Designing open-source, cross-platform user interfaces for improving home care

Abstract

Long-term care (LTC) facilities, once the primary source of healthcare for aging citizens face critical shortages that are increasing due to heightened demand for healthcare services. In Canada, LTC facilities struggle to meet the growing needs, which have only increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there is a shift in preference among aging citizens towards staying in their homes, emphasizing the importance of robust home care (HC) systems. Local data suggests that by 2038, over half of Saskatchewan's population is estimated to be 55 and older, emphasizing the pressing local demands. Furthermore, statistics released in 2020 indicate around 11 percent of Canadians in LTC facilities could have stayed at home with appropriate care. Effective and effcient HC support can enrich lives, foster independence, and support families. However, the increasing global demand for healthcare services challenges seamless HC service delivery. This research focuses on augmenting HC interactions through digital technologies. Given the existing demand, there is a need for improvement in HC service delivery and data, information, and knowledge management, particularly in handling digital records and effciently documenting HC activities. Software technologies similar to electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic medical records (EMRs) offer promising solutions that enhance administrative effciency. However, challenges persist in adapting these technologies to meet the unique needs of HC, including concerns over proprietary systems, patient data management, and software system security. The primary focus of this research lies in the front-end design of user-centric software systems to advance HC experiences. Designing a user interface (UI) that prioritizes utility, usability, and delightfulness is essential. By incorporating User Experience (UX) principles, the research aims to create a exible, community-centred software system that improves HC operations and management. This research investigates the challenges in HC service delivery management, particularly from the administration and service provider perspective. Partnering with Eden Care Communities, a local Saskatchewan-based HC organization, a software system is engineered to explore how digital technologies can improve various aspects of HC from a people, process, and technology lens. The collaborative processes that guide the software engineering work, the engineering work, and the outcomes of the engineered solution are described. Future work is also discussed.