Voice assistant reminders for pain self-management tasks in aging adults

Abstract

Aging adults are impacted by pain. Technology can assist older adults with pain self-management while allowing for independence. The current usability study explored the use of voice assistant reminders for two pain self-management tasks in aging adults. Fifteen community-dwelling older adults with chronic pain and an average age of 65 years used the voice assistant for 4 weeks. Participants had moderate scores for pain severity (mean = 4.6 [SD = 2.3]) and pain interference (mean = 4 [SD = 2.6]). Voice assistant usability was above average (78 of 100). Median time to set up the Google Home Assistant profi le was 5 minutes (SD = 7.5), with a median of asking for help two times. Pain self-management task reminders from the voice assistant were perceived as consistent, easy to set up, and helpful for accountability. Voice assistant reminders may be an option to help encourage a variety of pain self-management tasks in aging adults.