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Usability Concerns and Design Solutions in Mobile Health Applications for Older Adults

Journal of ICT Research and Applications (JICTRA) · Vol. 19 No. 3 (2026) · pp. 255–274

DOI
10.5614/itbj.ict.res.appl.2026.19.3.3
ISSN
2338-5499, 2337-5787
Published
2026-05-12
Publisher
DRI - ITB
Language
eng

Abstract

Mobile health applications (mHealth) are known for their potential to enhance health delivery and improve health outcomes for older adults. However, despite their broad potential, significant usability concerns persist among older adults, preventing them from gaining advantages from mHealth and hindering their adoption. This paper critically examines the key usability concerns older adults face when interacting with mHealth. This research adhered to the PRISMA guidelines in the process of retrieving and selecting articles, resulting in the review and analysis of 117 articles published between 2014 and 2024. The results highlight several prevalent usability concerns, including complex navigation, overwhelming instructions, inadequate feedback mechanisms, and limited personalization options, which overlook the diverse needs of older users. Furthermore, this study identified design solutions to address these concerns, including straightforward navigation, clear instructions, and consistent layout/design tailored to older adults. Moreover, this paper established a visual representation that maps identified usability challenges to corresponding design solutions, serving as a valuable resource for researchers, designers, and developers working on mobile health applications for older adults. Integrating these solutions into the development process can significantly improve user experience and increase engagement in health interventions.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

5 authors · 10 co-authorship links · 6 across different organisations

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  • National University of Malaysia
  • Dublin City University
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
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Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journals.itb.ac.id/index.php/jictra/oai, first harvested 26 Okt 2026, last seen 26 Okt 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en-US">Usability Concerns and Design Solutions in Mobile Health Applications for Older Adults</dc:title>
	<dc:creator>Othman, Shuhadah</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Mohamad Ali, Nazlena </dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Lee, Hyowon </dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Smeaton, Alan F.</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Sahrani, Shafrida </dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">interface design</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">mobile applications</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">mHealth</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">older adults</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">usability</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en-US">Mobile health applications (mHealth) are known for their potential to enhance health delivery and improve health outcomes for older adults. However, despite their broad potential, significant usability concerns persist among older adults, preventing them from gaining advantages from mHealth and hindering their adoption. This paper critically examines the key usability concerns older adults face when interacting with mHealth. This research adhered to the PRISMA guidelines in the process of retrieving and selecting articles, resulting in the review and analysis of 117 articles published between 2014 and 2024. The results highlight several prevalent usability concerns, including complex navigation, overwhelming instructions, inadequate feedback mechanisms, and limited personalization options, which overlook the diverse needs of older users. Furthermore, this study identified design solutions to address these concerns, including straightforward navigation, clear instructions, and consistent layout/design tailored to older adults. Moreover, this paper established a visual representation that maps identified usability challenges to corresponding design solutions, serving as a valuable resource for researchers, designers, and developers working on mobile health applications for older adults. Integrating these solutions into the development process can significantly improve user experience and increase engagement in health interventions.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en-US">DRI - ITB</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-05-12</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
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	<dc:type xml:lang="en-US">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/octet-stream</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journals.itb.ac.id/index.php/jictra/article/view/24462</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.5614/itbj.ict.res.appl.2026.19.3.3</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en-US">Journal of ICT Research and Applications; Vol. 19 No. 3 (2026); 255-274</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2338-5499</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2337-5787</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.5614/itbj.ict.res.appl.2026.19.3</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journals.itb.ac.id/index.php/jictra/article/view/24462/7373</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en-US">Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of ICT Research and Applications</dc:rights>
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