Feasibility, Acceptability, and Impact of a self-guided e-learning Memory and Brain Health Promotion Program for Healthy Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Objectives

To examine the feasibility (e.g., completion rate), acceptability (e.g., satisfaction), and participant-reported impact (e.g., memory concerns, behavior change, goal attainment) of a self-guided, e-learning adaptation of a validated, facilitator-guided, in-person memory intervention for older adults.

Methods

Participants were 139 healthy older adults (mean age: 73 ± 7, 73% women). Participation tracking and pre/post questionnaires embedded within the e-learning program were used to assess feasibility, acceptability, and impact.

Results

Sixty-eight percent of participants completed the program. Anonymous feedback data indicated a high level of satisfaction with the program, the pace and clarity of the learning modules, and the user interface. Suggested improvements included offering more interaction with others and addressing minor platform glitches. There was a 41% decrease in the prevalence of concern about memory changes from baseline to posttest. The majority of participants reported an increase in use of memory strategies and uptake of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors. All participants reported moderate-to-high satisfaction with personal goal attainment.

Conclusions

The program demonstrated good feasibility, acceptability, and lead to reduction in age-related memory concerns.

Clinical Implications

Self-guided, e-learning programming shows promise for fostering positive adaptation to age-related memory changes and improving the uptake of evidence-based strategies to promote brain health among older adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Memory intervention
• feasibility study
• e-learning tools
• subjective cognitive decline
• brain health

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge Adedoja Akande, Anjalee Benedict, Kathryn Bolton, Daniel Brickman, Erica Buna, Aisha Farra, Rebecca Hudes, Catherine Le, Karla Machlab, Alissa Papadopoulos, Sheza Qayyum, Brintha Sivajohan, Yasmin Tehrani, Yushu Wang, and Jessica Zaffino for assisting with data collection, as well as all study participants. This work was supported by the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovations Knowledge Mobilization Partnership Program. DD was supported by a Mitacs Accelerate Internship (IT18373, IT21123) and LZ was supported by a Mitacs Elevate Research Management and Postdoctoral Fellowship (IT12518) for this work.

Disclosure statement

SV, AKT, and CP are co-creators of the online Memory and Aging Program. Under Baycrest’s Intellectual Property Policy, they are eligible to receive a percentage of the royalties collected on the net profit generated from this venture.

Data availability statement

The quantitative data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Open Science Framework at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D8PY3. The qualitative data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants, but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2022.2088325

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Mitacs [IT12518,IT18373, IT21123]; Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovations Knowledge Mobilization Partnership Program [737104217].