This project will test the ability of voice-activated technology to expand the implementation and sustain the use of a proven electronic health system.
Multiple chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, obesity) are a costly, pervasive problem for older adults, accounting for 90% of Medicare spending. This project will test the ability of voice-controlled “smart” technology to expand the implementation and sustain the use of a proven electronic health system (Elder Tree, or ET) for these patients; specifically, we hypothesize that older adults using ET delivered by a smart system (smart speaker plus smart display) will use and benefit from ET more than patients who access ET through a laptop because the smart system enables such easy use, even by those who have a tremor, poor vision, difficulty getting to a laptop, or other side-effects of aging. If successful, this smart system-delivered eHealth intervention will make ET more accessible and effective for older patients, improve their quality of life, and point the way to more impactful delivery of future eHealth innovations.