The Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) has introduced two connected health technology playbooks designed to help developers and healthcare providers support older adults who wish to remain independent at home. The guidance addresses barriers to technology adoption, including accessibility, affordability, usability, and integration into existing care workflows.
The initiative follows DiMe research indicating that 75% of adults aged 50 and older prefer to age at home, while 70% are comfortable using technology to support independent living. However, the findings highlight a disconnect between available digital health solutions and the practical needs of older adults and their caregivers.
DiMe surveyed 50 older adults and 54 care partners, conducted additional interviews, and incorporated stakeholder workshops and literature reviews to inform its recommendations.
Among older adults surveyed, 44% identified maintaining independence as a primary benefit of technology, while 42% valued avoiding hospital or emergency department visits. Privacy protections influenced willingness to adopt technology for 49% of respondents, while 40% highlighted affordability or insurance coverage.
Accessibility remains a concern, with 31% reporting difficulties involving small screens, buttons, or physical limitations. Care partners identified additional challenges, including persuading older adults to use technology (41%) and managing multiple applications or devices (35%).
Despite mobility and fall prevention ranking among the highest priorities, only 3% of older respondents regularly used automated fall detection devices, and another 3% used medical alert buttons.
DiMe's developer playbook focuses on designing accessible technologies and sustainable business models that reflect users' needs. Its healthcare provider playbook offers a structured approach to evaluating vendors, integrating solutions into clinical workflows, and establishing viable implementation strategies.
The provider guidance particularly emphasizes alert management, clinical accountability, and operational sustainability.
"Ask vendors to provide alert performance benchmarks from existing deployments, including alerts per patient per day, escalation rates, and false positive rates," DiMe advises.
The recommendations also address caregiver workload, emphasizing that connected health technologies should simplify care coordination rather than introduce additional administrative responsibilities.
Together, the playbooks aim to support more effective adoption of connected health technologies while helping healthcare organizations assess their clinical, operational, and financial suitability.
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