Applying Information Technology to Elders and People with Disabilities in Healthcare

• Main Authors: Fan, Shih-Chen, 范詩辰
• Other Authors: Hsu, Shang Hwa
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/74739402944485616827

博士 === 國立交通大學 === 工業工程與管理系所 === 101 === This research reported applying information technology to help elders and people with disabilities in healthcare. We conducted two studies to explore the user-centered design in information technology. Study one introduced the design process of an mobile application, Health Pal; Study two discovered the effects of an affordable off-the-shelf virtual reality (OTSVR) gaming treatment on participants’ intrinsic motivation and their upper arm motor functions. Specifically, in study one, the design of Health Pal was conducted according to the activity-oriented design (AOD) approach. By following AOD approach, we divided the design of Health Pal into five distinct steps: (1) analysis of healthcare activities within the target user group, (2) identification of user’s needs, (3) identification of necessary functions to meet the user’s needs, (4) design of physical appearance and user interfaces and (5) conducting usability evaluation. After learning the 5 basic needs of 15 elders over age 50 years, we transformed user needs into 4 groups of system functions. User interface characteristics included large legible display, simple screen layout, a combination of circular menu and fish-eye display, activity-oriented interactive flow and personalized presentation sequence. In the usability evaluation, error rates for test scenarios were very low. In the Subjective Workload Assessment Technique assessment, processing demands did not exceed available capacity of elders. In the Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use questionnaire, most elders gave high scores to Health Pal. In summary, Health Pal was a user-friendly tool to meet elders’ needs in healthcare management. In study two, the ultimate goals were to address the advantages and disadvantages of the OTSVR, Wii system as an example, and to apply them to the design of future systems. Twenty participants completed the experiment. Four parallel groups received treatments for three-week: 1) Wii gaming; 2) conventional therapy; 3) board game; 4) no treatment. The training effects were evaluated immediately after and four weeks after treatment by identifying the intrinsic motivation scores and time-to-peak contractions of electromyography performance in reaching. Functional gains were evaluated by the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test and the Stroke Impact Scale. The Wii group showed higher intrinsic motivation than those in other groups (p = .016). The Wii group demonstrated an immediate significantly shorter TTP contraction in their biceps and flexor carpi radialis compared to the board game and no treatment groups (p < .05). The TTP contraction change favored the Wii group but did not show any significant difference when compared to conventional therapy. Retention effects was not significant among groups (p = .059). In this pilot study, OTSVR gaming seems to have immediate effects on motor recovery and provides a motivational way of increasing treatment compliance in stroke patients.