ArticleJMIR formative research2024
Insights Into the Use of a Digital Healthy Aging Coach (AGATHA) for Older Adults From Malaysia: App Engagement, Usability, and Impact Study.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Optimizing mobile app design for older adults: systematic review of age-friendly design.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Pooled it
- A Multidimensional Digital Health Platform to Support Intrinsic Capacity and Healthy Aging: Pilot Feasibility Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Toward Inclusive Design Heuristics for Digital Health Interventions for the Aging Population: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Determinants of Telehealth Adoption Among Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.JMIR aging · 2025Article
- Healthy Ageing in Malaysia by 2030: Needs, Challenges and Future Directions.The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDigital inclusion is considered a pivotal social determinant of health, particularly for older adults who may face significant barriers to digital access due to physical, sensory, and social limitations. Avatar for Global Access to Technology for Healthy Aging (AGATHA) is a virtual healthy aging coach developed by the World Health Organization to address these challenges. Designed as a comprehensive virtual coach, AGATHA comprises a gamified platform that covers multiple health-related topics and modules aimed at fostering user engagement and promoting healthy aging.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the perception and user experience of Malaysian older adults in their interactions with the AGATHA app and its avatar. The focus of this study was to examine the engagement, usability, and educational impact of the app on health literacy and digital skills.
methodsWe performed a qualitative study among adults 60 years and older from suburban and rural communities across six states in Malaysia. Participants were purposefully recruited to ensure representation across various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Each participant attended a 1-hour training session to familiarize themselves with the interface and functionalities of AGATHA. Subsequently, all participants were required to engage with the AGATHA app two to three times per week for up to 2 weeks. Upon completion of this trial phase, an in-depth interview session was conducted to gather detailed feedback on their experiences.
resultsOverall, the participants found AGATHA to be highly accessible and engaging. The content was reported to have a comprehensive structure and was delivered in an easily understandable and informative manner. Moreover, the participants found the app to be beneficial in enhancing their understanding pertaining to health-related issues in aging. Some key feedback gathered highlighted the need for increased interactive features that would allow for interaction with peers, better personalization of content tailored to the individual's health condition, and improvement in the user-experience design to accommodate older users' specific needs. Furthermore, enhancements in decision-support features within the app were suggested to better assist users in making health decisions.
conclusionsThe prototype digital health coaching program AGATHA was well received as a user-friendly tool suitable for beginners, and was also perceived to be useful to enhance older adults' digital literacy and confidence. The findings of this study offer important insights for designing other digital health tools and interventions targeting older adults, highlighting the importance of a user-centered design and personalization to improve the adoption of digital health solutions among older adults. This study also serves as a useful starting point for further development and refinement of digital health programs aimed at fostering an inclusive, supportive digital environment for older adults.
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