Mattia Pistolesi

Global population aging is one of the most critical factors in the coming decades (Eurostat, 2019). In Italy, the average age of residents, which was 32 in 1952, increased to 46.2 years at the beginning of 2022 (Istat, 2022). The overall effects of aging on the health and welfare system are considerable. Indeed, with ageing is associated with an increase in chronic pathological conditions, co-morbidities, or the inability to perform basic daily activities independently, and this leads to an increase in the care and assistance needs of the elderly. A distinctive factor of the new generation of elders is their approach to technologies, a factor that can greatly expand the pos- sibilities of access to care and assistance, communication and information services (Istat, 2019). To provide, as far as possible, the continuity of care and assistance people need, telemedicine services can ensure safe and efficient care pathways while main- taining a strong patient-physician relationship. This article presents the first results of the research conducted by the Laboratory of Ergonomics and Design (LED) of the Uni- versity of Florence as part of Spoke 3 of the project “THE - Tuscany Health Ecosystem” of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), funded by the Italian government with Next Generation EU funds - Mission 4 (Education and Research) - Component 2 “From Research to Enterprise”. The project involves the participation of 22 partners including universities, research centers and companies in the Tuscany Region, orga- nized in 10 Spokes. The goal is to develop guidelines for the design of interfaces and products for telemedicine services in digital diagnosis and therapy for neurode- generative diseases. This article will discuss the research questions, applied research methodology, results and future developments.

The rapid expansion of home health care has raised many unresolved issues and will have far-reaching consequences that can only be overcome with a holistic approach to help build and use collective intelligence in a structured, systemic way to anticipate developments. in this frame, the set of issues covered by the human factors research field will significantly impact the safety, quality, and effectiveness of home health care. however, only with a gaze of strategic foresight will we be capable of exploring, anticipating, and shaping the future. a group of researchers from the italian society of ergonomics and human Factors (SIE) has developed a road map to help all the stakeholders involved in this process.

Nowadays, health and human well-being are increasingly becoming core issues in the fields of design and architecture. Designers should focus not only on the beauty and functionality of space but also on its impact on people’s health and happiness. This study explores the importance of introducing Human-Centered Design concepts and considerations of human health and well-being into teaching human living environment design. The workshop’s primary objectives were to define and design home environments to maintain and promote health and well-being. To this end, an initial research phase based on trend research, personas, scenario-based design, and task analysis led to the definition of user needs and the context of use. Subsequently, each group discussed the results with the tutors to outline inputs and generate ideas. The article presents some case studies of home environments aimed at maintaining and promoting health and well-being. To conclude, results indicate that this teaching method significantly improves participants’ design thinking and problem-solving skills, especially when dealing with complex issues related to health and well-being. In summary, integrating health and human well-being considerations and Human-Centered Design concepts into residential environment design education can effectively improve professional skills and innovation capabilities while providing new directions for the future development of the interior design field.

One of the major challenges of aging is the decline in cognitive and physical abilities, which often necessitates temporary or continuous assistance from a caregiver. This condition frequently forces older adults to move from their own homes to residential care facilities, bringing about a radical change in daily life, both from practical-organizational and psychological-relational perspectives [1]. The objective of this project, supported by the methodological approaches of Human-Centred Design and Ergonomics for Design, was the development, integration, and testing of innovative cloud-based solutions, including a robot [2] and a wearable device [3], aimed at improving the quality of life and independence of older adults while supporting caregivers in their work. The product-service system is designed to assist socio-health operators in delivering key services, such as medication administration, cognitive and physical rehabilitation activities, recreational and leisure activities, and monitoring the health status of elderly individuals.

