PIFMs. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the activation of PIFMs between functional exercises versus isolated foot exercises. METHODS: Using surface electromyography (EMG), muscle activation of three PIFMs was measured in four functional exercises (i.e. normal/unstable toe stance, toe walking, and hopping) versus a muscle-specific isolated foot exercise in 29 younger adults, resulting in 12 comparisons. RESULTS: Functional exercises showed larger mean EMG amplitudes than the isolated foot exercises in 25% of the 12 comparisons, while there was no difference in the remaining 75%. CONCLUSION: Functional exercises provoked comparable or even more activation of the PIFMs than isolated foot exercises. Given that functional exercises are easier to perform, this finding indicates the need to further investigate the effectiveness of functional exercises in physical therapy to improve muscle function and functional task performance in populations that suffer from PIFM weakness or dysfunction.

An "ultimate partnership": Older persons' perspectives on age-stereotypes and intergenerational interaction in co-designing digital technologies.

AIM: There is often a gap between the ideal of involving older persons iteratively throughout the design process of digital technology, and actual practice. Until now, the lens of ageism has not been applied to address this gap. The goals of this study were: to voice the perspectives and experiences of older persons who participated in co-designing regarding the design process; their perceived role in co-designing and intergenerational interaction with the designers; and apparent manifestations of ageism that potentially influence the design of digital technology. METHODS: Twenty-one older persons participated in three focus groups. Five themes were identified using thematic analysis which combined a critical ageism 'lens' deductive approach and an inductive approach. RESULTS: Ageism was experienced by participants in their daily lives and interactions with the designers during the design process. Negative images of ageing were pointed out as a potential influencing factor on design decisions. Nevertheless, positive experiences of inclusive design pointed out the importance of "partnership" in the design process. Participants defined the "ultimate partnership" in co-designing as processes in which they were involved from the beginning, iteratively, in a participatory approach. Such processes were perceived as leading to successful design outcomes, which they would like to use, and reduced intergenerational tension. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the potential role of ageism as a detrimental factor in how digital technologies are designed. Viewing older persons as partners in co-designing and aspiring to more inclusive design processes may promote designing technologies that are needed, wanted and used.

Wearables measuring electrodermal activity to assess perceived stress in care: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress responses can lead to physical and behavioural health problems, often experienced and observed in the care of people with intellectual disabilities or people with dementia. Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a bio-signal for stress, which can be measured by wearables and thereby support stress management. However, the how, when and to what extent patients and healthcare providers can benefit is unclear. This study aims to create an overview of available wearables enabling the detection of perceived stress by using EDA. METHODS: Following the PRISMA-SCR protocol for scoping reviews, four databases were included in the search of peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2022, reporting detection of EDA in relation to self-reported stress or stress-related behaviours. Type of wearable, bodily location, research population, context, stressor type and the reported relationship between EDA and perceived stress were extracted. RESULTS: Of the 74 included studies, the majority included healthy subjects in laboratory situations. Field studies and studies using machine learning (ML) to predict stress have increased in the last years. EDA is most often measured on the wrist, with offline data processing. Studies predicting perceived stress or stress-related behaviour using EDA features, reported accuracies between 42% and 100% with an average of 82.6%. Of these studies, the majority used ML. CONCLUSION: Wearable EDA sensors are promising in detecting perceived stress. Field studies with relevant populations in a health or care context are lacking. Future studies should focus on the application of EDA-measuring wearables in real-life situations to support stress management.

The Role of Ageism in the Acceptance and Use of Digital Technology.

Technology acceptance models associate older age with lower intention to use digital technology although this assumption is often stereotypically-based and not sufficiently tested with older persons. This study investigated the association of ageism (rather than chronological age) with behavioral intention and actual use of technology within the theoretical framework of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT-2) model. 374 Dutch-speaking participants aged 50-97 completed the UTAUT-2 questionnaire, Expectations Regarding Aging, Attitudes Toward Older Adults Using Technology (ATOAUT-11) and experienced ageism scales. A path analysis found that expectations regarding aging partially mediated the association of age with negative attitudes. Mixed results were found regarding the fit of the new UTAUT-2-Ageism model. Negative ATOAUT moderated the associations of Effort Expectancy, Facilitating Conditions, and Habit with Behavioral Intention to use technology, and the explained variance increased. Further research is warranted to fully identify the potential role of ageism in technology acceptance.

