SmartSenior@home: Acceptance of an integrated ambient assisted living system. Results of a clinical field trial in 35 households

ABSTRACT

Aims: The primary objective of the SmartSenior@home study was to examine the acceptance of the SmartSenior system by older adults. Methods: Twenty-eight partners from industry and research, including the health care sector, worked collaboratively to implement services aiming to maximize independence in old age. The prospective cohort study was conducted in Potsdam, Germany, with n = 35 older adults between 55 and 88 years of age in their apartments. All participants underwent extensive pre- and post-study visits with in-home interviews, functional assessments for cognition, fine motor skills, and mobility as well as responding to questionnaires on user acceptance and quality of life. Results: The results indicate moderate-to-high user acceptance for the SmartSenior system. In particular, the services for general assistance and health, such as audio/video communication, blood pressure monitoring, and communication with a health professional, were rated as very attractive. Less used and less accepted services were those promoting social interaction and reminder services. Conclusion: Besides reliable functioning of the SmartSenior system, the availability of a confidant seems to be the most significant acceptance factor. As one conclusion of this trial, it is possible to develop, integrate, and test an infrastructure for ambient assisted living services in real life.

KEYWORDS:

• Acceptance
• ambient assisted living
• clinical trial
• older adults
• usability

Acknowledgments

The following people made major contributions to the technical development and conduct of this clinical field trial. We therefore gratefully acknowledge M. Balasch, O. Lade, K. Lösch, D. Eifler, F. Otte-Drewnick, A. Felscher, M. Cornils, M. Schultz, A. Messermann, H. Klaus, M. Roshchin, I. Haulsen, G. Lehmann, M. Quade, M. Hlawatsch, A. Thiele, T. Wehrmann, A. Ruß, Ch. Fricke, G. Gehrmann, and S. Dimitrovska for their contributions. We gratefully acknowledge J. Delius for her editorial assistance. We also thank the participants for their willingness to try out this new technology.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Funding

This article was produced as part of the project “SmartSenior” (http://www1.smart-senior.de/enEN/), which was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under grant number 16KT0925. Responsibility for the contents of this publication lies with the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This article was produced as part of the project “SmartSenior” (http://www1.smart-senior.de/enEN/), which was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under grant number 16KT0925. Responsibility for the contents of this publication lies with the authors.