AARP unveils 7 ways to improve sleep trackers for boomers
WASHINGTON - The design and utility of today's sleep trackers aren't meeting the expectations of the 50-plus population, according to an AARP study released Tuesday, suggesting a significant opportunity for the first company that develops a boomer-friendly sleep tracker.
Georgia Tech Research Institute's HomeLab in partnership with the recently launched Project Catalyst: The Power of We initiative, a program that encourages tech developers to design toward the 50-plus demographics' desire for longevity and wellness, gave 92 older consumers one of seven popular devices to use at home for six weeks in their daily lives. At the end of the six-week trial:
71% of participants reported increased awareness of activity, sleep or eating habits;
45% reported increased motivation;
46% said they changed their behavior; and
67% of participants reported the activity and sleep tracker to be beneficial or of value.
"Despite what some people may think, the study showed that consumers in the 50-plus age group enjoy interacting with technology when it provides them with constructive and usable feedback on their goals," said Brad Fain, a director of Georgia Tech's HomeLab and principal research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. "They are motivated to use new products that help them achieve good health and avoid illness – important findings as we seek to improve technology and make life easier for this underserved population."
The study, "Building a Better Tracker: Older Consumers Weigh in On Activity and Sleep Monitoring Devices" is the first of several health technology studies under the Project Catalyst initiative that AARP will conduct and report on as part of its effort to accelerate innovation for aging Americans. With the support of MedStar Health, Pfizer and UnitedHealthcare, this initiative seeks to identify ways to improve products and services for the 50-plus population - who today are the largest consumers of healthcare.
With regard to how future activity and sleep trackers can be improved for consumers in the 50-plus age range, the study confirmed that the success of the next generation of trackers is directly correlated to their ease of use and their effectiveness.
"The recommendations that came out of the study are to make trackers better able to share information on health goals important to 50-plus consumers, simplify set up, make them unobtrusive to wear and easier to maintain, and provide more features like timely alerts and instantaneous access to information," said Jody Holtzman, AARP SVP Thought Leadership. "If these qualities are prioritized, the potential in the 50-plus market for activity and sleep trackers is likely to grow."
Other specific recommendations from the study's participants included:
Providing detailed, easy-to-understand instructions;
Providing an explanation of how activity and sleep trackers collect data;
Ensuring robust syncing capabilities;
Ensuring comfort while wearing the tracker;
Enabling timely notifications targeted to 50-plus consumers;
Providing a display for instant information access; and
Incorporating additional sensors related to health-specific conditions.
The next Project Catalyst study is already underway at the Georgia Tech's HomeLab and looks at medication management tools designed to help people take their medicine on time and as prescribed.