Abstract
Pervasive health technologies can increase the effectiveness of personal health monitoring and training, but more user studies are necessary to understand the interest for these technologies, and how they should be designed and implemented. In the present study, we evaluated eWALL, a user-centered pervasive health technology consisting of a platform that monitors users’ physical and cognitive behavior, providing feedback and motivation via an easy-to-use, touch-based user interface. The eWALL was placed for one month in the home of 48 subjects with a chronic condition (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—COPD or mild cognitive impairment—MCI) or with an age-related impairment. User acceptance, platform use, and potential clinical effects were evaluated using surveys, data logs, and clinical scales. Although some features of the platform need to be improved before reaching technical maturity and making a difference in patients’ lives, the real-life evaluation of eWALL has shown how some features may influence patients’ intention to use this promising technology. Furthermore, this study made it clear how the free use of different health apps is modulated by the real needs of the patient and by their usefulness in the context of the patient’s clinical status.
Highlights
Pervasive health technology—ensuring a continuous flow of information from the comfort of the user’s home—allows persons to claim a more active role in the management of their health [1]
50 participants were enrolled in the study: 17 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 24 participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (21 from The Netherlands and 3 from Denmark) and 10 participants with age-related impairments (5 from Austria and 5 from Denmark)
As a matter of fact, the acceptance of eWALL differed over the different study populations, i.e., age-related impairments (ARI), COPD, and MCI, while the intention to use eWALL was influenced by the perceived ease of use and usability of the platform
Summary
The aims of this study were to understand the end-user acceptance and determine the potential health benefits of eWALL for these patients
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