1. How to prevent technological issues and maximise technologies acceptance by users before implementing large-scale pilots : pre-validation within the Horizon 2020 Pharaon projectIsabelle Lesterpt, Erika Rovini, Filippo Cavallo, Mateja Erce Paoli, Maria-Victoria Bueno-Delgado, Francisco José Melero Muñoz, Elisabete Pitarma, Femke Nijboer, Mariana Camacho, Ana Perandrés-Gòmez, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Background In the context of an ageing population, technological and digital solutions are increasingly emerging in the market to facilitate active and healthy ageing. However, several factors can hinder the acceptance of the solutions by the users. Indeed, during the development of digital solutions, future users are generally involved only when a Large-Scale Pilot is set up. It implies around 1 year and more than 100 people involved and it costs money. Moreover, if technical problems appear during the using of the solutions, the acceptance of it is sub-optimal or even degraded. Methods This paper presents the pre-validation approach developed and executed within the Pharaon European project to pre-evaluate digital solutions before to put in place the planned Large-Scale Pilots (LSP). 1 This pre-validation was defined as a Small-Scale Pilot involving a minimum of 5 users per type (e.g. older adults, caregivers, health professional) during a short period of time (2-hour sessions with users). The process was composed of different steps: 1/ pre-validation of individual technologies; 2/ pre-validation of technologies integration in each pilot platform; 3/ pre-validation of new technologies coming from the Pharaon Open Call. Moreover, 2 types of pre-validation were conducted at the same time: 1/ technological; 2/ willingness to use the digital solutions. A common protocol was delivered to all pilot sites, 2 questionnaires were used for collecting quantitative and qualitative results and the open platform Gitlab was used to report the technical issues. Results The pre-validation was conducted over 6 months in 6 pilot sites with more than 200 users and allowed to highlight 109 technical issues and mixed results concerning the acceptance of using technologies. The qualitative part of the results allowed to notice the needed improvements before setting up the LSP.
Ključne besede: methodology, pre-validation, technologies users’ acceptance, pilots, older adults, active ageing, health
Objavljeno v RUP: 05.02.2026; Ogledov: 436; Prenosov: 3
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2. Identifying and evaluating factors influencing technology adoption : a multi-pilot study within the Pharaon projectJasmine Pani, Laura Fiorini, Erika Rovini, Francesco Giuliani, Letizia Lorusso, Sergio Russo, Adriano César do Nascimento Teixeira Fernandes, Ana Goreti de Oliveira, Elisabete Pitarma, Ângela Rodrigues, Mateja Erce Paoli, 2026, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Introduction The global increase in the older adult population has amplified interest in supporting aging in place. Age-related physical and cognitive limitations pose significant challenges, for example managing daily tasks such as medication or household activities can become increasingly difficult. This also burdens informal caregivers with emotional stress, time demands and care coordination. Assistive technologies can enhance autonomy, social connection and health management, but their long-term adoption and use remain limited. Methods Within the Pharaon project, the study explored factors influencing technology use among older adults after 12 months of use. The research focused on the Italian pilot while integrating insights from other European sites. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically and validated through reflection meetings and iterative online questionnaires. Recurring factors were consolidated, prioritized and mapped to explore interconnections affecting adoption. Results Initial findings revealed 30 factors, including personal characteristics, motivational aspects, technical design, social dynamics, and environmental context. These were rated by participating teams and 25 were retained for deeper analysis. An interconnection analysis explored how these factors influenced one another. Highly interconnected factors, such as social context, personalized training, ease of use, and cognitive changes, were central to understanding and improving technology adoption. In contrast, aspects like education level, internet access, and technical requirements appeared less interconnected, indicating more isolated effects. Discussion This multi-site, empirical investigation emphasizes the complex and interconnected nature of technology adoption among older adults. Our findings underscore the need for user-centered design, tailored training, and sensitivity to social context. Furthermore, the interactive mapping of interrelated factors provides a practical framework for developers and policymakers to target impactful interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first cross-pilot study to empirically define and score factors affecting older adults’ technology use based on multi-pilot data across Europe, offering valuable insights for long-term, meaningful engagement.
Ključne besede: older adults, technology usage, factors influencing technology use, user experience, assistive technology
Objavljeno v RUP: 05.02.2026; Ogledov: 491; Prenosov: 3
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