Benefits of Structured Advance Care Plan in end-of-Life Care Planning among Older Oncology Patients: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

Objectives: Studies suggest that advance care planning (ACP) results in improved quality of life and reduced healthcare consumption. We assessed how the use of a structured advance care planning tool (ACPT) in oncology patients relates to their healthcare consumption before death, and to the match between preferred and actual place of death. Methods: We performed a pilot study at a teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Endpoints were 1) healthcare consumption at three and one month(s) before death, and 2) the match between preferred and actual place of death. Results: The study included 75 patients without an ACPT (group 1) and 59 patients with an ACPT (group 2) of whom the preferred place of care or death were documented at least three months before death in 15 patients (subgroup 2b). Compared to group 1, patients in group 2 had significantly more healthcare consumption. However, compared to group 1, patients in subgroup 2b underwent significantly less diagnostic (33.3% (n = 5) versus 69.3% (n = 52), p < 0.05) and laboratory tests (33.3% (n = 5) versus 62.7% (n = 47), p < 0.05) one month before death. Patients in subgroup 2b died at their preferred place more often (76.9%, n = 10) compared to patients in group 1 (58.3%, n = 7) (NS), which meant more deaths at home and less in-hospital-deaths. Conclusions: The results suggest that timely documentation of the preferred place of care or death in a structured ACPT may result in less healthcare consumption and a better match between the preferred and actual place of death.

Ageism in the Discourse and Practice of Designing Digital Technology for Older Persons: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Involving older persons in the design process of digital technology (DT) promotes the development of technologies that are appealing, beneficial, and used. However, negative discourse on aging and ageism are potential underlying factors that could influence which and how DTs are designed and how older persons are involved in the design process. This scoping review investigates the explicit and implicit manifestations of ageism in the design process of DT. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Seven databases were screened for studies reporting on the design of DT with older persons between January 2015 and January 2020. Data regarding study and DT characteristics, discourse about older persons, and their involvement in the design process were extracted, coded, and analyzed using critical discourse analysis. RESULTS: Sixty articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Various forms of exclusion of older persons from the design process were identified, such as no or low involvement, upper-age limits, and sample biases toward relatively "active," healthy and "tech-savvy" older persons. Critical discourse analysis revealed the use of outdated language, stereotypical categorizations, and/or design decisions based on ageism in 71.7% of the studies. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: A discrepancy was found between an "ideal" discourse regarding the involvement of older persons throughout the design process and actual practice. Manifestations of ageism, errors, and biases of designing DT with older persons are discussed. This article calls for more authentic inclusion of older persons and higher awareness toward the implications of ageism in the design process of DT.

A Multiple Stakeholder Perspective on the Drivers and Barriers for the Implementation of Lifestyle Monitoring Using Infrared Sensors to Record Movements for Vulnerable Older Adults Living Alone at Home: A Qualitative Study.

A variety of technologies classified as lifestyle monitoring (LM) allows, by unobtrusive monitoring, for supporting of living alone at home of vulnerable older adults, especially persons with neurocognitive disorders such as dementia. It can detect health deterioration, facilitate early intervention, and possibly help people avoid hospital admission. However, for LM to redeem its intended effects, it is important to be adopted by involved stakeholders such as informal and formal caregivers and care managers. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study is to understand factors that drive or impede successful implementation of LM for vulnerable older adults, specifically using infrared sensors to record movements, studied from a multiple stakeholder perspective. An open coding process was used to identify key themes of the implementation process. Data were arranged according to a thematic framework based on the normalization process theory (NPT). All stakeholders agreed that LM could lead to various health benefits for older adults using LM. However, some did not perceive the LM system to be cost-efficient and expressed a need for more flexible health care structures for LM to be successfully implemented. All stakeholders acknowledged the fact that LM requires a transition of care and responsibilities, a clear eligibility strategy for clients, and a clear ambassador strategy for health care professionals, as well as reliable technology. This study highlights the complex nature of implementing LM and suggests the need for alignment within constructs of the NPT among stakeholders about new ways of collaboration in supporting living alone at home.

