Personalized support makes wearable technology even easier to use

New Reviews Medical Internet Research Journal Community-dwelling older adults were more likely to continue using wearable monitoring devices (WMDs) such as trackers, pedometers and smartwatches when they received support from health professionals and peers.

A research team led by Dr Aakers Kwan Chin Wong from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University looked at data from three randomized controlled trials involving more than 150 older adults. The evaluation showed that interventions that focused on increasing awareness of being monitored and used collaborative goal-setting and feedback tools such as the SystemCHANGE approach improved adherence to WMDs.

While WMDs provide valuable health information, long-term use can be challenging for older adults who are unfamiliar with or do not see the value in using the technology. As this study highlights, providing targeted support to help older adults overcome these barriers and incorporate WMDs into their daily lives may maximise the potential health benefits of these devices.

“Health professionals have a key role to play in promoting the adoption of wearable monitoring devices among older adults,” Dr Wong said.

By working with health professionals to set specific goals for wearable use, older adults are more likely to benefit from these devices in the long term. Future research should focus on developing and testing interventions that prioritize awareness and collaborative goal setting to further enhance older adults' adherence.

Provided by JMIR Publications