JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Older adults in rural areas of Peru encounter many challenges in accessing critical public services such as health, education, and social assistance due to low levels of digital literacy, limited technology access, and lack of secure identification systems. These barriers prevent them from entering digital platforms and increase their risk of social exclusion and vulnerability.

Objective:

To design a blockchain-based mobile application architecture that facilitates secure and inclusive digital identification for older adults in rural Peru, enabling them to access vital public services digitally through a decentralized and privacy-oriented approach.

Methods:

This study followed the Design Thinking methodology, which includes five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Evaluate. Sixteen older adults (aged 61–85) were interviewed to identify usability barriers and trust issues related to mobile technology. Based on their feedback, functional and nonfunctional requirements were defined and prioritized. A prototype was developed using Figma and modeled with the C4 architecture to ensure scalability and decentralization. Usability was quantitatively assessed through the System Usability Scale (SUS) applied to the same participants after interacting with the prototype.

Results:

The proposed blockchain-based mobile application represents a viable and socially inclusive approach for secure digital identification of older adults in rural areas. Usability results suggest that the system is perceived as secure, usable, and appropriate for the target population. While not yet deployed, the architecture and prototype provide a solid foundation for future implementation, supporting digital inclusion and autonomous identity management for vulnerable groups.

Conclusions:

The blockchain-based mobile application model we propose offers a viable technical and socially inclusive model for the secure digital identification of seniors in under-service contexts. Usability tests suggested that the solution was perceived as secure, usable and appropriate for this target population. While not fully deployed, our prototypes and architecture provide a good starting point for future deployment. The findings in this study can contribute to efforts to facilitate digital inclusion, access to services, and respect for people's autonomy in identity management systems, for vulnerable people. Clinical Trial: Not applicable