The effect of interventions anticipated to improve plantar intrinsic foot muscle strength on fall-related dynamic function in adults: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The plantar intrinsic foot muscles (PIFMs) have a role in dynamic functions, such as balance and propulsion, which are vital to walking. These muscles atrophy in older adults and therefore this population, which is at high risk to falling, may benefit from strengthening these muscles in order to improve or retain their gait performance. Therefore, the aim was to provide insight in the evidence for the effect of interventions anticipated to improve PIFM strength on dynamic balance control and foot function during gait in adults. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in five electronic databases. The eligibility of peer-reviewed papers, published between January 1, 2010 and July 8, 2020, reporting controlled trials and pre-post interventional studies was assessed by two reviewers independently. Results from moderate- and high-quality studies were extracted for data synthesis by summarizing the standardized mean differences (SMD). The GRADE approach was used to assess the certainty of evidence. RESULTS: Screening of 9199 records resulted in the inclusion of 11 articles of which five were included for data synthesis. Included studies were mainly performed in younger populations. Low-certainty evidence revealed the beneficial effect of PIFM strengthening exercises on vertical ground reaction force (SMD: - 0.31-0.37). Very low-certainty evidence showed that PIFM strength training improved the performance on dynamic balance testing (SMD: 0.41-1.43). There was no evidence for the effect of PIFM strengthening exercises on medial longitudinal foot arch kinematics. CONCLUSIONS: This review revealed at best low-certainty evidence that PIFM strengthening exercises improve foot function during gait and very low-certainty evidence for its favorable effect on dynamic balance control. There is a need for high-quality studies that aim to investigate the effect of functional PIFM strengthening exercises in large samples of older adults. The outcome measures should be related to both fall risk and the role of the PIFMs such as propulsive forces and balance during locomotion in addition to PIFM strength measures.

Intra-assessor reliability and measurement error of ultrasound measures for foot muscle morphology in older adults using a tablet-based ultrasound machine.

BACKGROUND: To gain insight into the role of plantar intrinsic foot muscles in fall-related gait parameters in older adults, it is fundamental to assess foot muscles separately. Ultrasonography is considered a promising instrument to quantify the strength capacity of individual muscles by assessing their morphology. The main goal of this study was to investigate the intra-assessor reliability and measurement error for ultrasound measures for the morphology of selected foot muscles and the plantar fascia in older adults using a tablet-based device. The secondary aim was to compare the measurement error between older and younger adults and between two different ultrasound machines. METHODS: Ultrasound images of selected foot muscles and the plantar fascia were collected in younger and older adults by a single operator, intensively trained in scanning the foot muscles, on two occasions, 1-8 days apart, using a tablet-based and a mainframe system. The intra-assessor reliability and standard error of measurement for the cross-sectional area and/or thickness were assessed by analysis of variance. The error variance was statistically compared across age groups and machines. RESULTS: Eighteen physically active older adults (mean age 73.8 (SD: 4.9) years) and ten younger adults (mean age 21.9 (SD: 1.8) years) participated in the study. In older adults, the standard error of measurement ranged from 2.8 to 11.9%. The ICC ranged from 0.57 to 0.97, but was excellent in most cases. The error variance for six morphology measures was statistically smaller in younger adults, but was small in older adults as well. When different error variances were observed across machines, overall, the tablet-based device showed superior repeatability. CONCLUSIONS: This intra-assessor reliability study showed that a tablet-based ultrasound machine can be reliably used to assess the morphology of selected foot muscles in older adults, with the exception of plantar fascia thickness. Although the measurement errors were sometimes smaller in younger adults, they seem adequate in older adults to detect group mean hypertrophy as a response to training. A tablet-based ultrasound device seems to be a reliable alternative to a mainframe system. This advocates its use when foot muscle morphology in older adults is of interest.

Attitudes of Health Care Professionals Toward Older Adults' Abilities to Use Digital Technology: Questionnaire Study.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies (DTs) for older adults focus mainly on health care and are considered to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults. However, adoption rates of these DTs are considered low. Although previous research has investigated possible reasons for adoption and acceptance of DT, age-based stereotypes (eg, those held by health care professionals) toward the abilities of older adults to use DTs have yet to be considered as possible barriers to adoption. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influencing role of ageism in the context of health care professionals attitudes toward older adults' abilities to use health care DT. A further goal was to examine if social comparison and stereotype activation affect and moderate this association. METHODS: A new measurement to assess health care professionals' attitudes toward older adults using technology (ATOAUT-10) was developed and used in 2 studies. Study 1 involved the development of the ATOAUT-10 scale using a principal component analysis and further examined health care professionals' attitudes toward the use of health care DTs and correlations with ageism. Study 2 further explored the correlation between ageism and ATOAUT in an experimental design with health care professionals. RESULTS: In study 1, physiotherapists (N=97) rated older adults as young as 50 years as less able to use health care DT compared to younger adults (P<.001). A multiple regression analysis revealed that higher levels of ageism, beyond other predictors, were predictive of more negative ATOAUT, (ß=.36; t=3.73; P<.001). In study 2, the salience of age was manipulated. Health care professionals (N=93) were randomly assigned to rate the abilities of a young or old person to use health care DT. Old age salience moderated the correlation between ageism and ATOAUT (R2=0.19; F6,85=3.35; P=.005), such that higher levels of ageism correlated with more negative ATOAUT in the old age salient condition, but not the young condition. Stereotype activation accounted for health care professionals' attitudes more than did the experience of working with older patients or the professionals' age. CONCLUSIONS: Negative and ageist attitudes of health care professionals can potentially affect how older adults are viewed in relation to DT and consequently might influence actual use and adoption of technology-based treatment. Future studies should broaden the validation of the ATOAUT-10 scale on more diverse samples and focus on the discriminatory aspect of ageism and self-ageism of older adults. This study calls for a focus on ageism as a determinant of adoption of DT.

