Authors:
Mia Forbes
;
Joyram Chakraborty
and
Johannes Badejo
Affiliation:
Department of Computer and Information Science, Towson University, Towson, MD, U.S.A.
Keyword(s):
Cognitive Theories, Conceptual Models, Usability, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, User-Centered Design, Interaction Design, mHealth.
Abstract:
Information and communication technologies and mobile health applications are becoming more pervasive in healthcare. Although these technologies aim to be harmoniously ubiquitous, there are important design factors that user experience practitioners must consider for optimal utilization for elderly users. User’s perceived usefulness is the driving factor for technology adoption. Incorporating cognitive and conceptual design principles such as information processing, mental models, external cognition, and emotional interaction based upon sociocultural determinants can improve the usefulness of mobile Health tools amongst elderly users. Data was obtained from a small sample (n=30) aged 75 years or older who use telehealth and mobile health apps. Findings show that users have a low perceived ease of use and usefulness of these applications based on the lack of sociocultural elements incorporated into the interface design. This paper aims to analyze the impact cognitive theories and conc
eptual frameworks have on mobile health design for elderly users, while bridging the gap of an existing digital divide. A qualitative study was conducted involving empirical research to define a correlational relationship between technology dissonance and elderly users for the purpose of identifying a thematic analysis.
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