Evaluation of ICT-based Smart Fitness Service Experience Factors and Proposal of Smart Fitness Service Directions and Scenarios for the Elderly

Abstract

Background As the untact trend emerges after COVID-19, the 4th industrial revolution is rapidly accelerating, and non-face-to-face services using information and communications technology (ICT) are emerging. Among them, ICT-based healthcare and fitness services are being actively developed in accordance with the need for health management due to reduced external activities. This may be more useful for elderly groups than general people in terms of the aspect of aging and ease of access, but current research and development is mainly targeting young people in their 20s and 30s. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to derive and evaluate user experience factors constituting ICT-based smart fitness services, and to propose a service scenario that can be referenced to appropriate service design in the future by presenting smart fitness design directions for the elderly. Methods First, to derive ICT-based smart fitness service experience factors, literature research on elderly exercise, digital fitness, and user experience in terms of device/content/system was conducted, and detailed experience factors were specified by analyzing user journeys and touchpoints through case analysis. Second, a survey analysis using the Kano Model was conducted to verify the experience factors. Third, to find the specific service directions for the elderly, interviews with experts in the fields of elderly, elderly exercise, engineering design, and digital healthcare were conducted and analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Fourth, by synthesizing the analysis, the service design directions for the elderly were derived from the aspects of user, content, device, and service operation, and the service scenarios for each user type was presented. Results Four categories and nine sub-items were derived for smart fitness service directions for the elderly. The four categories were 'Definition of elderly user type', 'Developing training contents suitable for target', ‘Appropriate ways to use the devices’, and 'Developing appropriate service operation model'. The nine sub-items were 'Setting user types and service directions', 'Extend services through user data association', ‘Providing customized training based on user data’, ‘Providing information considering the cognitive abilities of the elderly’, 'Interesting and motivating', 'Select devices that can be utilized efficiently', ‘Device interface design considering convenience for the elderly’, ‘Building a delivery system’, and ‘Systemization for service management and maintenance’. Based on this, the elderly user types were categorized into three types: active seniors, the patients with senile disease, and the elderly who need rehabilitation exercise. 9-Step service scenarios were also proposed. Conclusions This study specifies the experience factors and detailed components that constitute ICTbased smart fitness services and evaluates them through the Kano Model to identify which factors satisfies and dissatisfies users. Experience factors and specific application plans centered on the elderly are also derived. The elderly user-centered service directions and scenarios derived from this study can provide a theoretical basis for user-centered service design when developing ICT-based healthcare devices for the elderly in the future and can be used as practical guidelines for technology development or living lab operation.