User-centred design, validation and clinical testing of an anti-choking mug for people with Parkinson's disease

Oropharyngeal dysphagia, or difficulty initiating swallowing, is a frequent problem in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and can lead to aspiration pneumonia. The efficacy of pharmacological options is limited. Postural strategies, such as a chin-down manoeuvre when drinking, have had some degree of success but may be difficult for people who have other limitations such as dementia or neck rigidity, to reproduce consistently. Using a user-centred design approach and a multidisciplinary team, we developed and tested an anti-choking mug for people with PD that helps angle the head in the optimum position for drinking. The design reflected anthropometric and ergonomic aspects of user needs with features including regulation of water flow rate and sip volume, an inner slope, a thickened handle and a wide base, which promoted a chin-down posture when used. Prototype testing using digital technology to compare neck flexion angles (the primary outcome), plus clinical outcomes assessed using standard tools (Swallowing Clinical Assessment Score in Parkinson's Disease (SCAS-PD) and Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Parts II and III), found significant improvements in a range of parameters related to efficient swallowing and safe drinking when using the anti-choking mug versus a sham mug.

An empirical study investigating the user acceptance of a virtual conversational agent interface for family health history collection among the geriatric population

Critical for the early diagnosis of genetic disorders, a Family Health History (FHx) can be collected in several ways including electronic FHx tools, which aid easy editing and sharing by linking with other information management portals. The user acceptance of such systems is critical, especially among older adults experiencing motor and cognitive issues. This study investigated two types of FHx interfaces, standard and Virtual Conversational Agent (VCA), using 30 young (between 18 and 30) and 24 older participants (over 60). Workload, usability and performance data were collected. Even though participants required less time to complete three of five tasks on the standard interface, the VCA interface performed better in terms of subjective workload and usability. Additionally, 67% of the older adults preferred the VCA interface since it provided context-based guidance during the data collection process. The results from this study have implications for the use of virtual assistants in FHx and other areas of data collection.

The Silver Surfer: Making the Internet Usable for Seniors

Until designers address age-related decrements, Web sites will fail to reach their full potential for older users — and everybody else.