Needs and Preferences of Elderly Patients Regarding Ambient Assisted Living Systems: a Latent Profile Analysis

The requirements for the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) systems are influenced by individual needs, preferences, and expectations. Due to the fact that elderly patients have different attitudes towards using new technology, their profiles may not necessarily show equal needs, interests, and preferences. To investigate this heterogeneity, the study aimed to identify groups with distinct preferential profiles in a sample of elderly patients. Data gathered by questionnaire in the vINCI project were used in a Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). Composite variables related to needs, preferences, and expectations were used to characterize the profiles. Results showed that the two-profile model was the best fit and indicated a high degree of classification accuracy. The two profiles significantly differed from each other. The findings of this study underline the relevance of examining the differences between patients’ needs and preferences and emphasize the importance of considering the patterns of different types of needs and preferences for AAL technology, an area that needs further research. The results were used to develop requirements for the vINCI system.