Older Users’ Satisfaction with a Public Digital Health Appointment App
F. B. Fonseca, T. M. Lobo, L. Hung, M.L.L.R. Okimoto, Catapan. M.F.
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AbstractPURPOSE: To assess satisfaction, efficacy and efficiency experienced by older people when scheduling dental appointments through the “Saúde Já Curitiba” (translated as “Curitiba Health Now”) public digital health app. METHOD: A qualitative exploratory pilot study was conducted with five senior citizens (60–75 years). Data were collected using a three-stage usability protocol: a pre-test semi-structured interview, observation of a simulated dental-appointment booking task in a high-fidelity mockup of the app (Adobe XD, displayed on an iPad 10.2”), and a post-test interview using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). The mockup reproduced the official interface but omitted the login step to protect personal data. Task performance was evaluated using the criteria of efficacy (task success), efficiency (completion time) and satisfaction (UEQ scores) [1]. Audio-video recordings supported qualitative interpretation of interaction patterns. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: All participants successfully completed the task, demonstrating high efficacy. The average completion time of two minutes indicated high efficiency and suggests that the design is adequate for older adults. This result aligns with findings that simplicity and clarity facilitate digital interaction in aging populations [2,3]. UEQ results were positive across all six scales (attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, dependability, stimulation and novelty), with all means above 0.8, indicating positive user experience (Table1). Participants described the interface as intuitive and easy to navigate. Variance across scales suggests differences in digital literacy, reinforcing the importance of accessible design and digital-inclusion strategies for older users [4]. Although the findings are promising, limitations include the small convenience sample (n=5, exclusively female), the controlled test environment and the use of a mockup rather than the full operational app. Future studies should incorporate the real login workflow, proposing larger and more heterogeneous samples to test the observed trends and reveal additional usability barriers. Overall, results indicate that the “Saúde Já Curitiba” app has strong potential as an effective digital tool for older users scheduling dental services, supporting public-health strategies and digital adoption. Continued refinement and inclusive design efforts may foster higher adherence and equity in digital-health access for older adults.Keywords: Usability, Older adults, Digital health, User experience, Mobile health apps
F. B. Fonseca, T. M. Lobo, L. Hung, M.L.L.R. Okimoto, Catapan. M.F. (2026). Older Users’ Satisfaction with a Public Digital Health Appointment App. Gerontechnology, 25(2), 1-10
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.2.1599.3