Galanza William Son, Offerman Jens, Fristedt Sofi, Iwarsson Susanne, Malesevic Nebojsa, Schmidt Steven M
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 28;20(1):e0317352. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317352. eCollection 2025.
Despite the potential of smart home technologies (SHT) to support everyday activities, the implementation rate of such technology in the homes of older adults remains low. The overall aim of this study was to explore factors involved in the decision-making process in adopting SHT among current and future generations of older adults. We also aimed to identify and understand barriers and facilitators that can better support older adults' engagement in everyday activities. Focus group discussions were used to explore the perspectives of people from diverse age groups (30-39, 50-59, and 70-79-year-olds). Three focus groups met twice at a lab designed as a two-room home equipped with SHT. Our findings revealed that the participants' decision-making process for adopting SHT involved designs that must be adapted to the changing physical abilities and diverse needs of users. Some conditions, such as ideas for re-invention, were identified after the integration of SHT. Concerns about reliability, complicated interfaces, and value to the user influenced the decision to adopt SHT, highlighting the importance of these factors for successful implementation. Some participants did not fully understand what SHT is nor perceive its benefits, but they expressed a desire to acquire the skills and knowledge to operate SHT. Furthermore, participants desired SHT that can support an active lifestyle. The perceived advantages of SHT include enhancing the sense of security and safety, which can facilitate engagement in everyday activity. Some participants experienced a positive impact on quality of life, related to comfortable living with the implementation of SHT. Adults across age groups perceive that SHT can enhance engagement in everyday activity and the sense of safety and security. However, it is essential to identify solutions for better usability. More collaborative efforts involving diverse stakeholders are vital to bridge the disconnect between SHT design and users' needs and preferences.
尽管智能家居技术（SHT）有潜力支持日常活动，但这类技术在老年人家庭中的实施率仍然很低。本研究的总体目标是探讨当前和未来几代老年人在采用SHT的决策过程中涉及的因素。我们还旨在识别和理解能够更好地支持老年人参与日常活动的障碍和促进因素。焦点小组讨论用于探索不同年龄组（30 - 39岁、50 - 59岁和70 - 79岁）人群的观点。三个焦点小组在一个设计为配备SHT的两居室的实验室里进行了两次会面。我们的研究结果表明，参与者采用SHT的决策过程涉及必须适应不断变化的身体能力和用户多样化需求的设计。一些情况，如重新发明的想法，是在整合SHT之后才被识别出来的。对可靠性、复杂界面和对用户价值的担忧影响了采用SHT的决策，凸显了这些因素对成功实施的重要性。一些参与者不完全理解什么是SHT，也没有意识到其好处，但他们表示渴望获得操作SHT的技能和知识。此外，参与者希望SHT能够支持积极的生活方式。SHT的感知优势包括增强安全感，这可以促进参与日常活动。一些参与者在生活质量方面体验到了积极影响，这与实施SHT后的舒适生活有关。不同年龄组的成年人都认为SHT可以增强对日常活动的参与以及安全感。然而，确定提高可用性的解决方案至关重要。更多涉及不同利益相关者的协作努力对于弥合SHT设计与用户需求和偏好之间的脱节至关重要。
