ICT4AWE 2023 Abstracts

Area 1 - Aging Well – Social and Human Sciences Perspective
Full Papers Short Papers
Area 2 - Digital Health and e-health
Full Papers Short Papers
Area 3 - Telemedicine and Independent Living
Full Papers Short Papers

Area 1 - Aging Well – Social and Human Sciences Perspective

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 7
Title:

Implementing an Intersectoral Telemedicine Network in Rural Areas: Evaluation from the Point of View of Telemedicine Users
Authors:

Domenic Sommer, Sebastian Wilhelm, Diane Ahrens and Florian Wahl
Abstract: Telemedicine (TMed) is becoming popular due to the growing number of elderly and the shortage of healthcare workers. In Germany, TMed is rarely part of rural healthcare, and the research state is limited. To improve healthcare and to research the conditions under which TMed can be used in German rural areas, an intersectoral, TMed network was set up from July 2018 to Oct. 2020 and evaluated with mixed methods, including qualitative interviews and quantitative feedback forms. Seven Use-Cases (UCs) were implemented in the dimensions: (i) home visits (n = 170), (ii) patient video consultation (n = 30), (iii) intensive care (n = 15), (iv) mountain accident (n = 6), (v) wound management (n = 6), (vi) caregiver video consultation (n = 3) and (vii) electronic health record (n = 10). Our study indicates that digitally supported general practitioner (GP)- home visits and intensive care are the most frequent UCs. TMed is satisfactory and leads to advantages for rural healthcare. However, vital data transmission and the electronic health record (eHR) were less in demand due to high preparation efforts. Findings from previous studies can be confirmed. Facilitators for TMed who should be considered and further researched are: training on digital literacy including awareness-rising, financing, cross-institutional documentation, and suitable mobile network infrastructure.
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Paper Nr: 16
Title:

Digital Participation Among People Aged 50+ in Switzerland: Insights to Course Offers and Training Experiences
Authors:

Sarah Speck, Lilo Ruther and Sabina Misoch
Abstract: Digital skills in everyday life are inescapable, particularly if one wants to stay socially engaged in later life. With ageing societies, it must be ensured that all, also older adults, are not behind. The digital divide has been long dealt with, however, in this debate the heterogeneity of adults aged 50+ are largely neglected. This research article is part of a mixed-methods study. It assesses the digital training courses currently provided and the experiences and needs of people aged 50+ who participated in such courses. A program analysis and individual qualitative interviews were used to extract the views and experiences of older adults, retired, or still working, in Switzerland. The wide range of training offers, and the results of our interviews indicate that digital participation is a relevant aspect of everyday life, so be and stay socially engaged and fosters well-being and self-esteem. We relate the concept of digital competences and digital participation to our empirical findings.
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Paper Nr: 28
Title:

What Is Privacy? Perceptions of Older Adults in the South of Spain About the Concept of Privacy and in Terms of Video-Based AAL Technologies
Authors:

Tamara Mujirishvili, Miguel Richart-Martínez, Julio Cabrero-García and Francisco Flórez-Revuelta
Abstract: Privacy is a very complex concept that concerns all areas of human activity. Even more so, it has acquired whole new importance and has become a hot-button topic in the era of ubiquitous computing. The emergence of Active and Assisted Living (AAL) technologies is offering the improvement of the quality of life and maintaining the independence of older adults in their preferred environment. Especially with the advancement of computer vision, video-based technological solutions are giving us promising results but bring along significant risks of privacy violation. With this qualitative study, we aim to explore older adults’ understanding of privacy as a construct and their privacy considerations for technology-based monitoring applications in eldercare, for video-based systems among them. Exploratory interview sessions were conducted with 12 older adults 66 and plus of age living in care homes and in private households. Findings indicate that the concept of privacy is indeed difficult to understand and define for older adults. However, the context of video monitoring elicits clear privacy concerns. The nudity aspect of privacy was proved to be the most important among the participants, yet, the attitudinal shift in the perception of nudity was observed in older adults living in care homes. Eight out of 12 interviewed older adults did not like the idea of having a camera-based assistive technology, however, some of their worries were alleviated after explaining to them the possible technology’s inherent privacy-preserving techniques.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 4
Title:

ICT-Enabled Community-Based Social Support System Matrix for Elderly: A Social Support Perspective in Japan
Authors:

