The Reliability of Using Tablet Technology for Screening the Health of Older Adults

Abstract

In this study, we assessed the reliability of using a tablet application for collecting health data among older adults, in comparison to using paper surveys for this goal. Test-retest reliability between the two modalities, usability, user experience factors, and older adults' preference were determined. The results show perfect agreement between tablet and paper for the SARC-F and high agreement for the SF-36 physical scale and EQ-5D. Usability and user experience factors were perceived the same for both modalities. The majority of the participants preferred the tablet for health screening purposes, mainly because of its ease of use. This study shows that using tablets for health screenings among older adults does not affect test reliability, and that older adults prefer the tablet to paper for completing these tests.

Keywords: Population health screening; tablet computers; test reliability.