Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study
BackgroundSingapore’s large aging population poses significant challenges for the health care system in managing cognitive decline, underscoring the importance of identifying and implementing effective interventions. Cognitive training delivered remotely as a digital therapeu...
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| Format: | Article |
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JMIR Publications
2025-01-01
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| Series: | JMIR Formative Research |
| Online Access: | https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e63568 |
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| author | Siong Peng Kwek Qiao Ying Leong V Vien Lee Ni Yin Lau Smrithi Vijayakumar Wei Ying Ng Bina Rai Marlena Natalia Raczkowska Christopher L Asplund Alexandria Remus Dean Ho |
| author_facet | Siong Peng Kwek Qiao Ying Leong V Vien Lee Ni Yin Lau Smrithi Vijayakumar Wei Ying Ng Bina Rai Marlena Natalia Raczkowska Christopher L Asplund Alexandria Remus Dean Ho |
| author_sort | Siong Peng Kwek |
| collection | DOAJ |
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BackgroundSingapore’s large aging population poses significant challenges for the health care system in managing cognitive decline, underscoring the importance of identifying and implementing effective interventions. Cognitive training delivered remotely as a digital therapeutic (DTx) may serve as a scalable and accessible approach to overcoming these challenges. While previous studies indicate the potential of cognitive training as a promising solution for managing cognitive decline, understanding the attitudes and experiences of older adults toward using such DTx platforms remains relatively unexplored.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize the general acceptability and user experience of CURATE.DTx, a multitasking-based DTx platform that challenges the cognitive domains of attention, problem-solving, and executive function in the Singaporean older adult population.
MethodsA total of 15 older adult participants (mean age 66.1, SD 3.5 years) were recruited for a 90-minute in-person session. This session included a 30-minute playtest of CURATE.DTx, followed by a 60-minute semistructured interview to understand their overall attitudes, experience, motivation, and views of the intervention. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, then analyzed using an inductive approach. Thematic analysis was used to identify emerging patterns and insights.
ResultsA total of 3 main themes, and their respective subthemes, emerged from the interviews: comprehension, with subthemes of instruction and task comprehension; acceptability, with subthemes of tablet usability, engagement and enjoyment, and attitude and perceived benefits; and facilitators to adoption, with subthemes of framing and aesthetics, motivation recommendations and the role of medical professionals. Our findings revealed that participants encountered some challenges with understanding certain elements of CURATE.DTx. Nevertheless, they were still highly engaged with it, finding the challenge to be enjoyable. Participants also showed a strong awareness of the importance of cognitive training and expressed a keen interest in using CURATE.DTx for this purpose, especially if recommended by medical professionals.
ConclusionsGiven the positive engagement and feedback obtained from Singaporean older adults on CURATE.DTx, this study can serve as a basis for future platform iterations and strategies that should be considered during implementation. Future studies should continue implementing an iterative codesign approach to ensure the broader applicability and effectiveness of interventions tailored to this demographic. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7611d6ba76a94cf1bbb672468f402fd3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2561-326X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Formative Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-7611d6ba76a94cf1bbb672468f402fd32025-01-13T22:00:52ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2025-01-019e6356810.2196/63568Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative StudySiong Peng Kwekhttps://orcid.org/0009-0000-0206-2246Qiao Ying Leonghttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2369-4933V Vien Leehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0216-9032Ni Yin Lauhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2310-2523Smrithi Vijayakumarhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3304-7636Wei Ying Nghttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4781-6413Bina Raihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7079-8463Marlena Natalia Raczkowskahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1208-8751Christopher L Asplundhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5708-6966Alexandria Remushttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9002-7933Dean Hohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7337-296X BackgroundSingapore’s large aging population poses significant challenges for the health care system in managing cognitive decline, underscoring the importance of identifying and implementing effective interventions. Cognitive training delivered remotely as a digital therapeutic (DTx) may serve as a scalable and accessible approach to overcoming these challenges. While previous studies indicate the potential of cognitive training as a promising solution for managing cognitive decline, understanding the attitudes and experiences of older adults toward using such DTx platforms remains relatively unexplored. ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize the general acceptability and user experience of CURATE.DTx, a multitasking-based DTx platform that challenges the cognitive domains of attention, problem-solving, and executive function in the Singaporean older adult population. MethodsA total of 15 older adult participants (mean age 66.1, SD 3.5 years) were recruited for a 90-minute in-person session. This session included a 30-minute playtest of CURATE.DTx, followed by a 60-minute semistructured interview to understand their overall attitudes, experience, motivation, and views of the intervention. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, then analyzed using an inductive approach. Thematic analysis was used to identify emerging patterns and insights. ResultsA total of 3 main themes, and their respective subthemes, emerged from the interviews: comprehension, with subthemes of instruction and task comprehension; acceptability, with subthemes of tablet usability, engagement and enjoyment, and attitude and perceived benefits; and facilitators to adoption, with subthemes of framing and aesthetics, motivation recommendations and the role of medical professionals. Our findings revealed that participants encountered some challenges with understanding certain elements of CURATE.DTx. Nevertheless, they were still highly engaged with it, finding the challenge to be enjoyable. Participants also showed a strong awareness of the importance of cognitive training and expressed a keen interest in using CURATE.DTx for this purpose, especially if recommended by medical professionals. ConclusionsGiven the positive engagement and feedback obtained from Singaporean older adults on CURATE.DTx, this study can serve as a basis for future platform iterations and strategies that should be considered during implementation. Future studies should continue implementing an iterative codesign approach to ensure the broader applicability and effectiveness of interventions tailored to this demographic.https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e63568 |
| spellingShingle | Siong Peng Kwek Qiao Ying Leong V Vien Lee Ni Yin Lau Smrithi Vijayakumar Wei Ying Ng Bina Rai Marlena Natalia Raczkowska Christopher L Asplund Alexandria Remus Dean Ho Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study JMIR Formative Research |
| title | Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study |
| title_full | Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study |
| title_short | Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study |
| title_sort | exploring the general acceptability and user experience of a digital therapeutic for cognitive training in a singaporean older adult population qualitative study |
| url | https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e63568 |
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