Tingting Huang
Abstract: Japan, as the leading country with the most significant percentage of elderly, has done a great job of improving the quality of the elderly’ social life. This research adopts a qualitative approach with a multiple case design and the Social support theory to analyze four cases in Japan that use the deployed ICT to enhance community and support the elderly’ social life. An ICT-enabled community-based social support system matrix is proposed with four types of elder communities. The findings delight the possibilities and the cautions for enhancing the elder community with ICT.
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Paper Nr: 10
Title:

Trust in and Acceptance of Video-based AAL Technologies
Authors:

Sophia Otten, Wiktoria Wilkowska, Julia Offermann and Martina Ziefle
Abstract: Due to a growing demand and need for solutions that alleviate the strain on the overburdened healthcare system, video-based ambient assisted living (VAAL) technologies offer a good alternative to support individuals in need of help. In order to successfully implement such technologies into the living spaces of individuals with care needs, factors that determine their trust in, and acceptance of, such technology need to be examined in more detail. This study investigates perceptions on trust and its relationship with the acceptance criteria of VAAL technologies. In a mixed-methods design approach using focus groups and a questionnaire study, participants evaluated their trust and acceptance perceptions of VAAL technology and assessed its benefits and barriers. Results revealed significant relationships between the variables, signalling the relevance of understanding of how trust may influence the overall acceptance of VAAL technologies. Recommendations for future studies as well as applications of the findings are made.
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Paper Nr: 23
Title:

Sending Trustworthy News to the Elderly Through TV Notifications
Authors:

Telmo Silva and Jorge Abreu
Abstract: Fake News is a global phenomenon that is increasing. They have the potential to spread rapidly in social media due to the ease of sharing and to the large audiences these platforms can reach. Users need to be vigilant in checking the accuracy of the information they consume. Considering that some older persons do not have the digital literacy to distinguish between trustable digital sources, this paper depicts a proposal for a system that sends trustable news to the elderly through TV notifications – by far the most used media device of this target group.
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Paper Nr: 20
Title:

Self-Dependency Amelioration and Dignity Revival for South-East Asian Older Adults: Using Technology as a Means and Method
Authors:

Sanchita S. Kamath and Sophia Rahaman
Abstract: Self-Dependency in Older Adults is broadly a measure of their morale and self-worth. The purpose of this research is to understand how far the engagement and interaction between elderly and the younger members of their family affects their lifestyle and self-esteem and how technology can help revive the dignity of the elderly by helping them cope with the changes in their life and the fast-pacing world. Positive and Negative Engagement criteria from previous research has been employed to develop codes based on which questions have been designed. The lifestyle choices and past behaviour that the elderly and their younger family members hold is collected and quantified through two separate parallelly and strategically designed surveys which both factions have answered. It was observed that gender plays a role in the priorities of South-East Asian Older Adults, and they do not have any major discrepancies between the thinking of the elderly and their family member. Analysis of such insights helped generate themes which inform the model for technological intervention which can help revitalize the self-confidence of the elderly.
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Paper Nr: 25
Title:

Collaborative Mapping of Urban Spaces for Active Ageing in the City
Authors:

Nuria Nebot-Gomez de Salazar, Rubén Mora-Esteban, Francisco Conejo-Arrabal, Francisco J. Chamizo-Nieto and Carlos Rosa-Jimenez
Abstract: Sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity affect the health of a large part of the world’s population, being the cause of between 4 and 5 million deaths per year (World Health Organization, 2020). This work aims the creation of a collaborative digital mapping of public spaces which are favourable to increase healthy habits and physical activities for the elderly in the city, as well as its potential as a tool to promote these activities. The webGIS platform used serves as a tool for mapping the location of outdoor places for physical activity and its features. This public participatory geographic information system (PPGIS) provides information that can be consulted and uploaded after registration. It not only provides information about the places where elderly people can do physical exercise, but also to the local administrations about how urban spaces are used and their problems for promoting active ageing. One of the main contributions of this work is the study of urban spaces from a very specific approach: their ability to meet the needs of the elderly and to encourage the practice of physical exercise and relationships with other people. From the methodological point of view, the most innovative aspect is the qualitative work based on surveys and interviews with older people to find out their specific needs and demands regarding public spaces.
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Paper Nr: 27
Title:

