Evaluation of Touch Technology for the Aging Population

Abstract

Optimal and effective hand function is essential for performing activities of daily living e.g., eating and dressing. Multiple advances in technology typical of our modern era overwhelmingly affect today’s environment. Operating these technologies, which are necessary for performing a wide variety of basic and instrumental activities of daily living, often require perfecting new manual skills. A touchscreen is an excellent example of a modern technological application which has become prevalent in all aspects of modern life and its use requires fine motor skills to perform a range of activities such as tapping, swiping, and virtual pinching. However, traditional hand assessment tools are not able to capture the skills necessary to operate a touchscreen. The ability to assess these skills is essential for the development of appropriate treatment protocols as well as for determining technological adaptations necessary for making touchscreens accessible to all.The Touchscreen Assessment Tool (TATOO) is a software application developed to comprehensively and objectively assess the hand performance abilities necessary for operating a touchscreen. The current pilot study examined the usability of the TATOO application by individuals in two age groups: elderly individuals (over 75 years) and middle-aged adults (over 45 years). The validity of the TATOO was examined by comparing the performance of the two age groups. Additionally, the correlations between the results of the TATOO and with traditional hand assessment tools (e.g., prehension strength and dexterity) were determined for the elderly group.Usability as assessed with the System Usability Scale was very good in both age groups. Discriminative validity was demonstrated with elderly individuals demonstrating less accurate and significantly longer performance time. No correlation was found between the TATOO variables and prehension strength (grip and pinch strength) or dexterity skills.The TATOO has the potential to become an important novel supplement to the toolbox available to clinical professionals treating the elderly in the modern world. Future studies with larger samples of elderly individuals are warranted in order to establish a normative data base.