Development and Assessment of a Mobile Solution for Medication Management Tailored to Elderly Users

Aim and Research Question(s)

The aim of this master thesis was to develop and test a mobile application tailored to help elderly users manage their medications. The research focused on addressing the challenges older adults face in medication management, particularly in cases of polypharmacy. The thesis aimed to answer the following research questions: What are the existing mobile applications for medication management targeting elderly users, and what are their limitations? What essential features and functionalities should a mobile application for medication management include to meet the needs of elderly users?

Background

The aging population is increasingly prone to polypharmacy, where multiple medications are taken concurrently, raising challenges in adherence and management. These challenges include remembering doses, understanding complex regimens, and managing side effects. mHealth solutions, especially those designed with older adults in mind, have the potential to address these challenges but are often underutilized due to usability issues, such as small text size, complex interfaces, and lack of comprehensive information [1, 2].

Methods

This thesis employed a human-centred design approach, focusing on several key areas. The literature review involved evaluating current mobile applications and identifying gaps in their features. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with elderly individuals (65+), all of whom managed multiple medications. Based on these findings, a medication management app prototype was developed using ReactNative, with VSCode as the integrated development environment (IDE). Usability testing, including task-based testing, was performed afterwards with both target and non-target user groups to assess the app's functionality and user experience.

Results and Discussion

The findings highlighted several critical features necessary for a successful medication management app for elderly users. Ease of use was a priority, with large buttons, intuitive navigation and adjustable text size being preferred. Medication tracking was also valued, as users appreciated clear reminders and a simple system to track whether medications had been taken. Additionally, users expressed the need for a summarized leaflet, emphasizing the importance of easy-to-understand medication information that is both simple and clear.Usability testing results showed a positive reception from older adults, who appreciated the app’s simplicity and its potential to improve medication adherence.

Conclusion

The developed prototype demonstrated the importance of human-centred design in creating effective digital health tools for older adults. While initial usability testing showed promising results, ongoing refinement and testing with larger sample sizes are necessary to optimize the app.

References

[1] Kim, J., & Parish, A. L. (2017). Polypharmacy and medication management in older adults. The Nursing Clinics of North America, 52(3). [2] Russell, A. M., Smith, S. G., Bailey, S. C., Belter, L. T., Pandit, A. U., Hedlund, L. A., & Wolf, M. S. (2018). Older adult preferences of mobile application functionality supporting medication self-management. Journal of Health Communication, 23(12).