[Perspectives of stakeholders on technology use in the care of community-living older adults with dementia]. / Perspectieven van stakeholders over het gebruik van technologie in de zorg voor thuiswonende ouderen met dementie.

Although technology has the potential to promote aging in place among community-living older adults with dementia, the use remains scarce. In this literature study we provide an overview of perspectives (i.e., needs, wishes, attitudes, possibilities, and difficulties) of different stakeholders on technology use in the care for community-living older adults with dementia. After selection, 46 studies were included. We mainly found perspectives of informal caregivers and, to a lesser extent, of persons with dementia and formal caregivers. Shared perspectives were, among other things, ease of use, stability and flexibility of technology, importance of privacy, and confidentiality. Among older adults, fun and pleasure, in addition to enhancing freedom and independence, facilitates technology use. Informal caregivers' peace of mind and relief of burden also appeared to be important in using technologies. Formal caregivers value the potential of technologies to improve monitoring and communication. Insight in perspectives of stakeholders are essential to enhance the use of technology in the care for community-living older adults with dementia.

Movement behavior remains stable in stroke survivors within the first two months after returning home.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate changes in movement behaviors, sedentary behavior and physical activity, and to identify potential movement behavior trajectory subgroups within the first two months after discharge from the hospital to the home setting in first-time stroke patients. METHODS: A total of 140 participants were included. Within three weeks after discharge, participants received an accelerometer, which they wore continuously for five weeks to objectively measure movement behavior outcomes. The movement behavior outcomes of interest were the mean time spent in sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA); the mean time spent in MVPA bouts ≥ 10 minutes; and the weighted median sedentary bout. Generalized estimation equation analyses were performed to investigate overall changes in movement behavior outcomes. Latent class growth analyses were performed to identify patient subgroups of movement behavior outcome trajectories. RESULTS: In the first week, the participants spent an average, of 9.22 hours (67.03%) per day in SB, 3.87 hours (27.95%) per day in LPA and 0.70 hours (5.02%) per day in MVPA. Within the entire sample, a small but significant decrease in SB and increase in LPA were found in the first weeks in the home setting. For each movement behavior outcome variable, two or three distinctive subgroup trajectories were found. Although subgroup trajectories for each movement behavior outcome were identified, no relevant changes over time were found. CONCLUSION: Overall, the majority of stroke survivors are highly sedentary and a substantial part is inactive in the period immediately after discharge from hospital care. Movement behavior outcomes remain fairly stable during this period, although distinctive subgroup trajectories were found for each movement behavior outcome. Future research should investigate whether movement behavior outcomes cluster in patterns.

Inclusion of Older Adults in the Research and Design of Digital Technology.

Digital technology holds a promise to improve older adults' well-being and promote ageing in place. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between digital technologies that are developed and what older adults actually want and need. Ageing is stereotypically framed as a problem needed to be fixed, and older adults are considered to be frail and incompetent. Not surprisingly, many of the technologies developed for the use of older adults focus on care. The exclusion of older adults from the research and design of digital technology is often based on such negative stereotypes. In this opinion article, we argue that the inclusion rather than exclusion of older adults in the design process and research of digital technology is essential if technology is to fulfill the promise of improving well-being. We emphasize why this is important while also providing guidelines, evidence from the literature, and examples on how to do so. We unequivocally state that designers and researchers should make every effort to ensure the involvement of older adults in the design process and research of digital technology. Based on this paper, we suggest that ageism in the design process of digital technology might play a role as a possible barrier of adopting technology.

Perspectives of Stakeholders on Technology Use in the Care of Community-Living Older Adults with Dementia: A Systematic Literature Review.

