Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) as Medication Reminding Tools: Exploring Age Differences in Usability
C.B. Mayhorn, V.R. Lanzolla, M.S. Wogalter, A.M. Watson
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AbstractPurpose Medication adherence by older adults can be important in returning to and maintaining health. New technologies may be helpful in facilitating adherence. This article examines age differences in usability for one device: the personal digital assistant (PDA). Design and Method In the experiment reported here, 25 older and 26 younger adults were asked to learn to use medication adherence software supported by a PDA. In addition to completing a battery of cognitive tests and a survey designed to assess perceived PDA usability, each participant's PDA skill acquisition was assessed over time (i.e., during training, immediately following training, and after a delay). Results Consistent with previous research, older adults required longer to learn to use the PDA and committed more errors compared to younger adults. Over time, age differences in PDA performance were reduced suggesting that older adults might benefit from PDAs as prospective memory aids during medication adherence. Implications Potential directions for PDA training curricula, hardware design, and future research are discussed.Keywords: aging; technology; usability; medication adherence; cognitive support
C.B. Mayhorn, V.R. Lanzolla, M.S. Wogalter, A.M. Watson (2005). Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) as Medication Reminding Tools: Exploring Age Differences in Usability. Gerontechnology, 4(3), 128-140
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2005.04.03.003.00