TY - JOUR
T1 - A digital coach promoting healthy aging among older adults in transition to retirement
T2 - Results from a qualitative study in Italy
AU - Santini, Sara
AU - Galassi, Flavia
AU - Kropf, Johannes
AU - Stara, Vera
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This research was co-funded by Active and Assisted Living Programme, AAL-call 2018 under the reference no. aal-2018-5-92-CP, and by Ricerca Corrente funding from the Italian Ministry of Health to IRCCS INRCA.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - Global aging and increasing multimorbidity are questioning the sustainability of healthcare systems. Healthy aging is at the top of the world political agenda, as a possible means for hindering the collapse of care systems. In the aging process, the transition to retirement can lead to an improvement or a deterioration of physical and psychological health. Digital health coaching technology can support older adults at this stage, but what must be the role of such a solution in promoting healthy aging and shaping sustainable care? This qualitative study, carried out in Italy in 2019, involved 15 older workers, retirees, and colleagues. Based on a user-centered design approach, this study aims at gathering older adults' feelings on a digital health coaching technology for exploring this solution's potential in promoting healthy aging. Findings highlighted that the digital health coach may help older adults improve several health determinants, e.g., physical activity, cognitive capabilities, and social life, but it can also entail the risk of stigma and break people's privacy. The latter can be guaranteed by technology customization and codesign. Further research on the digital health coach benefits to boost healthy aging is needed to understand its potential for shaping future sustainable healthcare.
AB - Global aging and increasing multimorbidity are questioning the sustainability of healthcare systems. Healthy aging is at the top of the world political agenda, as a possible means for hindering the collapse of care systems. In the aging process, the transition to retirement can lead to an improvement or a deterioration of physical and psychological health. Digital health coaching technology can support older adults at this stage, but what must be the role of such a solution in promoting healthy aging and shaping sustainable care? This qualitative study, carried out in Italy in 2019, involved 15 older workers, retirees, and colleagues. Based on a user-centered design approach, this study aims at gathering older adults' feelings on a digital health coaching technology for exploring this solution's potential in promoting healthy aging. Findings highlighted that the digital health coach may help older adults improve several health determinants, e.g., physical activity, cognitive capabilities, and social life, but it can also entail the risk of stigma and break people's privacy. The latter can be guaranteed by technology customization and codesign. Further research on the digital health coach benefits to boost healthy aging is needed to understand its potential for shaping future sustainable healthcare.
KW - Aging population
KW - Assistive technology
KW - Digital health coach
KW - Healthy aging
KW - Long-term care
KW - User-centered design
KW - Virtual coach
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091592798&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85091592798&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/SU12187400
DO - 10.3390/SU12187400
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85091592798
VL - 12
JO - Sustainability
JF - Sustainability
SN - 2071-1050
IS - 18
M1 - 7400
ER -