Background
Technology needs assessment, and the development of a case for the business can help organisations decide whether to purchase an off-the-shelf product or develop and then integrate new digital solutions into existing systems.
In a recent sector survey, interoperability between systems [1] and the complexities of interfaces and software was the greatest challenge reported by services as users of technology. Integrating an off-the-shelf solution with little or no ongoing support from a technology provider (vendor) is risky. If choosing this option, the potential benefits and challenges must be weighed against:
- Initial costs relative to the return on investment,
- Time,
- Human resources available, and
- Workarounds created by staff to side-step issues developers may have missed.
Alternatively, organisations may partner with vendors and develop an integrated and tailored product based on specifications and use context.
Whichever product type is chosen, staff should be invited to have their say, especially when their feedback can directly impact the design of the technology. Their feedback can shape the influence the technology has on how care is organised [2] and provided.
Importantly, when designing and developing technologies, the process [3] should involve:
- Direct (end) users,
- Incidental users, and
- Beneficiaries of the technology.
Residents, clients, carers and families should be invited to participate. [4] The voices of the users and beneficiaries can highlight areas of concern or influence specifications, information and interaction design, data collection and user experience, which then can inform further refinement. [1]
User-centred, participatory or co-design design approaches can be selected to support development processes. These can ensure the digital product's usability, acceptability, effectiveness, and efficiency in context with settings, systems and workflows.
Many complex issues will influence your decision on the type of technology your service or organisation needs. This theme outlines considerations organisations face when developing a new or adapting an off-the-shelf technology product.
Navigating an evolving digital aged care and health ecosystem
To support successful development and integration of technological products in a rapidly changing digital environment, many government agencies are producing guidance, standards, frameworks and developer resources to ensure that aged care technologies are compatible with future digital health systems. These resources help ensure that new technologies are interoperable, secure, and capable of delivering the anticipated benefits to both businesses and end-users in aged care settings.
Role of multidisciplinary teams during development
Creating a user-centred product in aged care will require a multidisciplinary team (MDT) with diverse skills including care staff and older people working alongside technology professionals and business leaders. Teams can work effectively together when members have defined roles with realistic expectations of their involvement, this can ensure a collaborative approach is taken throughout the development process.
Co-designing technology and digital solutions
Co-design is a user-centered approach that uses end-users' expertise and experiences to iteratively improve products, enhancing their user satisfaction. Involving older adults, people with dementia, and aged care staff in the co-design process is crucial to ensure solutions are tailored, inclusive, and effective for their needs.
Problem-based selection of a development approach
User-Centered Design (UCD) and Design Thinking (DT) both prioritise user needs and experiences in product development. Depending on the type of problem the technology is trying to solve, these approaches can align with co-design by involving users at every stage, ensuring the final product meets their real-world needs and expectations.
Using user research and co-design for problem discovery
User research and co-design activities are crucial in the early stages of development to deeply understand end-users' needs and requirements. Early and mid-stage user-based activities help the MDT ensure the product's scope solves the intended problem.
Prototyping, testing and scaling tech solutions
Prototyping plays a pivotal role in the early stages of product development, offering a low-cost, iterative process to develop, test, refine, and re-test potential solutions. Testing these prototypes aims to gather valuable feedback for refining designs, making them more user-friendly and effective in real-world scenarios.
Additional resources to support your design and development processes
Our comprehensive organisational checklist can be a useful tool to help your organisation to understand what is needed when developing new technologies or digital products. The checklist has been designed to complement the information provided within this evidence theme and can walk you through the requirements for a successful build, including things to look out for, questions to ask potential vendors and considerations on involving representatives from your residents, clients and families as well as from your own business and care teams. There are two versions of the checklist available to share with your team:
- Comprehensive Checklist for Aged Care Technologies (print version)
- Comprehensive Checklist for Aged Care Technologies (interactive PDF)
Additionally, National Aged Research Institute (NARI) in collaboration with the Silverwater group have produced a toolkit to support the design and development of technological solutions for use within home care services: