의료 접근성 불평등 해소를 위한 고령자용 비대면 키오스크 하드웨어 디자인 연구 = Research on the Kiosk Hardware Design for Aging People who has Inequality in Access to Healthcare

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background: Changes in demographic structure and the concentration of healthcare services in metropolitan areas have widened the medical accessibility gap between urban and rural regions. Elderly individuals in remote areas often face significant barriers to healthcare access. This study proposes a telemedicine kiosk system with a user-friendly hardware PUI (Physical User Interface) to address these challenges. By placing kiosks in senior centers, public institutions, and community hubs, the system aims to improve accessibility and usability, enabling older adults in underserved areas to regularly access medical services.
Methods: This study examined the physical characteristics of elderly participants and analyzed their experiences with current telemedicine systems through a journey map. By identifying key issues in the existing telemedicine approach, the research highlighted the necessity of kiosk hardware design. A heuristic evaluation, considering the physical needs of elderly users, was conducted to establish guidelines for kiosk dimensions and types most suitable for them. Based on these findings, an improved kiosk design and a proposal for an enhanced telemedicine system are presented.
Results: This study analyzed the major barriers faced by elderly individuals when using telemedicine systems. It confirmed that hardware design considering physical limitations plays a crucial role in enhancing medical accessibility. The research found that incorporating physical buttons alongside touch screens and designing kiosks with adjustable screen height and angle significantly improves usability for the elderly. Additionally, the integration of a pedestal with the kiosk was proposed as a practical solution to address spatial constraints. These hardware improvements are expected to facilitate easier access to digital medical services for elderly users.
Conclusion: This study explores the potential to address healthcare accessibility inequalities by improving the hardware design of telemedicine systems for older adults. A user-centered kiosk design tailored to individuals with physical constraints significantly enhanced usability, with an adjustable screen emerging as a key feature. Furthermore, the concept of a desk-mounted stand contributed to overcoming spatial limitations in hardware design. These design solutions are expected to facilitate easier access to digital healthcare services for elderly users and contribute to improved healthcare accessibility in the future.