An e-health platform for the elderly population: The butler system

Abstract

The Butler system is an e-health platform designed to improve the elderly population’s quality of life. The Butler system has three applications diagnostic, therapeutic and playful. The objective of this work is to present the influence of the use of the platform on elderly users’ mood states and the degree of acceptance. These measures were assessed through visual analogical scales before and after the platform use, with the outcome measures MANOVAS analyses were performed. Seventeen users (from 58 to 79 years old) completed four sessions with the system; they could choose which technological resources they used in each session. The results showed that after using the system, the participants’ insensitive emotions increased and their negative ones decreased. In addition, they obtained high levels of satisfaction, low levels of subjective difficulty and would recommend Butler to other users. Therefore, the results indicate that Butler might be an effective system for improving emotional states in elderly population.

Research highlights ► ICTs can be efficacious and effective resources for improving the quality of life in elderly. ► ICT can be helpful in reducing negative moods and isolation in elderly. ► The generational gap produced can be reduced by using technologies designed for eldery. ► The existent generational gap can be reduced by using technologies designed for elderly.