The prevalence of off-the-shelf wearable devices has increasingly enhanced the monitoring of critical physiological parameters like activity, sleep, heart rate, and blood pressure over time through health applications. Analysis feedback is conventionally presented graphically to end-users, yet health data representations lack standardisation for non-expert user-centric design, posing challenges for older adults. This ad-hoc nature results in a notable disparity between the complexities of clinical-oriented representations and the diverse needs of older adults who rely on them for managing their health. It often presents a significant challenge for older adults due to age-related cognitive, physical and sensory changes when navigating complex clinical representations, exacerbating the “cycle of injustice” in technology utilisation. While extensive research has been conducted on improving health literacy and digital literacy for older adults, there’s a need to specify the accessibility barriers associated with the actual health data representations.
Traditional expert evaluations rely on standardised usability heuristics and overlook nuanced problems. This research proposes that bringing in experts with diverse backgrounds could bridge this gap, offering varied perspectives crucial for designing data representations tailored to older adults. An open expert evaluation approach may be less restrictive than usability standards. By including diverse expertise, we aim to explore usability problems in health data representations. Removing exploration boundaries bridges the gap between expert observations and older adults’ understanding, mapping steps toward ideal representations. The proposed methodology will inform the design of an initial prototype, addressing existing accessibility limitations and expanding the focus to create a more inclusive, user-centric health data representation for older adults, aligning with their needs and preferences.
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