Development of a Web-based Program for Personalized Physical Exercise for Older Adults
Authors:

Frederico Baptista, Bárbara Ursine, Ana I. Martins, Rosa Andias, Joana Pais, Anabela G. Silva and Nelson P. Rocha
Abstract: Information technologies support personalized strategies to promote the effectiveness of physical exercise programs. The study reported by this paper developed a web-based program for personalised physical exercise for community dwelling older adults. Considering the Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions, the paper reports the results of the development phase, which is the first phase of this framework. The development phase included the identification of the existing evidence, the identification of the developing theory, and the modelling of the intervention. The developed program and respective web-based application integrate the inherent complexity of physical exercise programs and allow the definition of personalized prescriptions considering a diverse range of factors (i.e., frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, and progression) recommended by international guidelines.
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Area 2 - Digital Health and e-health

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 13
Title:

SleepPal: A Sleep Monitoring System for Body Movement and Sleep Posture Detection
Authors:

Ali Ibrahim, Kabalan Chaccour, Amir H. El Hassani and Emmanuel Andres
Abstract: Sleep posture is a clinical relevant parameter for it is associated with several pathologies and affects the quality of sleep. In this paper, we propose SleepPal a sleep monitoring system for body movement and sleep posture detection. It consists of a wearable device that extracts data from a 3-axis accelerometer and transmits them to a remote monitoring station. A threshold-based algorithm is used to detect body movement and to distinguish between transitions. The proposed system will also evaluate the sleep quality index. Experiments were conducted on 10 subjects and results showed 88% of sensitivity and 82% of accuracy.
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Paper Nr: 41
Title:

Data Analytics Framework for Identifying Relevant Adverse Events in Medical Software
Authors:

Md M. Uddin and Mouzhi Ge
Abstract: The clinical evaluation process is an ongoing and iterative process. Through clinical evaluation, the clinical performance and effectiveness of the medical device will be monitored. While the clinical evaluation process requires clinical data, these relevant data may come from different sources. One of the recommended sources is “medical device adverse event report database”, which is mentioned in several guidance documents, since the adverse event reports are useful to identify hazards caused by substances or technologies used in medical devices. They also contain signals on the new or unknown risks associated with medical devices. As the use of medical devices is increasing, new adverse event reports are being updated in a daily manner, thus, the size of the adverse event database is also increasing. It is difficult and time-consuming to collect and process data from multiple adverse event data sources and feed the data into the clinical evaluation process needs special consideration. In this paper, the feasibility of adopting a data analytic ecosystem to deal with a large amount of adverse event data is studied. As an output, a data analytics framework is proposed to process and classify adverse event texts. The whole process will significantly facilitate the clinical evaluation process for medical image analysis software.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 3
Title:

Smart Shopping Carts to Increase Healthier Food Purchase: A Conjoint Experiment
Authors:

Niklas Eriksson, Asle Fagerstrøm, Valdimar Sigurðsson, Nils-Magne Larsen and Vishnu Menon
Abstract: Shopping carts, in general, should be suitable for carrying smart technology in the retail store environment. Also, a smart shopping cart can present verbal motivating stimuli to increase healthier food purchases. A conjoint experiment was used to test with a hypothetical purchasing task for young consumers (n=91) the potential of motivating stimulus on smart shopping carts to influence healthier purchases when buying frozen pizza. The results show a positive impact for all stimuli stemming from the smart shopping cart, three of which were health-based. This shows that stimuli revealing dynamic and personalized data through smart technology in a physical grocery retail setting have the potential to outperform traditional brand statements. Our conjoint experiment increased young consumers’ likelihood of choosing a healthier frozen pizza. This result demonstrates that verbal stimuli on smart shopping carts can function as motivating augmentals on young adult consumers’ healthier food purchases and are in line with the market positioning and customer-service focus of many retailers and brands today, emphasizing a social marketing standing.
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Paper Nr: 5
Title:

Dissecting interRAI Instrument Data Using Visual and Predictive Analytics
Authors:

