JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Smart bathroom technology offers unrivalled opportunities for automated measurement of a range of biomarkers and other data. Unfortunately, efforts in this area are mostly driven by a ‘technology push’ rather than ‘market pull’ approach, which decreases the chances of successful adoption. As of yet, little is known about the perceived use cases that potential users of smart bathrooms see, nor about their perceived barriers and desires.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate how participants from the general population experience using a ‘smart’ sensor-equipped toilet seat, installed in their home. The study contributes to answering the question what use cases citizens see for this innovation, and what limitations and barriers to use in everyday life they see, including privacy concerns, fit with everyday practices, and expectations for user experience.

Methods:

31 participants of 30 households took part in a study consisting of three (partially overlapping) stages: sensitising, in which participants filled out questionnaires to trigger their thinking of ideas about smart bathroom use and personal health; provotyping, in which participants received a gentle provocation in the form of a smart toilet seat which they used for two weeks; and discussion, in which participants took part in an online focus group session to discuss their experiences.

Results:

Participants found the everyday use of the toilet, including installation and dismantling when necessary, relatively easy and without complications. Where complications occurred, participants mentioned issues with using the smart toilet seat, either related to the design of the prototype, related to the technology, and related to mismatches with normal practices in using toilets and hygiene. A broad range of use cases were mentioned, ranging from signalling potentially detrimental health conditions or exacerbations of existing conditions, documenting physical data, to measuring biomarkers to inform a diagnosis and behaviour change. Participants differed greatly in whether they let others know about, or even use, the seat. Ownership and control over their own data was essential for most participants.

Conclusions:

This study shows that participants felt a smart toilet seat could be acceptable and effective, as long as it fits everyday practices concerning toilet use and hygiene. The range of potential uses for a smart toilet seat are broad, as long as privacy and control over disclosure and data are warranted.