Design of health technologies for users facing limitations: A scoping review
Emanuele König-Klever, Patrícia Raquel Bohn, Cláudia de Souza Libânio, Flavio Sanson Fogliatto, Leandro Miletto TonettoBACKGROUND
Studies reveal healthcare disparities for people with disabilities (PwD) due to various barriers. Digital health offers promise but raises concerns about the digital divide. To address that, health Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) should follow inclusive design principles for accessibility to all, including PwD.
OBJECTIVE
We examine the design of ICTs in healthcare to address the needs of people with disabilities. Three research questions guide the study: (i) how health technologies contribute to healthcare accessibility and inclusion; (ii) what the main challenges are in implementing these technologies; (iii) how health ICTs are structured to meet users’ limitations and enhance performance.
METHODS
Research questions are addressed through a scoping review and critical literature analysis, drawing from seven databases and grey literature. The analysis of research question (iii) uses the accessibility fundamentals recommended by the Web Accessibility Initiative as starting point.
RESULTS
Our research reveals a predominant focus on the elderly, with cognitive impairment as the most studied limitation, followed by mobility, reach and dexterity, vision, and hearing.
CONCLUSIONS
We emphasize the need for inclusive design for all health technologies and investigate their potential to improve user and healthcare system performance. We also propose four promising research directions for further investigation.