The Oregon Center for Aging and Technology (ORCATECH) at the Oregon Health & Science University is conducting a research study on independent aging, using technology. They are looking to use the expertise and experience of (mostly) retired engineers and related professionals to participate in an on-going, six to ten month Internet-based communication forum on subjects pertinent to in-home health monitoring technology. They are looking for 100-200 people to volunteer. Read the study flyer here.

To find out more and sign up to participate, go to http://juno.orcatech.org/EHS. Details on the study are below.

Introduction to the Engineers Health Study

Oregon Health & Science University is a leading health and research university that strives for excellence in patient care, education, research and community service.

With roots back to 1887, OHSU has a long and outstanding history of dedication to improving the health and well-being of people in Oregon and beyond. As a nonprofit public corporation OHSU provides world-class knowledge for the most complex, and the most common of health care needs. Without OHSU, many Oregonians would have to travel out of the region for their care.

OHSU also provides leading and often world-renowned educational services through its five schools, and is the only place in Oregon that grants doctoral degrees in medicine, dentistry and nursing. And OHSU is the only academic health center in the nation with a school of science and engineering focused exclusively on human and environmental health." (OHSU "About Us" web page).

OHSU has many research centers and institutes. The Oregon Roybal Center for Aging and Technology (ORCATECH, http://www.orcatech.org/) focus is on successful aging with technology. This center develops new technologies to enhance quality of life and health of the elderly populations. The Center addresses, particularly, issues of mobility and decline in cognitive function, and will continue its highly innovative approaches using unobtrusive home monitoring and translation of new technologies for improved health.

Aims
The overall objective of this one-year NIH-funded project is to establish a cohort of new participants who can inform and advise ORCATECH about how technology may best be used to facilitate independent aging. The project will develop a social network among engineers and other related professionals. We anticipate most of the participants will be retired, but this is not a requirement for participation.  We will provide background material and structured inquiry on the networking site, as well as a discussion board. We will systematically evaluate the content of the informative interactions provided by participants.

The results will provide insight into the use of technologies for aging, coming from the perspectives of individuals likely to understand the pros and cons of technology use and its application in everyday life.

Background
Most information about in-home monitoring technologies use and preferences is derived from surveys, focus groups or interviews of seniors.  There are limitations to these strategies. Focus groups provide in-depth data, but from small samples which may not be representative of the cohort of interest.  Also, perceptions among older adults may be limited by their knowledge and propensities to use technology.  These groups may not accurately represent the future aging population who will benefit from new innovations currently being developed.

The Engineers Health Study (EHS) builds on ORCATECH’s experience with testing devices and methods in the field. EHS will draw on the expertise and experience of (mostly) retired engineers and related professionals through an on-going, six to ten month Internet-based communication forum on subjects pertinent to in-home health monitoring technology.

Strategy
We hope to develop this cohort and discussion participants in collaboration with organizations that serve technically skilled older adults, including the IEEE, the Intel Retirees Association and Engineers Without Borders. ORCATECH regards the members of these groups as a valuable resource for advancing the future of independent aging.

To find out more and sign up to participate, go to http://juno.orcatech.org/EHS .