Learning Health System In A Senior Retirement Community: A Platform To Promote Implementation Research

Abstract

Introduction: In an effort to develop a Learning Health System (LHS) for a healthy ageing society, this study launched an Internet of Things (IoT) platform in a senior residential community to continuously generate behavior logs. Methods: Considering that older adults experience difficulties in technology adaptation and declined information processing abilities, senior residents only needed to carry around a card sized beacon which was the tracking device. Participant recruitment took place in a continuing care retirement community. Individual feedback was obtained quarterly. Results: During the first 16 months, 111 residents, aged 67 to 97 years, joined the program, and nearly 90% of them were consistently monitored in their everyday lives. Participants’ average daily walking distance was slightly less than 1 km. The average time spent socializing was between 1 to 1.5 hours per day. Conclusion: The IoT platform offers the possibility of extending the target population and scope of data, as well as incorporating experimental study designs. It is expected that factors affecting older people’s everyday lives and their consequences on health outcomes are continuously studied, learned from and improved.