Waqar Haque, Shannon Freeman and Piper Jackson
Abstract: Healthcare data for older adults is often collected through globally standardized instruments and resides in multiple disparate database systems. For gaining insights into this data, an interactive platform has been developed which allows visualization of several actionable key performance indicators along multiple dimensions. The health assessment data was collected from persons receiving community home care services as well as from persons residing in long-term care facilities. The top-level reports provide aggregations across geographical regions at the health service delivery area level with capability to drill down to finer granularity for metrics of interest. By revealing hidden patterns embedded in data, the stakeholders can make informed decisions pertaining to resource allocation and better patient care. The drill-down and drill-through reports include demographics, quality of life, medications, health conditions and disease diagnoses, comorbidities, health service usage, and patient journey across care settings. A predictive model to accurately estimate resource requirements at the time of admission was also developed for data-driven triaging.
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Paper Nr: 9
Title:

Wellbeing Recommender System, a User-Centered Framework for Generating a Recommender System for Healthy Aging
Authors:

Jordi Torres, Meritxell Garcia, Garazi Artola, Teresa Garcia-Navarro, Isabel Amaya, Nekane Larburu and Cristina Martin
Abstract: The needs of the currently aging population require new technologies to support them in order to offer them a decent quality of life. Different interventions have been proposed in the last years to face this challenge, where recommender systems are gaining strength. The general objective of these systems is to promote the adoption of healthy habits among the end users, but sometimes they show limitations in the fulfilment of this goal. To overcome these limitations, our approach offers an easy to maintain, interoperable, and personalized recommender system capable of providing recommendations based on individuals’ daily activity data. A methodology is presented for the generation and management of wellbeing recommendations, which are then tested using a synthetically generated dataset that simulates a variety of user categories. With the evaluation of this data, a technical validation is carried on to assess the performance and scalability of our developed system.
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Paper Nr: 17
Title:

A Comparative Study on Cloud-based and Edge-Based Digital Twin Frameworks for Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors:

Havvanur Dervişoğlu, Burak Ülver, Rabia A. Yurtoğlu, Ruşen Halepmollası and Mehmet Haklıdır
Abstract: Digital Twins that can integrate with related technologies such as Artificial intelligence, optimization, mobile communication systems, edge computing, fog computing, cloud computing, etc. are virtual representations of physical objects and reflect the real time status through streaming data. In this study, we provide two Digital Twin frameworks both cloud-based and edge-based and compare them in terms of scalability, flexibility, latency and security. We represented those frameworks by developing a case study to predict cardiac patient, continuously monitor the risks related to heart disease, and reporting the risks to both healthcare professionals and users in real time. We extracted features over electrocardiogram signals and performed popular machine learning algorithms. We employed feature binning and feature selection methods to increase the robustness of the prediction model and, in total, we built 20 models. We presented empirical analysis on a publicly available dataset based on PTB Diagnostic ECG Database and evaluated the results in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and F-score. When predicting cardiac patients, Linear Regression outperformed the other classifiers with accuracy and F-score rates of 86% and 92%, respectively. This model has also the highest recall rate (98%), which is vital in predicting diseases. Meanwhile, Gradient Boosted Tree applied binning, mRMR feature selection method and random oversampling achieve high precision (91%).
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Paper Nr: 19
Title:

GesTEApp: A Pilot Study on an Expert Web-Based System that Integrates Gestural Analytics and a Hybrid Recommendation System to Support the Early Detection of ASD in Children
Authors:

Maria G. Mejía-Trujillo, Faiber O. Camelo-Romero, Helio H. Ramírez-Arévalo and Miguel A. Feijóo-García
Abstract: Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological condition that affects 1 in 160 children worldwide. To date, this disorder does not yet have a standardized cure, and not being treated early can affect the child’s quality of life and their relatives. There are currently different traditional tools for detecting Autism Spectrum Disor- der, such as questionnaires and checklists— standardized methods worldwide, such as using M-CHAT-R/F and Q-CHAT. We present GesTEApp as a web-based expert system that integrates gestural analytics and sup- ports Healthcare Professionals in their medical decision-making process on the early detection of this disorder in children. GesTEApp implements a Hybrid Recommendation System with Face Recognition models and Linear Kernel, which capture and analyze children’s facial expressions, seeking to support Healthcare Profes- sionals in detecting Autism Spectrum Disorder. We evaluated this tool following a pilot study and reported the findings and results considering Healthcare Professionals’ perceptions, basing our analysis on (1-5) Lik- ert Scales and their feedback regarding their experience interacting with GesTEApp. Preliminary, the tool reduced detection times by 36% compared to traditional tools. Also, our preliminary results suggest that GesTEApp is a user-centered web-based application that satisfactorily supports Healthcare Professionals in detecting Autism Spectrum Disorder in children.
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Paper Nr: 22
Title:

