Design and Usability of a Smart Home Sensor Data User Interface for a Clinical and Research Audience

Motion, bed, and gait analysis sensors are installed in the homes of seniors and monitored continuously for the purpose of detecting early signs of health change and functional decline. Automated health alerts are sent to clinical staff as part of a clinical decision support system. Embedded in each health alert is a link to a web interface for interactively displaying the sensor data patterns. The health alerts facilitate early interventions; however, the design and usability of the web interface greatly affect the effectiveness of the clinical decision support system. Here, we present the analysis and redesign of the interactive web-based interface for displaying the in-home sensor data. The current design is analyzed for inconsistencies and potential user frustrations, and a new design is proposed to correct these problems.