Although technology has the potential to promote aging in place, the use of technology remains scarce among community-living older adults with dementia. A reason might be that many stakeholders are involved who all have a different perspective on technology use (i.e., needs, wishes, attitudes, possibilities, and difficulties). We systematically searched the literature in order to provide an overview of perspectives of different stakeholders on technology use among community-living older adults with dementia. After selection, 46 studies were included. We mainly found perspectives of informal caregivers and, to a lesser extent, of persons with dementia and formal caregivers. Perspectives of suppliers of technology were not present. Shared perspectives among persons with dementia and informal and formal caregivers were, among other things, ease of use, stability and flexibility of technology, importance of privacy, and confidentiality. We also found that among older persons, fun and pleasure, in addition to enhancing freedom and independence, facilitates technology use. Informal caregivers' peace of mind and relief of burden also appeared to be important in using technologies. Formal caregivers value the potential of technologies to improve monitoring and communication. Insight in shared, and conflicting perspectives of stakeholders are essential to enhance the use of technology.

Sociodemographic Factors Influencing the Use of eHealth in People with Chronic Diseases.

Alongside the growing number of older persons, the prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing, leading to higher pressure on health care services. eHealth is considered a solution for better and more efficient health care. However, not every patient is able to use eHealth, for several reasons. This study aims to provide an overview of: (1) sociodemographic factors that influence the use of eHealth; and (2) suggest directions for interventions that will improve the use of eHealth in patients with chronic disease. A structured literature review of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library (ACMDL), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) was conducted using four sets of keywords: "chronic disease", "eHealth", "factors", and "suggested interventions". Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies were included. Four researchers each assessed quality and extracted data. Twenty-two out of 1639 articles were included. Higher age and lower income, lower education, living alone, and living in rural areas were found to be associated with lower eHealth use. Ethnicity revealed mixed outcomes. Suggested solutions were personalized support, social support, use of different types of Internet devices to deliver eHealth, and involvement of patients in the development of eHealth interventions. It is concluded that eHealth is least used by persons who need it most. Tailored delivery of eHealth is recommended.

Understanding User Practices When Drawing up Requirements-The Case of Designing Assistive Devices for Mobility.

Patients with orthopedic problems often use assistive devices, e.g., ankle-foot orthoses and therapeutic footwear, to support their mobility. However, many users are not satisfied with their devices or do not use them at all, resulting in a decrease of quality of life. It has been shown that a main cause for dissatisfaction and non-use lies in the process of drawing up requirements. It appears that orthopedic engineers have too little insight in the different areas of life of patients leading to deficient design requirements. In this article a general approach-the so-called Triple I model-is presented to understand the different areas of life of patients. This model offers, in line with and directed by the intention of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model three perspectives or 'pairs of lenses' to analyze these areas of life: the identity, the interests of key stakeholders or social actors, and the underlying societal ideals. The Triple I model is elaborated for assistive devices and offers an associated methodology to orthopedic engineers to systematically map the different areas of life of patients, to understand the requirements for every area, and to explore the conditions. In case of assistive devices five different areas of life have to be investigated: daily living at home, work, transport, social and spiritual activities, sport and leisure.

The Course of Activities in Daily Living: Who Is at Risk for Decline after First Ever Stroke?

BACKGROUND: Stroke is not only an acute disease, but for the majority of patients, it also becomes a chronic condition. There is a major concern about the long-term follow-up with respect to activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke survivors. Some patients seem to be at risk for decline after a first-ever stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine the course of ADL from 3 months after the first-ever stroke and onward and identify factors associated with decline in ADL. METHODS: A systematic literature search of 3 electronic databases through June 2015 was conducted. Longitudinal studies evaluating changes in ADL from 3 months post stroke onward were included. Cohorts including recurrent strokes and transient ischemic attacks were excluded. Regarding the course of ADL, a meta-analysis was performed using random-effects model. A best evidence synthesis was performed to identify factors associated with decline in ADL. RESULTS: Out of 10,473 publications, 28 unique studies were included. A small but significant improvement in ADL was found from 3 to 12 months post stroke (standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.17 (0.04-0.30)), which mainly seemed to occur between 3 and 6 months post stroke (SMD 0.15 (0.05-0.26)). From 1 to 3 years post stroke, no significant change was found. Five studies found a decline in ADL status over time in 12-40% of patients. Nine factors were associated with ADL decline. There is moderate evidence for being dependent in ADL and impaired motor function of the leg. Limited evidence was found associated with insurance status, living alone, age ≥80, inactive state and having impaired cognitive function, depression and fatigue with decline in ADL. CONCLUSION: Although on an average patients do not seem to decline in ADL for up to 3 years, there is considerable variation within the population. Some modifiable factors associated with decline in ADL were identified. However, more research is needed before patients at risk of deterioration in ADL can be identified.

