Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/876680
INNOVATION SUPPORT KL-CARE Annual Report 2016-2017 Page 22 QOCA HOME An evaluation of the QOCA home device for use by older adults and their loved ones - A CABHI project Baycrest, the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, and Quanta Computer Inc. formed a partnership and began working toward a multi-phase trial of Quanta's QOCA home platform. This cloud-based, touch- screen, tablet-like information technology platform is designed to enable new services of remote home care by enhancing communication between older adults and those in their circles of care (e.g., health consultations). The aim of this platform is to promote greater independence and better care integration, ultimately improving older adults' ability to age in place at home. KL-CARE's full support services for this industry-sponsored initiative marked several exciting firsts: the first CABHI project at Baycrest and the first-ever deployment of this technology in North America. KL-CARE's previous needs assessment of older adults, Baycrest staff members, and clients' family members informed the refinement of the device, its functions, and its interface; it also fostered the development of a rigorous study and testing protocol. This protocol was used in the much-anticipated deployment of the QOCA home prototype. KL-CARE staff designed, implemented, and oversaw all aspects of a three-month trial, where a group of community-dwelling older adults, their family members, and friends were recruited and invited to use this technology in their homes for three months. This diverse group of study participants provided valuable feedback related to the device's interface, functions, potential user groups, and future directions to further develop the technology. The KL-CARE team combined these data with additional information gathered from technical support and usage metrics logs; all of this new knowledge was synthesized into a comprehensive report featuring evidence-based recommendations for future development of the platform. This project gave a voice to the older adults in our study, as well as to their families and friends, so that they could offer their input. Their feedback will contribute to the design of a technology solution that is being further developed and refined specifically for them. Furthermore, the consumer intelligence and market research provided to Quanta paves the way for subsequent innovation projects that focus on technology development.