JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The adoption of digital health technology among older adults with stroke remains limited, particularly in the transition from inpatient rehabilitation to community living, where digital competencies are essential for self-management and remote care.

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility and usability of a structured digital device instruction program for older adults with stroke in a convalescent rehabilitation setting.

Methods:

Older adults (≥65 years) with stroke admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward, who were independent in self-care except bathing, underwent a 14-day intervention comprising a structured instruction program combined with independent practice in seven digital tasks using a tablet and a wearable device. Task performance was assessed daily using a 5-point scale, and usability was evaluated on Day 14 using the System Usability Scale (SUS).

Results:

Nineteen older inpatients with stroke (mean age 76.3 ± 6.9 years; 47.4% women; mean MMSE 26.1 ± 3.2) participated in the 14-day program. Fourteen participants (73.7%) achieved independence in all tasks by Day 14. The mean SUS score was 57.8 (SD 15.0), with 94.7% of participants demonstrating at least acceptable usability. Participants who achieved task mastery showed significantly higher SUS scores (p = .002), whereas no significant differences were found in other characteristics.

Conclusions:

A structured digital device instruction program was feasible for older adults with stroke in a convalescent rehabilitation setting. Usability was strongly associated with task mastery, suggesting that both structured support and simplified or integrated application environments may be important for facilitating digital health implementations in this population.