Unveiling the Future Design of Health Management Systems: An Exploratory Study on Older Adults’ Perceived Usefulness of Functional Modules

Abstract

Degradation of physical functions with aging contributes to multiple chronic diseases among older adults. In the era of global aging, older adults’ health management has brought considerable challenges to the economy, health system, and society due to the giant care burden and complex care requirements. Advanced technology (e.g., sensors, computing) prompted diverse digital health management systems, allowing stakeholders to monitor, evaluate, treat, and manage older adults’ health status. Despite these systems’ great efficiency and convenience, older adults’ attitudes toward the usefulness of functional modules in expanding health knowledge and enhancing health management remain uncertain. This study explored older adults’ perceived usefulness of five functional modules in health management systems: education, evaluation, tailored profiles, monitoring, and telemedicine modules. The results will provide valuable insights for designing future health management products. Participants were recruited through a convenience sampling method on a professional Web-based survey platform. The questionnaire included demographic information and participants’ perceived usefulness of the five functional modules in expanding health knowledge and enhancing health management. Friedman’s tests were conducted to compare older adults’ perceptions of the five functional modules, and ordinal logistic regressions were performed to assess the effects of demographics on perceived usefulness. A total of 109 valid responses were included in the data analysis (76 males and 33 females; mean age = 64.5±4.5 years). The results showed significant differences in older adults’ perceptions of the usefulness of five functional modules in enhancing health management (𝝌2 = 21.646, p < 0.001). Older adults believed the evaluation module was significantly more useful than the monitoring module in enhancing health management (p = 0.036); however, no significant differences existed in the perceived usefulness of expanded health knowledge (𝝌2 = 4.966, p = 0.291) among five modules. The results of ordinal logistic regressions showed that individuals living in care institutions were more likely to believe that the evaluation module was useful in enhancing health management than those living with relatives (OR= 333.33, 𝝌2 = 7.31, p = 0.01). Older adults without a fall history were more convinced that a monitoring module could contribute to health management than those with a fall history (OR= 4.92, 𝝌2 = 4.00, p = 0.04). Older adults had positive attitudes toward the usefulness of functional modules in expanding health knowledge and enhancing health management. The adoption of age-friendly design strategies in health management systems is recommended to promote individuals’ use of healthcare products and improve their well-being in the long term.

Keywords: Health Management, Systems Design, Functional Module, Older Adults, Digital Health.

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004906