Developing an ICT-Based Mental Healthcare Service Platform for Older People (IMPOP)
Authors:

Euntaek Hong, Jueun Hwang, Dawoon Jung, Yong-Chun Bahk and Kee-Hong Choi
Abstract: Recently mental health issues of older people became a large part of society and the demand for elderly mental healthcare services is increasing. Non-face-to-face online mental health services are recommended because they can respond to psychological changes at an initial stage and are highly cost-effective. In Korea, there are few online services based on psychological evidence and considering the user experience of elderly users. This paper describes the overall 3-year production process of the ICT-based Mental Healthcare Service Platform for Older People (IMPOP). After preliminary interviews with practitioners and elderly users, we identified the primary mental health service demands of the elderly. Therefore, a single service platform considering the needs of the users and evidence-based tasks is designed. We present a detailed explanation of the developed modules of IMPOP. In the end, we discuss the implications of IMPOP and suggestions for the remaining research period.
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Paper Nr: 32
Title:

vEEGNet: A New Deep Learning Model to Classify and Generate EEG
Authors:

Alberto Zancanaro, Italo F. Zoppis, Sara L. Manzoni and Giulia Cisotto
Abstract: The classification of EEG during motor imagery (MI) represents a challenging task in neuro-rehabilitation. In 2016, a deep learning (DL) model called EEGNet (based on CNN) and its variants attracted much attention for their ability to reach 80% accuracy in a 4-class MI classification. However, they can poorly explain their output decisions, preventing them from definitely solving questions related to inter-subject variability, generalization, and optimal classification. In this paper, we propose vEEGNet, a new model based on EEGNet, whose objective is now two-fold: it is used to classify MI, but also to reconstruct (and eventually generate) EEG signals. The work is still preliminary, but we are able to show that vEEGNet is able to classify 4 types of MI with performances at the state of the art, and, more interestingly, we found out that the reconstructed signals are consistent with the so-called motor-related cortical potentials, very specific and well-known motor-related EEG patterns. Thus, jointly training vEEGNet to both classify and reconstruct EEG might lead it, in the future, to decrease the inter-subject performance variability, and also to generate new EEG samples to augment small datasets to improve classification, with a consequent strong impact on neuro-rehabilitation.
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Paper Nr: 38
Title:

Leveraging Deep Neural Networks for Automatic and Standardised Wound Image Acquisition
Authors:

Ana Filipa Sampaio, Pedro Alves, Nuno Cardoso, Paulo Alves, Raquel Marques, Pedro Salgado and Maria M. Vasconcelos
Abstract: Wound monitoring is a time-consuming and error-prone activity performed daily by healthcare professionals. Capturing wound images is crucial in the current clinical practice, though image inadequacy can undermine further assessments. To provide sufficient information for wound analysis, the images should also contain a minimal periwound area. This work proposes an automatic wound image acquisition methodology that exploits deep learning models to guarantee compliance with the mentioned adequacy requirements, using a marker as a metric reference. A RetinaNet model detects the wound and marker regions, further analysed by a post-processing module that validates if both structures are present and verifies that a periwound radius of 4 centimetres is included. This pipeline was integrated into a mobile application that processes the camera frames and automatically acquires the image once the adequacy requirements are met. The detection model achieved mAP@.75IOU values of 0.39 and 0.95 for wound and marker detection, exhibiting a robust detection performance for varying acquisition conditions. Mobile tests demonstrated that the application is responsive, requiring 1.4 seconds on average to acquire an image. The robustness of this solution for real-time smartphone-based usage evidences its capability to standardise the acquisition of adequate wound images, providing a powerful tool for healthcare professionals.
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Paper Nr: 11
Title:

Evaluation of the Cross-Platform Framework Flutter Using the Example of a Cancer Counselling App
Authors:

Leon Lovrić, Mahsa Fischer, Natalie Röderer and Alexander Wünsch
Abstract: The advance of digitalization is constantly bringing new solutions to various areas of life in our society. The COVID-19 pandemic, among other things, brought increased attention to the application and support of treatments through digital solutions in the healthcare sector due to contact restrictions. However, the development of digital solutions comes at a high cost in terms of time and expenses. Mobile app development requires the development of two separate apps for the two respective market-leading mobile operating systems, iOS and Android. Cross-platform frameworks make it possible to develop apps for both operating systems on a single code base, thus saving the development and maintenance of two separate codes. Flutter is currently the most popular cross-platform framework for the development of mobile apps. This paper has evaluated Flutter based on an existing criteria catalogue. As a usage context for the evaluation, a prototype for Cancer Counselling App of the University Medical Center Freiburg was implemented. According to the gained own prototyping experience with Flutter and a thorough literature analysis in this area, the criteria catalogue was filled out and the result was compared with other mobile App development paradigms.
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Paper Nr: 15
Title:

Digitalization of Healthcare Processes Through BPMN for Clinical Risk Monitoring and Management
Authors:

Vincenzo Cartelli, Leonardo Longo, Orazio Tomarchio and Natalia Trapani
Abstract: Several recent studies have provided alarming data regarding the occurrence of errors in healthcare in all OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, including, to a significant extent, also Italy. Many of these errors seem to be largely due to failure to comply with company operating procedures, which are typically based on ministerial directives and international standards. In this context, the paper describes the work carried out in an Italian research project where a more structured approach to the healthcare sector has been proposed, focusing on clinical risk management. Clinical processes have been modelled by using BPMN (Business Process Modelling and Notation) standard notation and then interfaced with the hospital information system to monitor and manage clinical risks. Digitalization of operating procedures also allowed the definition and computation of several KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for long-term monitoring. The work carried out in the experimental phase of the project, through the developed system, highlighted the areas most affected by operational non-conformities, to address actions aimed at safeguarding the patient’s health and, indirectly, providing considerable economic savings.
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Paper Nr: 29
Title:

A Machine Learning Approach to Digitize Medical History and Archive in a Standard Format
Authors:

Mohamed Mehfoud Bouh, Forhad Hossain and Ashir Ahmed
Abstract: Thanks to the advancement of information technology and the wide adoption of smartphone-based apps, an enormous amount of medical information is being produced worldwide. However, most of the medical records are yet to be standardized. Small clinics in developing countries generate only handwritten medical documents. Our past medical history is not digitized. Machine learning approaches applied to predict disease are quite common. But it will need sufficient past medical records to analyze. However, we do not have past medical records in digital form. This research aims to generate standard Electronic Health Records (EHRs) from paper-based documents. The major research tasks will be to investigate (1) the commonalities and differences of current unstructured paper-based medical documents, (2) the best technology to convert the paper-based documents into unstructured data, and (3) Extracting structured data from the unstructured data, (4) Integrating the structured into EHR databse using FHIR-based or OpenEHR Type System. This will produce standard medical history. Once medical histories are available in a standard format, it will be possible to predict personalized health status more accurately.
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Area 3 - Telemedicine and Independent Living

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 8
Title:

Living on Video: Insights on the User Perspective of Video-Based AAL Technology
Authors:

Caterina Maidhof, Julia Offermann and Martina Ziefle
Abstract: Research on video-based Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies is increasing due to their potential of providing abundant sensory information about a person in need of support. Acceptance of these visual sensors is limited among potential users as perceptions of barriers persist, most importantly privacy concerns. The current study aimed to investigate potential users’ behavioural intention to use video-based AAL and their evaluations of relevant benefits and barriers during activities of daily living in their own homes. Special focus was on exploring the influences of individual differences (demographics and psychometrics) on evaluation patterns. In total, evaluations of 122 participants (age range: 17-81 years) were assessed through an online survey. The results are in line with previous findings on perceived benefits and barriers and their relevance to the acceptance of AAL technology. Beyond that, the results revealed significant relationships and impacts of individual differences, i.e., privacy perception, self-consciousness, and body consciousness, on the perceived barriers and indirectly also on the acceptance of video-based AAL technology. Further, three clusters of potential users were identified, differing significantly in their evaluation of video-based AAL technology as well as in their individual characteristics, i.e., privacy perception and self-consciousness. The findings of this study are useful to derive recommendations for user-tailored development and communication of video-based AAL technology.
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Paper Nr: 34
Title:

Gesture Recognition for Communication Support in the Context of the Bedroom: Comparison of Two Wearable Solutions
Authors:

