Requirements and Pitfalls in AAL Projects. Guide to Self-Criticism for Developers from Experience
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Terms and Definitions
- extending the time people can live in their preferred environment by increasing their autonomy, self-confidence and mobility;
- supporting the preservation of health and functional capabilities of the elderly;
- promoting a better and healthier lifestyle for individuals at risk;
- enhancing security, preventing social isolation, and supporting the preservation of the multifunctional network around the individual;
- supporting carers, families and care organisations; and,
- increasing the efficiency and productivity of used resources in the ageing societies.
2.1. AHA
2.2. Mobile Health
2.3. Health Data
- Basic data: heart rate, SpO2, blood sugar, breathing frequency, etc.
- Processed data: heartrate variability, HbA1C, stress level, etc.
- Interpreted data: diagnosis of disease
- Class of understanding data: therapy design
3. User Needs and Requirements
3.1. End User Groups
- Ease-of-use (Is the system easy to use?): simple and intuitive design
- Usefulness (Is it useful to use the system?): type and number of functions [11]
- Data protection/surveillance/violated privacy
- Scepticism towards technological innovations
- Fear of stigmatisation
- Interference with daily routines
- Language (for example, Anglicisms in German language)
- Fear of damaging devices
- Aesthetic aspects of devices
- Financial aspects and costs
- Vision, hearing and motoric abilities
- Consumer behaviour
3.2. Experiences, Trial Designs and Project Results
4. The Magic of Transformation
4.1. Transformation of the Social Relationship
4.2. Transformation within the Patient
5. Health as a Construct
5.1. Physical Aspects
5.2. Cognitive and Psychological Aspects
5.3. Social Aspects
5.4. Summary of Project Experiences
6. Ethical Aspects
- Fear of damaging devices
- Fear of failing
- Fear of being alone
- Intervening with lifestyle
- Intervening with health
- Compromising personal privacy
7. Conclusions
- Use understandable and explanatory language, ensuring that all of the end users understand and are comfortable with the IT-jargon used.
- Developments must be evaluated in terms of their potential price before developments are started. If the price is above 10% of the mean income of a retired person, it is too expensive and should be considered for reevaluation.
- When starting field trials, the intensity of support must be considered when evaluating the results for acceptance. This is a strong influence factor.
- Social Isolation is also powered by technological developments. People will try to overcome this with kindness, openness, and forgiveness. This, however, does not reflect their real use of a product. Social Isolation should be a standard measurement for evaluation.
- Needs and requirements of the elderly are not the same as those of young people or developers. Communication needs of elderly in 2017 do not rely on ICT. They rely on pen and paper, face to face interaction, telephone (not smartphone), radio, and TV. They do not rely on the internet, smartphones, projectors, or emails.
- The target group is very heterogeneous because of their life time experience.
- This was a guide to self-criticism for developers.
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Aumayr, G.; Bleier, D.M.; Sturm, N. Requirements and Pitfalls in AAL Projects. Guide to Self-Criticism for Developers from Experience. Informatics 2017, 4, 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics4040042
Aumayr G, Bleier DM, Sturm N. Requirements and Pitfalls in AAL Projects. Guide to Self-Criticism for Developers from Experience. Informatics. 2017; 4(4):42. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics4040042
Chicago/Turabian StyleAumayr, Georg, Doris Marie Bleier, and Nadine Sturm. 2017. "Requirements and Pitfalls in AAL Projects. Guide to Self-Criticism for Developers from Experience" Informatics 4, no. 4: 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics4040042