Research methods of utility of smartphones in mobile telecare

Abstract

Promotion of the activity of elderly people with the telecare which uses smartphones is an author’s proposal to increase accessibilities long term care outside their habitation. The article is a reply to the deficit of ergonomic methods appraisal of the usability smartphones for elderly people in the mobile telecare. Methods of estimation of the usability of mobile phones can’t directly be applied to smartphones which interaction of users is with the help of the touch screen. In the first empirically verified research applied method of assessment utility smartphone HS in comparing with Nielsen’s heuristics demonstrated more effective searching for problems with the service of the interface of operating system Android. Then was developed new method of indicator assessment of the usability smartphones based on heuristics HS, checklists and the environment of the evaluation of the usability of mobile phones. Method has an application potential, because it enables effective comparing smartphones with different operating systems in the aspect of their usefulness for elderly people.