Usability assessment of a psycho-educational website for Alzheimer's disease caregivers

Abstract

Caregivers of persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) living in rural and remote areas do not have an easy access to support programs specifically addressed to them. However the caregiving impact on their physical and psychological health has been confirmed by several studies. Higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress and mortality rate are described in this population compared to age-matched non-caregivers. In the last decades many intervention programs have used different technological solutions in order to provide support to isolated caregivers. Video conferencing, CD/DVD programs, phone interviews and internet web sites, among others, are currently used for this aim. As a user-lab specialized in elderly with cognitive impairment we have designed a website to deliver a psycho-educational program for AD caregivers. Before assessing its efficacy we are currently conducting a series of user tests in order to evaluate usability factors with a group of potential end-users. The aim of this study is to assure the usability of the web application. Subjects. Sixteen healthy older adults will be recruited for this study, mainly through seniors associations. Inclusion criteria include: being 65 years old or older, having some computer and Internet experience. All participants must sign informed-consent forms prior to inclusion in this study. Procedure: During the individual sessions participants will be invited to explore the site in a pre-defined order. We use the “think aloud” method in order gather users comments while they solve the different tasks they are required to perform. Quantitative and qualitative analysis for this information of data collected will be conducted. The study is currently under way and final results will be available by the end of March. This study will contribute to define website accessibility specifications for an elderly audience. Usability assessment will allow us to modify the graphic interface of the web-based program in order to improve its usability for older caregivers. This study will highlight the influence of Internet use frequency and age on the ability to navigate the online psycho educational program.