Introducing the Adherence Promotion with Person-centered Technology (APPT) trial: Rationale, methods, and baseline...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Home-based cognitive training shows potential for mitigating age-related cognitive decline.
• Low adherence rates hinder the effectiveness of digital cognitive interventions.
• Personalized, adaptive technology may enhance engagement in health programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a person-centered smart reminder system in improving adherence to cognitive training.
• To compare adherence rates between a smart reminder system and a control group receiving generic messages.
• To explore the potential of technology-mediated systems for supporting health behaviors in older adults.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial with 199 cognitively normal older adults (aged 62-88).
• Participants were assigned to a smart reminder system or a control group for 18 weeks.
• The smart system delivered personalized, adaptive motivational messages at predicted optimal times.

Main Results:

• Adherence rate is the primary outcome measure, to be compared between the smart reminder and control conditions.
• Baseline data collected from participants in both groups.
• The study is designed to provide statistically significant comparisons of adherence.

Conclusions:

• The smart reminder system has the potential to significantly improve adherence to cognitive training programs.
• Findings may inform the design of technology-mediated interventions for various health behaviors.
• Enhanced adherence can lead to improved health outcomes and well-being for older adults.