Aging and technology in medical care: using the example of patient controllers in deep brain stimulation

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation is a neurosurgical therapy for patients with advanced movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease). This therapy involves the use of a patient controller for home-use. So far, there are four different patient controllers available on the European market. However, use and acceptance of the patient controller is relatively low. The main end-user group is patients above the age of 60 years. This article compares the design of the different interfaces, with a special focus on gerotechnological aspects (display, acoustic signals, coloring, lettering, cognitive load and haptics). We suggest strategies to optimize the use and acceptance of these devices, which have already entered the market. Moreover, future directions of deep brain stimulation and the usability of patient controllers are discussed.

Keywords::

• ambient-assisted living
• deep brain stimulation
• gerotechnology
• human–computer interaction
• Parkinson’s disease
• patient controller
• usability

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), thematic program: ‘benefit’ grant P820974. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.