Ana P. Rocha, Diogo Santos, Florentino Sánchez, Gonçalo Aguiar, Henrique Ramos, Miguel Ferreira, Tiago Bastos, Ilídio C. Oliveira and António Teixeira
Abstract: Gestures can be a suitable way of supporting communication for people with communication difficulties, especially in the bedroom scenario. In the scope of the AAL APH-ALARM project, we previously proposed a gesture-based communication solution for the bedroom context, which relies on a smartwatch for gesture recognition. In this contribution, our main aim is to explore better wearable alternatives to the smartwatch regarding the form factor and comfort of use, as well as cost. We compare a smartwatch and a simpler, smaller, less expensive wearable device from MbientLab, both integrating an accelerometer and a gyroscope, in terms of gesture classification performance. The results obtained based on data acquired from six subjects and the support vector machines algorithm show that, overall, both explored devices lead to a model with promising and similar results (mean accuracy and F1 score of 98%, and mean false positive rate of 2%), being thus possible to rely on a smaller and lower cost wearable device, such as the MbientLab sensor module, for recognizing the considered arm gestures.
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Paper Nr: 35
Title:

A Quantitative Analysis of Barriers to International Telemedicine Education: The Case of the Philippines
Authors:

Toru Oga, Katherine Panganiban, Kuriko Kudo, Jocelyn Celero, Shintaro Ueda, Shunta Tomimatsu, Jeffrey Domino and Tomohiko Moriyama
Abstract: A multitude of studies have investigated the opportunities and limitations of telemedicine pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, most of the research has focused on telemedicine’s constraints in the context of international, regional, and developed nations, with few studies examining the specific challenges that may affect telemedicine’s progress in developing countries where the pandemic may have exacerbated existing technological and geographical difficulties. This study takes the Philippines as a case study due to its archipelagic location, use of English as an official language, and other factors that influence its adaptability to international telemedicine. We assessed the barriers and challenges to the advancement of telemedicine from four viewpoints: policy, organization, individual, and collaboration between organizations. Therefore, the significance of this study is twofold: (a) to concentrate on international telemedicine education by contrasting domestic and international practices, and (b) to newly reveal connections between each component, as prior research highlighted barriers and difficulties but did not clarify relationships among different elements. We surveyed and interviewed 38 physicians, technicians, coordinators, and staff involved in telemedicine education in the Philippines. The study found that (1) public support yields favourable results, (2) a strong correlation exists between domestic and international telemedicine, (3) communication and technical obstacles are interconnected, (4) unity and cooperation in intra-hospital collaboration are critical, and (5) comprehending the "significance of work" has a positive impact. This study underscores the intersectionality of several barriers to telemedicine development. It also recommends providing greater support for telemedicine education in developing nations and promoting collaboration between developing and developed nations.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 12
Title:

Exploring Different User Interfaces for Automatic Tracking of Free Weight Exercises Using Computer Vision
Authors:

Günter Alce, Axel Mulder and Jakob Håkansson
Abstract: Several research studies have shown the importance of physical exercise. The global gym and fitness industry faced a transition from traditional gyms to virtual fitness training during the pandemic lockdowns. A proliferation of applications is available to provide different digital gym experiences. Advagym is one example that uses sensors to track and give feedback to gym goers. Sony’s R&D Center Lund Laboratory has developed a Camera-based Tracking System (CTS) which aims to offer an automatic free weight exercise tracking solution with Advagym. The main goal of this paper is to align the Advagym application combined with CTS for free weight exercise (FWE) tracking and to conduct a comparative study of four different user interfaces presenting FWE tracking to increase the user experience. The main contribution of this paper is to elucidate knowledge about which UI feedback of FWE given for the “gym-goer” was preferred.
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Paper Nr: 24
Title:

Easierphone: Participative Development of a Senior-Friendly Smartphone Application
Authors:

