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Supporting healthy aging through technology: A case study of integrated health features in a mobile app for older adult users.

Background: Digital technologies are increasingly used to support health monitoring and behavior change; however, few are designed with the needs of older adults experiencing cognitive challenges in mind. Given the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors for maintaining cognitive function, digital...

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Published in:Gerontechnology Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 1 - 14
Main Authors: Rahman, Samina, Luna, Catherine, Van Son, Catherine, Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen, Johnson, Ron Kim
Format: case study pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: International Society for Gerontechnology 2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: 2026
      vid: 25
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      pub: International Society for Gerontechnology
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        10.4017/gt.2026.25.3.1214.04
        195723284
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        atl: Supporting healthy aging through technology: A case study of integrated health features in a mobile app for older adult users.
      aug:
        au:
          Rahman, Samina
          Luna, Catherine
          Van Son, Catherine
          Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen
          Johnson, Ron Kim
        affil: Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Cognition Disorders Rehabilitation
          Mobile Applications Utilization
          Software Design
          Fitness Trackers
          Healthy Aging
          Patient Satisfaction
          Health Behavior
          Program Development
          Program Evaluation
          Internet-Based Intervention
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Aged
          Aged, 80 and Over
          United States
          Multimethod Studies
          Exploratory Research
          Content Analysis
          Interviews
          Questionnaires
          Pilot Studies
          Thematic Analysis
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Body Weight
          Blood Pressure
          Medication Compliance
          Health Status
          Mental Health
          Psychological Well-Being
          Cognition
          Physical Activity
          Neuropsychological Tests
          Digital Health
          Cognitive Aging
          User-Computer Interface
          Self-Management
          Monitoring, Physiologic
          Aged: 65+ years
          Aged, 80 & over
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Digital technologies are increasingly used to support health monitoring and behavior change; however, few are designed with the needs of older adults experiencing cognitive challenges in mind. Given the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors for maintaining cognitive function, digital tracking systems may offer a valuable means for supporting engagement in positive health-promoting activities. Research aim: This paper presents a case study of the Electronic Memory and Management Aid (EMMA), a prototype digital cognitive compensatory application developed for older adults experiencing cognitive challenges. Specifically, it reports findings from three exploratory studies that chronicle the user-informed development, usability testing, and long-term engagement with a health behavior tracking and medical information system integrated into the application (app). Methods and Results: In Study 1, interviews with prior EMMA app users informed recommendations for integrating new health-related features. Study 2 involved usability testing of the newly developed health features. Ten older adult participants generally rated the features as straightforward to use and reported high satisfaction with their design. Study 3 examined qualitative feedback and three-month usage data from 39 participants enrolled in a pilot clinical trial. Initial engagement with most health features was moderate but declined over time. Conclusion: Findings highlight both the promise and challenges of integrating health tracking tools into digital cognitive aids for older adults. Themes of user engagement and reflections on the health features are discussed, along with opportunities to promote sustained use of health features among older adults with cognitive challenges.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        case study
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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