title: Using informatics to capture older adults' wellness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how informatics applications can support the assessment and visualization of older adults' wellness. A theoretical framework is presented that informs the design of a technology enhanced screening platform for wellness. We highlight an ongoing pilot demonstration in an assisted living facility where a community room has been converted into a living laboratory for the use of diverse technologies (including a telehealth component to capture vital signs and customized questionnaires, a gait analysis component and cognitive assessment software) to assess the multiple aspects of wellness of older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A demonstration project was introduced in an independent retirement community to validate our theoretical framework of informatics and wellness assessment for older adults. Subjects are being recruited to attend a community room and engage in the use of diverse technologies to assess cognitive performance, physiological and gait variables as well as psychometrics pertaining to social and spiritual components of wellness for a period of eight weeks. Data are integrated from various sources into one study database and different visualization approaches are pursued to efficiently display potential correlations between different parameters and capture overall trends of wellness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preliminary findings indicate that older adults are willing to participate in technology-enhanced interventions and embrace different information technology applications given appropriate and customized training and hardware and software features that address potential functional limitations and inexperience with computers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Informatics can advance health care for older adults and support a holistic assessment of older adults' wellness. The described framework can support decision making, link formal and informal caregiving networks and identify early trends and patterns that if addressed could reduce adverse health events.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical and Health Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, United States; Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of Washington, United States. Electronic address: gdemiris@uw.edu.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demiris
authors.forename: Hilaire J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Blaine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilamowska
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zaslavsky
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003657:Decision Making; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'