Inclusive design of digital health interventions for the aging population
The project investigated how digital health interventions for older people can be made more inclusive, accessible and user-friendly. As a result, design guidelines were developed and validated by experts.
Factsheet
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Schools involved
Bern Academy of the Arts
School of Engineering and Computer Science -
Institute(s)
Institute of Design Research
Institute for Patient-centered Digital Health (PCDH) - Research unit(s) Social Design
- Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Humane Digital Transformation"
- Funding organisation BFH
- Duration 01.01.2025 - 30.04.2026
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Head of project
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Denecke
Beatrice Kaufmann -
Partner
Mayo Clinic
Loughborough University - Keywords Design, Digital health, Patient-centered, Accessibility
Situation
Digital health interventions (DHIs) are evidence-based tools, such as apps or telemedicine portals, designed to prevent, treat or manage health conditions. As healthcare becomes more digitalised, older adults are increasingly required to use these services independently. However, age-related needs and differences in levels of health and digital literacy are often neglected when designing digital health services. This can make access more difficult, hinder independent use and, as a result, limit the effectiveness of digital health services. To address this issue, the project assessed which design principles contribute to improving the accessibility, usability and user-friendliness of DHIs for older adults.
Course of action
The researchers focussed on a specific question: Which accessible and inclusive design elements are relevant for digital health interventions for older adults? The project combined a range of methodological and disciplinary perspectives. As a first step, a scoping literature review was carried out in order to systematically compile existing findings and recommendations on the inclusive design of DHIs. In addition, qualitative interviews were conducted with experts from various disciplines, along with a focus group involving older people. This made it possible to compare and supplement academic findings with experiences from practice and the perspectives of the target group. On this basis, an initial set of design heuristics was developed. These were subsequently validated and refined into practice-oriented design guidelines as part of an eDelphi study involving international experts from the fields of design, medical informatics, digital health and inclusive design.
Result
The project’s primary outcome is a validated set of practice-oriented design guidelines for inclusive DHIs for older people. The guidelines aim to help developers, designers and researchers to systematically take into account the diverse abilities, needs and circumstances of older people right from the conception and development stages of DHIs. The findings were published in several academic publications. These include a scoping review on inclusive design heuristics, a study on experts’ perspectives, further publications comparing perspectives from the literature, experts and users, as well as publications on the eDelphi validation of the guidelines. In addition, the guidelines are to be made available in future for research and practice on a publicly accessible website. Building on the findings, a follow-up project is underway to create a ‘toolbox for accessible digital health interventions for older people’.
