Breaking down barriers

Global ageing populations and the increasing digitisation of services are fuelling a demand for more inclusive design, particularly in the healthcare sector.

Traditional approaches and assumptions that digital exclusion among older adults will reduce with time risk widening disparities, research has warned. The study also highlights how health inequalities can impact digital skills. The authors say they aim to “unpack the layers in which ID [inclusive design] can make a difference in the development of inclusive health interventions”.

It is estimated that 10 million people in the UK lack basic digital skills, such as how to switch on and use different devices, use controls such as keyboard and mouse, connect to Wi-Fi and find websites, according to a Lloyds survey in 2021. These people are most likely to be those 65 and older, people with impairments and those with no formal qualifications.

The study also notes that having access to digital tools, such as owning a smartphone, does not mean people know how to use them. “Therefore, digital health interventions must be carefully designed,” the authors note, to “allow older adults, including those with disabilities, to be equally satisfied when using them”.

The authors discuss the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to help offer “personalised, adaptable and accessible experiences”. However, “it is crucial to acknowledge certain challenges and ensure equitable access to these AI technologies for older adults”. Inclusive AI design should therefore reflect the diversity of the population, the study adds.

The researchers propose a four-step roadmap for inclusive design of digital health interventions. This includes considering intersectionality and use of digital health interventions, and using ergonomics research to identify user knowledge of interfaces and interactions to shape new, accessible and easy to use features.

The roadmap also outlines how ergonomics research can identify requirements to support the development of adequate support, and adopting techniques to understand how different people interact with designs.

The authors state: “A human-centred, interdisciplinary and application-oriented process, which is an ergonomic process, is needed before introducing the technology to the public.” They add: “Understanding user needs during design development, whether AI -driven or not, is crucial for inclusion. “Inclusive digital health interventions is about understanding what can be offered to promote dignity and independence, so that the most vulnerable can also benefit from healthcare digital developments.”