A digital heat early warning system for older adults

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Gerontology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Extreme heat events pose significant health risks, increasing in frequency and severity.
• Effective heat early warning systems are crucial for public health, particularly for vulnerable populations like older adults.
• Existing systems often lack individualization and real-time, actionable data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test the usability of an individualized, real-time digital heat early warning system (Ethos) for older adults.
• To assess the system's impact on heat preparedness, risk perception, and adoption of cooling measures.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of a tailored, digital approach to heat health management.

Main Methods:

• A proof-of-concept study involving 78 older adults (≥65 years) in Southeast Queensland, Australia.
• Quantitative and qualitative data collection on system usability using the System Usability Scale.
• Pre- and post-intervention assessment of heat preparedness, risk perception, and cooling measure uptake.

Main Results:

• The Ethos system achieved a high usability score (mean 78 on the System Usability Scale).
• A statistically significant increase in heat preparedness was observed after system use (P < 0.001).
• No significant changes were found in heat health risk perception or the use of low-cost cooling strategies.

Conclusions:

• The Ethos individualized digital heat early warning system is usable and feasible for older adults.
• The system shows potential for improving heat preparedness in this demographic.
• Further robust trials are necessary to evaluate the system's effectiveness in mitigating heat-related health outcomes.