The Feasibility of Using Tablet Technology to Collect Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Data Among Older Adults Engaged in Work, Volunteering and Caregiving

Background:  Researchers’ ability to exploit innovative technology such as the iPhone or iPad to study older adults will be crucial in advancing gerontological social work research in the 21^st century. There are a broad range of social, behavioral, cognitive, and health-related data that can now be collected using iPhone/iPad technology. For example, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can be used to capture thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in real-time, thus avoiding recall biases that can confound observed relationships. Most previous EMA studies with older adults have relied on paper-pencil methods with the justification that older adults may find the technology typically used in these studies (e.g., palm pilots) too difficult (e.g., insufficiently sized displays and buttons). Failure to adopt appropriate technology to study these issues has hampered progress in this crucial research area among older adults. One of the aims of this study was to assess the feasibility of using iPad mini technology to study real-world behavior, in real time among a sample of community-dwelling adults age 65 or older involved in paid work, volunteering or elder caregiving. 

Methods: iPad minis were used to collect intensive data on daily experience in real time from 21 community-dwelling adults age 65 and older as part of the 2013 EngAge Study. Participants were recruited through email announcements or fliers distributed by three Boston-area non-profit organizations that serve older adults. Interested participants contacted the study hotline and were screened for participation by a trained staff member. Inclusion criteria included good general cognitive health and regular involvement in one or more of the following activities: 1) paid employment, 2) formal volunteering, 3) unpaid adult caregiving, or 4) unpaid informal helping.

The mEMA application (ilumivu.com) was used to randomly signal participants five times between the hours of 9am and 5pm and then again before bedtime (8pm) to complete a brief 1-1.5 minute survey for a full week. Following the EMA week, participants commented on their experience during an in-person, open-ended interview. A $75 Visa gift card was provided as a thank you for participants’ time. 

Results: Among other findings, 80% of the total surveys requested were completed, 95% of participants indicated that they would participate in a similar study again, and 90% indicated the iPad signaling was not intrusive to their daily lives (the remaining 10% indicated it was only “a little” intrusive). The majority of participants reported positive experience using an iPad mini with surprisingly few support calls to technical staff. Only a few men reported carrying a tablet was an issue. 

Implications: Contrary to widespread stereotypes of older adults being unable to adapt to new technology, findings from this study suggest that it is indeed feasible to use iPads to collect a range of rich data in real time from community-dwelling older adults. Exploiting such technology opens up a wide range of data collection opportunities that have the potential to advance research and practice on engagement in later life in unforeseen ways.