Analysis of Factors Influencing Continued Wearable Device Usage in Elderly Populations (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED The increased use of sensor technology has highlighted the potential for remote telehealth services such as rehabilitation. Telehealth services incorporating wearable sensors are most likely to appeal to the elderly population in remote and rural areas who may struggle with lengthy commutes to clinics. However, the usability of such systems can often discourage patients from adopting these services. To increase the adoption rates of wearable technology, the usability factors influencing continued device usage in the elderly population are examined. This work focuses on evaluating the usability of a popular activity tracker, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3, amongst the over 65 population. The study consisted of 65 elders wearing the wearable sensor for 7 days while only doffing the device for charging. The study was conducted across 4 different regions; Northern Ireland, Ireland, Sweden, and Finland, to diminish any geographical differences in usability perception. At the end of the week, a customised usability questionnaire was taken by the participants to gain insights into their experience. The aim of the study was to identify influencing factors on whether an elder would continue using a wearable device. This paper concludes that comfort and accuracy are the two main influencing factors in sustaining wearable device usage. The study formed part of The Smart sENsor Devices fOr rehabilitation and Connected health (SENDoc) project, which assessed the usability of sensors for remote rehabilitation of elders in the Northern Periphery of Europe.