Usability and User Experience of Cognitive Intervention Technologies for Elderly People With MCI or Dementia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

IntroductionIncorporating technology in cognitive interventions represents an innovation, making them more accessible, flexible, and cost-effective. This will not be feasible without adequate user-technology fit. Bearing in mind the importance of developing cognitive interventions whose technology is appropriate for elderly people with cognitive impairment, the objective of this systematic review was to find evidence about usability and user experience (UX) measurements and features of stimulation, training, and cognitive rehabilitation technologies for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.MethodThe Medline, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PsycINFO databases were searched for literature published in the last 10 years (2009–2019), and three researchers independently reviewed potentially eligible studies, following specific inclusion criteria. A systematic review of the studies was conducted, presenting a qualitative synthesis of usability and UX measures with their outcomes, study characteristics and features of the cognitive intervention technologies.ResultsTen studies were selected: five were cognitive stimulation and five were cognitive training. Most of them (60%) were computer-based programs with a serious game format. Efficiency and effectiveness were the most frequent measurements used for collecting objective usability data, showing that elderly people with cognitive impairment require more time (45%) and help (40%) but can complete tasks (60%). Regarding UX or subjective usability data, questionnaires and scales were the most used methods, reporting positive experience despite certain difficulties with the interface in five studies.ConclusionMeasuring usability and UX in cognitive intervention technologies for older adults with MCI or dementia provides an integrated view that can contribute to their development according to the needs and characteristics of the target population. More research is required to include this population group in usability and UX studies, as well as standardized tools and consensus on the relationship of these terms to guarantee the future effectiveness of cognitive intervention technologies.Review registrationThis review was registered in the PROSPERO (CRD42020158147) International Register of Systematic Review Protocols.

The Effectiveness of Assistive Technologies for Older Adults and the Influence of Frailty: Systematic Literature Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…Almost half of the studies included were pilot or feasibility trials. This shows that there is still a lack of research addressing the use of ATs for older adults at home or in similar settings [ 57 , 62 , 64 ]. A crossover design, where the control group changes to the intervention after a predefined period, was found to be commonly used when evaluating ATs.…”

The impact of users’ cognitive function on evaluator perceptions of usability

“…To the best of our knowledge, no study has previously explored the association between cognitive function and usability in cognitively unimpaired individuals. However, previous studies using individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia have shown that usability measures were poorer in these individuals (they complete fewer tasks, take longer to complete them or need more help) when compared with older adults without cognitive impairment 19 , 20 .…”

User-Operated Audiometry Project (UAud) – Introducing an Automated User-Operated System for Audiometric Testing Into Everyday Clinic Practice

“…On the other side, humans are easily distracted, lose their interest quickly, or even give up if they get disappointed, confused, or tired. They have limited cognitive resources [e.g., working memory and attention; (43)], and they are often cognitively or emotionally biased (44).…”

“…Making digital technology more user-friendly and measuring the quality of the interaction is a wide field of study of its own and has a fast-growing body of research output in the last few decades. Indicatively, a search in Scopus with keywords [“usability” AND “technology”] yields 717 review studies alone (searched on 8-March-2021), while there is an increasing interest on usability for health evaluation and intervention tools [for reviews see ( 45 – 47 )]. In the UAud project, the quality of the human-system interaction is crucially important, as deviations from optimum may affect not only the examination, i.e., the first step, but also the whole procedure.…”