In recent years, there was an implementation of home care and telemedicine services to address the global aging population. In fact, as age increases, conditions of cronical diseases, co-morbidities or inability to perform daily activities independently grows (Divo et al., 2014). Therefore, the care and assistance needs of the elderly increase, and this has a major impact on both the health care system of individual states and the socio-family network, which is involved in different forms in providing and/or supporting the care of the elderly (Genet et al., 2012). This is very evident especially in countries with a high rate of elderly people such as Italy (Istat, 2023). A distinguishing feature of the current generation of older adults is an increased familiarity with new digital technologies, intended both as technological devices and as interfaces and software (Czaja et al., 2019). Therefore, such technologies can be a valuable resource to ensure effective and safe home care but also to ensure continuity of care pathways, facilitating the doctor-patient-caregiver relationship and communications (Mckinsey, 2020; Osservatorio Sanità Digitale, 2021). These are the basis for the study conducted by the authors on the most relevant home care and telemedicine services in Italy and the subsequent analysis of the Tuscan case study, which refers to the GIROT (Hospital-Territory Rapid Intervention Groups) service offered by the Careggi University Hospital, Florence. The GIROT Service, activated during the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to treat at home elderly and frail people with chronic diseases and co- morbidities, who do not find benefit from hospitalization.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, whose prevalence is expected to increase exponentially in the coming decades, negatively impacting all healthcare systems. The disease follows a chronic course, leading to a progressive loss of autonomy and self-sufficiency, with a significant negative effect on the quality of life of the person with Parkinson’s (PwP) and their family unit. This research proposal aims to improve the quality of life of PwP and their caregivers through the development of two emotional virtual scenarios to be integrated into home-based interventions, designed to enhance well-being, foster positive emotions, and potentially reduce side effects and dependence on medication.

The proliferation of new interactive, digital, and connected objects is bringing significant transformations to the world we live in, generating new ways of living and new channels for communication. The healthcare sector is one of the areas most affected by this digital revolution. From a theoretical perspective, digital health technologies can support successful aging; however, in practice, the results achieved often fall short of the expectations of older users, as the elderly population has less access to new technologies and is generally less open to innovation. The objective of Task 1.1 is to define guidelines for the design of physical and digital interfaces that promote active and healthy aging.

As in the rest of the world, the phenomenon of an ageing population is marked in Italy. Data show an increasing number of older adults in Italy, which may continue in the future, placing it among the countries with the most older adults globally. Gerontechnology (Bouma et al., 2007; Chen, 2020; van Bronswijk, 2009), a recent field of research, studies the interplay between increasing longevity and the development and application of emerging health technologies, providing solutions that can promote the well- being of older people and facilitate active and healthy ageing. However, several studies are highlighting the problems of technologies developed for older people, such as the limited fit between older people's daily lives, their needs and the available technologies (Greenhalgh et al., 2015; Sanders et al., 2012), high privacy or security concerns (Yusif et al., 2016), and the presence of economic or socio-cultural barriers on the part of older people (Wang et al., 2016). As stated by Manchester & Jarke (2022), the field of gerontechnology has been influenced by Human-Centred Design, an approach to design that places users at the centre of the design process, the overall aim of which is to design for and with end-users, meeting the acceptability, usability and User Experience requirements of artefacts through observation, empathy and active listening.

The manufacturing industry represents a highly productive sector for the Italian economy and for Tuscany. This sector provides employment to many categories of workers, including operators over 50 years of age. Demographic trends concerning the active workforce in the EU-27 indicate that the age group between 55 and 64 years will increase by approximately 16.2% between 2010 and 2030, while all other age groups are expected to decrease, ranging from 5.4% (ages 40–54) to 14.9% (ages 25–39) [1]. The International Labour Office has emphasized that the aging of the active workforce poses challenges closely related both to safeguarding health and safety conditions in the workplace and to increasing the safety and usability levels of medium- and high-complexity machinery [2].

The proliferation of new interactive, digital and connected objects is bringing about significant transformations in our world, generating new ways of living and new channels of access to communication. The healthcare sector is one of the sectors most affected by this digital revolution. Gerontechnology, a relatively recent field of research, studies the interaction between increasing longevity and the development of emerging health technologies. Therefore, from a theoretical point of view, digital health technologies can support successful ageing, but in practice, the results fall short of the expectations of elderly users, as the elderly population is less able to access new technologies and is less open to innovation. In order to limit the Grey Digital Divide, in recent years, the design of gerontechnologies has been influenced by the anthropocentric approach, a design approach that places older adults within the design process by considering them as a social resource. In this article, the authors introduce the first results of the research project “Age-It Ageing well in an ageing society”, a project funded under the National Recovery and Resilence Plan.