Biofeedback in Partial Weight Bearing: Usability of Two Different Devices from a Patient's and Physical Therapist's Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Partial weight bearing is frequently instructed by physical therapists in patients after lower-limb trauma or surgery. The use of biofeedback devices seems promising to improve the patient's compliance with weight-bearing instructions. SmartStep and OpenGo-Science are biofeedback devices that provide real-time feedback. For a successful implementation, usability of the devices is a critical aspect and should be tested from a user's perspective. AIM: To describe the usability from the physical therapists' and a patients' perspective of Smartstep and OpenGo-Science to provide feedback on partial weight bearing during supervised rehabilitation of patients after lower-limb trauma or surgery. METHODS: In a convergent mixed-methods design, qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Usability was subdivided into user performance, satisfaction and acceptability. Patients prescribed with partial weight bearing and their physical therapists were asked to use SmartStep and OpenGo-Science during supervised rehabilitation. Usability was qualitatively tested by a think-aloud method and a semi-structured interview and quantitatively tested by the System-Usability-Scale (SUS) and closed questions. For the qualitative data thematic content analyses were used. RESULTS: Nine pairs of physical therapists and their patients participated. The mean SUS scores for patients and physical therapists were for SmartStep 70 and 53, and for OpenGo-Science 79 and 81, respectively. Scores were interpreted with the Curved Grading Scale. The qualitative data showed that there were mixed views and perceptions from patients and physical therapists on satisfaction and acceptability. CONCLUSION: This study gives insight in the usability of two biofeedback devices from the patient's and physical therapist's perspective. The overall usability from both perspectives seemed to be acceptable for OpenGo-Science. For SmartStep, overall usability seemed only acceptable from the patient's perspective. IMPLICATION: The study findings could help clinicians to decide which biofeedback device is appropriate for their given situation and provide information for future development of biofeedback devices.

What it Takes to Successfully Implement Technology for Aging in Place: Focus Groups With Stakeholders.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in empowering older adults to age in place by deploying various types of technology (ie, eHealth, ambient assisted living technology, smart home technology, and gerontechnology). However, initiatives aimed at implementing these technologies are complicated by the fact that multiple stakeholder groups are involved. Goals and motives of stakeholders may not always be transparent or aligned, yet research on convergent and divergent positions of stakeholders is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To provide insight into the positions of stakeholder groups involved in the implementation of technology for aging in place by answering the following questions: What kind of technology do stakeholders see as relevant? What do stakeholders aim to achieve by implementing technology? What is needed to achieve successful implementations? METHODS: Mono-disciplinary focus groups were conducted with participants (n=29) representing five groups of stakeholders: older adults (6/29, 21%), care professionals (7/29, 24%), managers within home care or social work organizations (5/29, 17%), technology designers and suppliers (6/29, 21%), and policy makers (5/29, 17%). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Stakeholders considered 26 different types of technologies to be relevant for enabling independent living. Only 6 out of 26 (23%) types of technology were mentioned by all stakeholder groups. Care professionals mentioned fewer different types of technology than other groups. All stakeholder groups felt that the implementation of technology for aging in place can be considered a success when (1) older adults' needs and wishes are prioritized during development and deployment of the technology, (2) the technology is accepted by older adults, (3) the technology provides benefits to older adults, and (4) favorable prerequisites for the use of technology by older adults exist. While stakeholders seemed to have identical aims, several underlying differences emerged, for example, with regard to who should pay for the technology. Additionally, each stakeholder group mentioned specific steps that need to be taken to achieve successful implementation. Collectively, stakeholders felt that they need to take the leap (ie, change attitudes, change policies, and collaborate with other organizations); bridge the gap (ie, match technology with individuals and stimulate interdisciplinary education); facilitate technology for the masses (ie, work on products and research that support large-scale rollouts and train target groups on how to use technology); and take time to reflect (ie, evaluate use and outcomes). CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders largely agree on the direction in which they should be heading; however, they have different perspectives with regard to the technologies that can be employed and the work that is needed to implement them. Central to these issues seems to be the tailoring of technology or technologies to the specific needs of each community-dwelling older adult and the work that is needed by stakeholders to support this type of service delivery on a large scale.