Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation science
• Human-computer interaction
• Health informatics

Background:

• Home modifications are crucial for maintaining independence and safety.
• Current home evaluation processes can be enhanced by technological integration.
• Inter-professional collaboration is key to effective home modification interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore home modification professionals' perspectives on developing effective decision-support tools.
• To identify user needs for technology in home modification evaluations.
• To understand how to create useful and acceptable digital tools for this field.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing semi-structured interviews.
• Conducted interviews with twenty home modification professionals across the United States.
• Analyzed interview transcripts to identify key themes and perspectives.

Main Results:

• Technology can significantly enhance home evaluation processes, quality, and efficiency.
• App design advancements offer opportunities for improved decision-making support.
• Features that enhance inter-professional communication are highly valued.

Conclusions:

• App-based assessments can improve home safety evaluations and intervention development.
• Integrating technology with inter-professional best practices meets client-centered and societal needs.
• Decision-support systems within apps benefit both novice and expert home evaluators, increasing efficiency.