Health Technology Innovations

Abstract

Participants: H. Kort (Netherlands), J. K. Lee (USA), Y.S. Hwang (South Korea/Slovenia), G. Mois (USA). ISSUE The global pandemic has drastically impacted older adults in numerous ways (e.g., loneliness; age discrimination; mental and physical health; limited access to traditional health care). On the other hand, it may have accelerated the general acceptance of innovative health technology solutions to cope with many of these challenges. Providing the best possible care for older patients is reliant on having accurate information, and mobile health (known as mHealth) solutions and online services have taken on increasing prominence. Furthermore, the innovations in socially assistive robotics grant advantages in providing healthcare services because robots can interact closely with users, for example allowing both verbal and non-verbal interactions with reduced risks of human-to-human infections. CONTENT Interdisciplinary efforts are required to develop successful health technology to support a broad range of needs to enhance quality and healthy aging-in-place. The symposium will showcase research efforts and emerging technologies ranging from mHealth applications, online interventions, and socially assistive robots to support healthy aging. These innovations are capable of track movement, sleep quality, medications, blood pressure, heart rate, air quality, and other signifiers. Older adults, family members, and healthcare providers can use these solutions to help identify emerging issues, and tailor care strategies to individual needs. STRUCTURE First, Helianthe S. M. Kort will present a study that investigates sleep patterns, air quality, and sleep quality of older adults using a smartphone app. This study explores possible workable interventions to provide older people a better sleep by using technology innovations. Jeannie Lee will present a digital therapeutic system (a smartphone app and companion website) to support hypertension medication adherence for older adults. Yu Seong Hwang will present a study that investigates the effects of socially assistive robots to support older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lastly, George Mois will describe a project that explores the potential of a socially assistive robot to support healthy aging. The goal is to understand the robots' ability to facilitate social interactions with older adults, and support the control of their home environment and healthy aging-in-place. Each presentation will be followed by time for questions to engage the audience in the discussion of health technology innovations to support healthy aging-in-place. CONCLUSIONS/OUTCOMES The global pandemic greatly accelerated the relevance of health technology innovative solutions, both in establishing new approaches and solutions to care in general, and in advancing the many trends that were already gaining ground over the past decades. The goal of the symposium is to (a) increase awareness of the development and use of a broad range of innovative health technology interventions to support healthy aging; (b) engage researchers in discussion that might lead to future collaborations; (c) set the research agenda to improve quality of life for older adults who are aging-in-place; and (d) explore how mHealth, online interventions, and socially assistive robots solutions may help older adults requiring different supports to healthy aging.