Sarah Speck, Cora Pauli, Cornelia Ursprung, Robert Huber, Katja A. Rießenberger and Sabina Misoch
Abstract: Ageing and digitalization are two major developments of the 21st century. Particularly, smartphone ownership increased to about over 80 % globally. Meanwhile, smartphones also gained great popularity among older adults, nonetheless, many still show fear of contact. The multi-national project Easierphone aims at empowering older adults and other vulnerable persons to effectively use smartphones. A senior-friendly app, Easierphone, simplifies smartphones while replacing the common android interface with an easier-to-use one. In addition, the Easierphone app enables two smartphones to be connected remotely to facilitate virtual assistance. A participative design is applied to conduct tests with older adults in three different pilots, in three different countries. Semi-structured interviews, try-out of the app, individual follow-up discussions and co-creation workshops are conducted to collect data. The Easierphone app to date is received positively by potential end-users. Many of the diverse functionalities of the app could be improved with feedback from test participants. The development process is an iterative one, in between each pilot, to achieve best possible adjustments to the app. The preliminary results indicate that fear of contact still prevails, nonetheless. The simplified interface seems to provide a basis for older adults to use their smartphones with more confidence.
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Paper Nr: 26
Title:

Environmental Scan of Existing Digital Health Solutions for Older Adults Living with Neurocognitive Disorders (Mild and Major) and Their Informal Caregivers: Summary Report
Authors:

Ambily Jose, Maxime Sasseville, Ellen Gorus, Anik Giguère, Anne Bourbonnais, Samira A. Rahimi, Ronald Buyl and Marie-Pierre Gagnon
Abstract: Digital health has added numerous promising solutions to enhance the health and wellness of people living with dementia and other cognitive problems and their informal caregivers. This work aims to summarize currently available digital health solutions and their related characteristics to develop a decision support tool for older adults living with mild or major neurocognitive disorders and their informal caregivers. We conducted an environmental scan to identify digital health solutions from a systematic review and targeted searches for grey literature covering the regions of Canada and Europe. Technological tools were scanned based on a preformatted extraction grid. We assessed their relevance based on selected attributes. We identified 100 available digital health solutions. The majority (56%) were not specific to dementia. Only 28% provided scientific evidence of their effectiveness. Remote patient care, movement tracking and cognitive exercises were the most common purposes of digital health solutions. Most solutions were presented as mobility aid tools, pill dispensers, apps, web, or a combination of these platforms. This knowledge will inform the development of a decision support tool to assist older adults and their informal caregivers in their search for adequate eHealth solutions according to their needs and preferences, based on trustable information.
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Paper Nr: 30
Title:

Gesture-Based Communication for People with Aphasia While in Bed
Authors:

Fábio Nunes, Ana P. Rocha, Ana S. Valente, Samuel Silva and António Teixeira
Abstract: Communication is an essential part of life and, when affected, as it happens to persons with Aphasia (PWAs), it severely impacts their quality of life. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) approaches aim to aid people with their communication disabilities. However, not all parts of the day are easily covered by these solutions, e.g., when lying in bed without immediate access to them or in a state of distress that precludes reaching for one. To address this challenge, working with PWAs is key, but the communication issues affecting them might work as a barrier to obtain their contribution during the conceptual stage. To gather contributions that can work as a common ground to obtain PWAs’ feedback we have been collaborating with Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) to propose a system that allows two-way remote communication between a PWA lying in bed, alone, and other people (e.g., caregiver). Here, we describe this first stage with the SLTs leading to the conceptualization of a solution consisting of communication mediated by an assistant based on simple Yes/No questions presented audiovisually to the PWA and answered through gestures. Overall, the SLTs emphasized its adequateness and its strong potential to increase PWAs’ independence.
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Paper Nr: 40
Title:

A Fallen Person Detector with a Privacy-Preserving Edge-AI Camera
Authors:

Kooshan Hashemifard, Francisco Florez-Revuelta and Gerard Lacey
Abstract: As the population ages, Ambient-Assisted Living (AAL) environments are increasingly used to support older individuals’ safety and autonomy. In this study, we propose a low-cost, privacy-preserving sensor system integrated with mobile robots to enhance fall detection in AAL environments. We utilized the Luxonis OAK-D Edge-AI camera mounted on a mobile robot to detect fallen individuals. The system was trained using YOLOv6 network on the E-FPDS dataset and optimized with a knowledge distillation approach onto the more compact YOLOv5 network, which was deployed on the camera. We evaluated the system’s performance using a custom dataset captured with a robot-mounted camera. We achieved a precision of 96.52%, a recall of 95.10%, and a recognition rate of 15 frames per second. The proposed system enhances the safety and autonomy of older individuals by enabling the rapid detection and response to falls.
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