Abstract
Digital health programs offer numerous psychological and physical health benefits. To date, digital programs have been aimed broadly at younger participants, yet older individuals may also benefit. Our study sought to demonstrate user feasibility and satisfaction in a digital wellness program for older adults. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 140 participants in a digital health wellness application that integrated guided exercises, nutrition planning and health education. Primary outcomes were active participant retention, engagement in the mobile program and user satisfaction as operationalized by NPS scores. Among 140 participants, median age was 59.82 (50–80), 61% female, in a sample taken in the United States. Engagement was high and sustained, with more than 65% participants engaged, operationalized as at least completing one task activity a month over 17 weeks. Participants were also satisfied with the program, reporting NPS scores of 43 on day 30 of the program. Secondary health outcomes included 3.44 pound weight change during the first month. User feasibility and satisfaction was demonstrated in a sample of older participants for this novel digital health wellness program. Future work focused on older adult users may result in improvements in patient health outcomes and improved preventive medicine strategies.
Highlights
Over the last decade, digital programs aimed at patients with chronic diseases and overall physical and psychological well-being have becoming increasingly common and popular [1]
The health benefits of such digital programs for improving the outcomes of patients with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and weight loss have been well established in a diverse range of participants across the age spectrum [3,4]
In conclusion our study found that older adults had high and sustained engagement in a digital wellness app/program
Summary
Digital programs aimed at patients with chronic diseases and overall physical and psychological well-being have becoming increasingly common and popular [1]. Within the past 10 years, the percentage of US adults owning a smartphone has increased from 35% to >80% [2], creating a digital environment conducive to rapid transmission of information and continuous communication This digital environment has created a unique opportunity for rapid data-driven testing and dissemination of effective solutions to support preventive medical strategies and to encourage the adoption of healthy psychological and physical lifestyles. There are currently over 10,000 mental health related smartphone apps alone, each with diverse approaches ranging from remote cognitive behavioral therapy, to the use of automated “chatbots” driven by data science [11] Despite this promising growth of digital health, less work has been focused on the important and growing aging population (e.g., adults over the age of age 55). Our study aimed to describe user feasibility and satisfaction of a digital wellness program in a sample of older adults
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
