As our population ages, are we designing technology that truly meets their needs, or just what we think they need?

In this episode of Straight Out of Health IT, Dr. Jennifer Boger, Chief Scientific Officer at ESGai Technologies, shares how her love for problem-solving and a personal connection to dementia led her into engineering and health technology. She underscores the flaws in current healthcare systems, particularly their focus on acute care over prevention and quality of life, and calls for a shift toward more holistic, person-centered approaches. Dr. Boger emphasizes that quality of life, though hard to quantify, should be a primary goal of healthcare. She also discusses the importance of designing inclusive technologies that are intuitive and respectful, noting that simplicity should not be mistaken for infantilization, especially when creating tools for older adults.

Dr. Jennifer Boger explores the concept of ambient, zero-effort technologies, tools that are ubiquitous, accessible, and require minimal user effort. She and host Christopher Kunney agree that aging populations need technology that is easy to use without sacrificing dignity or privacy. They raise concerns about digital marginalization, warning that people who can't or choose not to use digital systems risk being excluded from essential services and even from AI-generated insights. Dr. Boger stresses the need for transparency in how data is collected and used, proposing clearer, more accessible summaries of privacy policies to empower users.

Dr. Boger believes that while the concept of “considerate AI”, systems designed with ethical frameworks and human understanding in mind, holds promise, it is challenging to implement and will require time, patience, and brave, collaborative spaces. She envisions AI that supports rather than replaces human decision-making by prompting reflection and enhancing objectivity. Looking ahead, she sees natural language interfaces as a game-changer for independent living. For those entering the field, her advice is to connect directly with the people they’re designing for, involving them early and often to ensure solutions are grounded in real-world needs and experiences.

Tune in to learn how assistive technologies, ethical AI, and human-centered design can reshape aging, healthcare, and independent living!