Currently submitted to: JMIR Aging
Date Submitted: Jul 6, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Jul 7, 2026 - Sep 1, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
User Needs in the Development of a Smart Walker: a qualitative study
ABSTRACT
Background:
The specific needs of walker users, particularly those of smart walkers, have been barely described in literature. Smart walkers as for now have mostly been tested in young and asymptomatic populations. Users, like geriatric patients and health professionals have not been asked for their readiness for technology and their requirements regarding a smart walker.
Objective:
This qualitative study aims to provide insights into perspectives of geriatric patients in need of a (smart) walker and the requirements for a smart walker to be developed.
Methods:
: In a qualitative study, semi-structured interviews with geriatric patients on a geriatric and geriatric traumatology ward of a German University Hospital have been conducted. The data analysis was conducted using a Rapid technique to derive themes from the recordings. Additional, technological readiness of the patients according was surveyed.
Results:
Six interviews with geriatric patients (female, n=4) within the age group of 70-89 years (80-89 years: n=5) have been conducted. The analysis identified needs of the user. The patients surveyed consider smart features on a walker to be negligible. Features, like sturdiness/stability, good brakes and a seat are much more important and give geriatric users a sense of safety. The score for technology readiness was rather low between 13 and 25 points. As the interviewees are older, this may explain why they do not engage in intelligent technologies associated with a future walker. Younger walker users might have given more insights into smart technologies. There might possibly be a connection between low technology readiness of our interviewees and the lack of focus on smart technologies.
Conclusions:
When developing a smart walker, it is necessary to identify user needs to create a user friendly and accepted walker. The transfer of user needs to developers is an important and vulnerable moment in ensuring that the desired outcome is achieved. To support this, creative methods might be considered. Clinical Trial: The study was registered at German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS register number: DRKS00036747 (https://www.drks.de/DRKS00036747)). The study protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework Platform (OSF, register number: 10.17605/OSF.IO/CTPF4).
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