1.      Qualitative Study

Most older adults were regularly using apps—mainly for staying in touch with friends or family and managing daily tasks like mobility and information access. All groups—older adults, relatives, and experts—saw the potential of apps and wearables for tracking health, catching health issues early, health care services, staying active, and self-management. However, they also pointed out challenges such as apps not being user-friendly or tailored to their needs, concerns about privacy and safety, costs, lack of support outside the family, and difficulties keeping up with the fast changes in the development of apps and wearables.

2. App and Wearable Review
We used a WebCrawler to scan the Google Play and iOS app stores, identifying 14'376 apps that met the expected benefits identified in study 1. We identified 34 wearables through online searches, product reviews, and via the related apps. We assessed the quality of the apps and wearables using a checklist that included criteria from eHealth Suisse, as well as usability, ethical and data security standards. Out of all the results, 142 apps and 31 wearables met our criteria and were included in a detailed evaluation. Quality of the apps and wearables varied widely. Common issues included a lack of transparency, unclear legal compliance, and concerns about whether the products would stay on the market long-term. We also found that frequent name or provider changes could make it harder for users to find and keep using the same app. Still, for every key benefit or user need, we found at least one app or wearable that met acceptable quality standards.

3. Recommendations
Based on the findings from both studies, we developed practical recommendations for using apps and wearables to support aging in place. These were reviewed in a workshop with older adults, relatives, healthcare professionals, and experts. The final recommendations will soon be available on the project website.

Background

Most olderadults wish to age in their own homes and familiar environments. "Aging inplace" refers to the ability of living safely and autonomously in one'sfamiliar surroundings, regardless of individual capabilities. Apps andwearables can support "aging in place" and healthy ageing byproviding tools and resources to manage physical and cognitive health, safety and overall well-being at home. Despite their potential, apps and wearables areslowly being accepted and used by older adults. Therefore, the expectedbenefits, needs, and attitudes of older adults, caregivers, healthcareprofessionals, and other relevant stakeholders need to be clarified. Inaddition, to effectively promote these devices, information on the quality of appsand wearables and recommendations for their use are required.

The overall objective of this project is to provide an overview and clear recommendationsfor the use and development of widely applicable apps and wearables to supporthealthy aging and autonomous living in old age. The recommendations will bebased on the expected benefits, needs, and attitudes from the perspective ofolder adults, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, as well as anassessment of the quality of existing apps and wearables.

Methods

The project uses a mixed-method research design and consists ofthree complementary work packages:

1. The expected benefits, needs and potential barriers andfacilitators will be elicited based on a) qualitative focus group discussionswith older, community-dwelling adults, family carers or relatives of olderadults, health professionals, and general practitioners; and b) expertinterviews with experts and specialists from informatics, law, ethics, healthinsurance, economy etc.
2. Based on a scoping research, an overview of the apps andwearables available in Switzerland will be compiled. The quality will beassessed using an existing criteria catalogue, developed and tested at the ZHAWSchool of Health Sciences. In addition, we will evaluate the extent to whichthe apps and wearables meet the expected benefits and needs identified in workpackage 1.
3. A synthesis and recommendations will be developed based on theresults and disseminated.

Outlook

The resultsare expected by early 2025. In addition to contributions to scientific journalsand at conferences, we plan to disseminate the findings into practice throughvarious channels (e.g., LinkedIn) and platforms (e.g., website). Our goal is toreach older adults, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers.