Development of an Internet of Things Technology Platform (the NEX System) to Support Older Adults to Live Independently: Protocol for a Development and Usability Study

Claire M Timon; Emma Heffernan; Sophia M Kilcullen; Hyowon Lee; Louise Hopper; Joe Quinn; David McDonald; Pamela Gallagher; Alan F Smeaton; Kieran Moran; Pamela Hussey; Catriona Murphy

doi:10.2196/35277

Development of an Internet of Things Technology Platform (the NEX System) to Support Older Adults to Live Independently: Protocol for a Development and Usability Study

JMIR Res Protoc. 2022 May 5;11(5):e35277. doi: 10.2196/35277.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Centre for eIntegrated Care, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
² Insight Centre for Data Analytics, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
³ School of Psychology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
⁴ School of Computing, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
⁵ Davra, Dublin, Ireland.
⁶ Danalto Limited, Dublin, Ireland.
⁷ Insight Centre for Data Analytics, School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.

PMID: 35511224
PMCID: PMC9121220
DOI: 10.2196/35277

Abstract

Background: In a rapidly aging population, new and efficient ways of providing health and social support to older adults are required that not only preserve independence but also maintain quality of life and safety.

Objective: The NEX project aims to develop an integrated Internet of Things system coupled with artificial intelligence to offer unobtrusive health and wellness monitoring to support older adults living independently in their home environment. The primary objective of this study is to develop and evaluate the technical performance and user acceptability of the NEX system. The secondary objective is to apply machine learning algorithms to the data collected via the NEX system to identify and eventually predict changes in the routines of older adults in their own home environment.

Methods: The NEX project commenced in December 2019 and is expected to be completed by August 2022. Mixed methods research (web-based surveys and focus groups) was conducted with 426 participants, including older adults (aged ≥60 years), family caregivers, health care professionals, and home care workers, to inform the development of the NEX system (phase 1). The primary outcome will be evaluated in 2 successive trials (the Friendly trial [phase 2] and the Action Research Cycle trial [phase 3]). The secondary objective will be explored in the Action Research Cycle trial (phase 3). For the Friendly trial, 7 older adult participants aged ≥60 years and living alone in their own homes for a 10-week period were enrolled. A total of 30 older adult participants aged ≥60 years and living alone in their own homes will be recruited for a 10-week data collection period (phase 3).

Results: Phase 1 of the project (n=426) was completed in December 2020, and phase 2 (n=7 participants for a 10-week pilot study) was completed in September 2021. The expected completion date for the third project phase (30 participants for the 10-week usability study) is June 2022.

Conclusions: The NEX project has considered the specific everyday needs of older adults and other stakeholders, which have contributed to the design of the integrated system. The innovation of the NEX system lies in the use of Internet of Things technologies and artificial intelligence to identify and predict changes in the routines of older adults. The findings of this project will contribute to the eHealth research agenda, focusing on the improvement of health care provision and patient support in home and community environments.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/35277.

Keywords: Internet of Things; activities of daily living; independent living; mobile phone; older adults; wearable electronic devices.

©Claire M Timon, Emma Heffernan, Sophia M Kilcullen, Hyowon Lee, Louise Hopper, Joe Quinn, David McDonald, Pamela Gallagher, Alan F Smeaton, Kieran Moran, Pamela Hussey, Catriona Murphy. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 05.05.2022.