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Abstract
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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Community-dwelling older people were involved in the testing of a fall detection device to improve its utilization and acceptance in everyday life.
BACKGROUND: The usability of alerting devices remains unsatisfactory, as they are scarcely utilized by older people, despite wide recognition of the importance of rapid assistance after a fall. Moreover, the time a person remains on the floor negatively impacts the severity of fall consequences. However, it is unclear how to increase alerting device utilization in everyday life. Therefore, older people were involved in this research to consider their perspective during prototype development.
DESIGN: A qualitative focus group study was conducted, following a real-field testing approach, underpinned by the theoretical framework 'Medical Device Technology Development Process'.
METHODS: Fifteen community-dwelling older people tested the prototype in daily living over a period of nine days. Different means of involvement were exploited such as 'user seminars' or 'discussion with users'. On day nine, data was collected using focus groups and analysed with qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: The participants' perspectives yielded positive aspects of the prototype along with aspects requiring improvement. They indicated that technical requirements are essential. They also revealed that a minimal change in daily routines, support for physical activity and independent living and the inclusion of trusted contact persons could lead to wider use of the alerting device.
CONCLUSIONS: Involving users is crucial in gaining a deeper understanding of aspects influencing utilization of an alerting device. The study revealed that usability is influenced both by technical requirements as well as habits and personal preferences. This finding is vital, as habits and personal preferences can only be identified through the involvement of target users. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The study provides key insights for nurses interested in promoting the use of an alerting device in community-dwelling older people. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Language: en |