Equitable Digital Frailty Screening for Marginalized Older Adults Using Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview:...

Older adults facing social or structural marginalization for reasons such as lower literacy, digital exclusion, financial constraints, restricted living environments, or complex health histories, face persistent barriers to much-needed health screening. Digital health tools, particularly those using audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) technology, offer potential to overcome these barriers (audio-delivered and self-administrable), but their application to marginalized populations remains underexplored. Moreover, guidance is limited for developing such tools which require collaboration within cross-disciplinary teams. This paper presents development insights and user testing findings from the ASCAPE (Audio App-Delivered Screening for Cognition and Age-Related Health in Prisoners) project, which aimed to develop equitable digital frailty and cognition screening for older people in Australian prisons.

This study aims to describe the collaborative development of the "ASCAPE-HS" prototype, a tablet-based ACASI-delivered Frailty Index and aging screener, and to synthesize key lessons from the project that can inform equitable digital health tool development in hard-to-reach older adults. Also, to present findings on the usability and acceptability of ASCAPE-HS in a diverse community sample.

The ASCAPE-HS prototype was developed through an iterative process involving researchers, clinicians, software developers, and end users under a digital health equity framework. The prototype included a self-administered, audio-delivered Frailty Index, alongside other items relevant to aging. The design process prioritized accessibility, sociocultural relevance, and technical feasibility, with regular multidisciplinary consultation and iterative refinement. Exploratory user testing with 20 older adults (aged 47-93 years, including n=5 who had not finished secondary schooling, n=3 people with previous imprisonment history, and n=9 with mild or moderate cognitive impairment) provided feedback on usability and acceptability.

A 50-item Frailty Index was developed, alongside an additional selection of holistic questions that could meaningfully capture age-related health, and transferred to an iOS app (Apple, Inc), with ACASI features. Key elements included lay wording, consistent interface, simple "tapping" response options with repeatable audio feedback, a tutorial, and artificial intelligence-generated audio guidance. Key development considerations were synthesized into a checklist for teams undertaking similar projects. Successful strategies for the collaborative design process included diverse teams abreast of emerging literature and policy with varying expectations for engagement during development, and dedicating time to flexible, iterative development processes. Acceptability (median scores ≥4 out of 5 across 6 constructs) and usability (mean System Usability Scale score 79.0, SD 8.8) were high.

A collaborative approach can produce ACASI-based health screening tools that are well-received by older adults. We highlight the feasibility of integrating frailty and aging assessment into a usable and acceptable digital tool, and offer actionable principles for collaborative, evidence-based development of equitable health screening tools in diverse, hard-to-reach populations.