Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Towards an Impact Assessment Framework for ICT-Based Systems Supporting Older People: Making Evaluation Comprehensive Through Appropriate Concepts and Metrics

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Ambient Assisted Living

Abstract

Although it is internationally acknowledged that ICT-based systems have the potential to provide cost-effective services, their deployment is still limited. Through the User Centred Design, it is possible to draw up information on key concepts, such as attitude towards technology, acceptance and usability of any new products. The collected information will serve for the technological development on one side, and for the Impact Assessment Analysis on the other one, that will describe the future path of the devices. The paper describes in details the most important metrics—attitude towards technology, usability and accessibility—for conducting a prompt evaluation of a new device for the older people, suggesting common guidelines and critical issues to solve.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Kubitschke, L., Cullen, K.: ICT and Ageing—European Study on Users, Markets and Technologies. Final report. Bonn: empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from www.ict-ageing.eu/ict-ageing-website/wp-content/uploads/2010/D18_final_report.pdf (2010)

  2. Magnusson, L., Hanson, E.: Ethical issues arising from a research, technology and development project to support frail older people and their family carers at home. Health Soc. Care Community 11(5), 431–9 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Empirica & WRC: Seniorwatch 2. Assessment of the Senior Market for ICT Progress and Developments. Final Report. Bonn-Brussels: empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from www.inst-informatica.pt/servicos/informacao-e-documentacao/biblioteca-digital/sociedade-da-informacao-1/2008/seniorwatch-2-assessment-of-the-senior-market-for (2008)

  4. Clarke, A., Concejero, P.: The Digital divide–services for the elderly and disabled in 2010–the PRISMA project. Retrieved June 17 2013 from http://www.hft.org/HFT01/paper01/PSN/19_01.pdf (2010)

  5. Regan, D.T., Fazio, R.: On the consistency between attitudes and behaviour: look to the method of attitude formation. J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 13, 28–45 (1977)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Pancer, S.M., George, M., Gebotys, R.J.: Understanding and predicting attitudes towards computers. Comput. Hum. Behav. 8(2), 211–222 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Gardner, D.G., Dukes, R.L., Discenza, R.: Computer use, self-confidence and attitudes: a causal analysis. Comput. Hum. Behav. 9(3), 427–440 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Mackie, R.R., Wylie, C.D.: Factors influencing acceptance of computer-based innovations. In: Helander, M. (ed.) Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction, pp. 1081–106. Elsevier Publishing Co, New York (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kai-ming, A.A., Enderwick, P.: A cognitive model on attitudes towards technology adoption. J. Manag. Psychol. 15(4), 266–282 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Czaja, S.J., Sharit, J.: Age differences in attitudes toward computers. J. Gerontol. 53B, 329–340 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Giuliani, M., Scopelliti, M., Fornara, F.: Coping strategies and technology in later life. In: Proceedings of AISB 2005–Symposium “Robot Companions: Hard Problems and Open Challenges in Robot-Human Interaction”, Hatfield, UK (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Roelands, M., Van Oost, P., Buysse, A., Depoorter, A.M.: Awareness among community-dwelling elderly of assistive devices for mobility and self-care and attitudes towars their use. Soc. Sci. Med. 54, 1441–14451 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. ISO/IEC: 9241–11 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDT)s—Part 11 Guidance on usability (1998) ISO/IEC 9241–11: 1998 (E)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gould, J.D., Lewis, C.: Designing for usability: key principles and what designers think. Commun. ACM 28(3), 300–11 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Shackel, B.: Usability–context, framework, definition, design and evaluation. In: Shackel, B., Richardson, S. (eds.) Human Factors for Informatics Usability, pp. 21–37. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Sharp, H., Rogers, Y., Preece, J.: Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction. Wiley, London (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Stone, D., Jarrett, C., Woodroffe, M., Minocha, S.: User Interface Design and Evaluation. Morgan Kaufmann, CA (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Petrie, H., Bevan, N.: The evaluation of usability, accessibility and user experience. In: Stepanidis, C. (ed.) The Universal Access Handbook. CRC Press (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Iso: TS 16071 International Organization for Standardization: ISO 16071 Ergonomics of human-system interaction–guidance on software accessibility. Technical Specification. International Organization for Standardization, Switzerland (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  20. www.universaldesign.com

  21. Nielsen, J., Molich, R.: Heuristic evaluation of user interfaces. In: Proceedings ACM CHI’90 Conference, Seattle, WA, 1–5 April, pp. 249–256 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Nielsen, J.: Heuristic evaluation. In: Nielsen, J., Mack, R.L. (eds.) Usability Inspection Methods. Wiley, NY (1994b)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Chisnell, D.E., Redish, J.C., Lee, A.: New heuristics for understanding older adults as Web users. Tech. Comm. 53(1), 39–59 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Pruitt, J., Adlin, T.: The Persona Lifecycle: Keeping People in Mind Throughout Product Design. Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco (2006). ISBN 0-12-566251-3

    Google Scholar 

  25. Chapman, C.N., Love, E., Milham, R.P., ElRif, P., Alford, J.L.: Quantitative evaluation of personas as information. In: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 52nd Annual Meeting, New York, NY, pp. 1107–1111 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Agarwal, R.: Individual acceptance of information technologies. In: Zmud, R.W. (ed.) Framing the Domains of it Management Research: Glimpsing the Future Through the Past, pp. 85–104. Cincinnati, Pinnaflex (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  27. McCreadie, C., Tinker, A.: The acceptability of assistive technology to older people. Ageing Soc. 25(1), 91–110 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Mynatt, E.D., Essa, I., Rogers, W.: Increasing the opportunities for aging in place. In: Proceedings of the CUU 2000 Conference on Universal Usability. ACM, New York (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  29. ITEA: Standards for technological literacy: content for the study of technology. Reston, VA. http://www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/PDFs/xstnd.pdf (2007)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polo Scientifico-Tecnologico, INRCA—Via Santa Margherita, 5-60124, Ancona, Italy

    Roberta Bevilacqua, M. Di Rosa, E. Felici, V. Stara, F. Barbabella & L. Rossi

Authors
  1. Roberta Bevilacqua
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Di Rosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Felici
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. Stara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. F. Barbabella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. L. Rossi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberta Bevilacqua .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Sauro Longhi

  2. Inst for Microelectronics & Microsystems IMM-CNR, Lecce, Lecce, Italy

    Pietro Siciliano

  3. Industrial Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Michele Germani

  4. Information Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Andrea Monteriù

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Bevilacqua, R., Di Rosa, M., Felici, E., Stara, V., Barbabella, F., Rossi, L. (2014). Towards an Impact Assessment Framework for ICT-Based Systems Supporting Older People: Making Evaluation Comprehensive Through Appropriate Concepts and Metrics. In: Longhi, S., Siciliano, P., Germani, M., Monteriù, A. (eds) Ambient Assisted Living. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01119-6_22

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01119-6_22

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-01118-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-01119-6

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation