SBIR-STTR Award

This Phase I SBIR proposal submitted by Potluck LLC (Philadelphia, PA) requests funds to develop over the course of 9 months an online social engagement platform (Potluck) for adults aged 70 and older, including individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The long-term goal is to benefit health outcomes, such as survival and the mitigation of dementia, which are affected by social engagement or lack thereof. Older adults are at risk of social isolation, and therefore, negative health and quality-of-life outcomes. Potluck’s existing platform connects people from across the country and world over shared interests in a live, small group video conversation. In distinct contrast to existing social media and online chat, dating, or meet-up apps, Potluck connects people automatically and virtually for an in-depth, meaningful conversation on topics they are passionate about. No exchange of private information or physical meeting is required. Users of different ages, including older adults, have reported positive experiences using Potluck. Our prior research has shown that older adults with and without MCI are interested in and will use computer technology and the Internet for personal enjoyment; however, they have unique socialization needs and technology design requirements that are rarely accommodated. In collaboration with experts in human factors, aging, and cognitive decline at UIUC, Potluck proposes to test and optimize its platform, and to assess social engagement benefits in seniors with and without MCI. In Aim 1, facilitators and barriers to the adoption of Potluck in older adults with and without MCI (aged 70-85) will be identified by interviewing them before and after seeing the existing platform and having them react to core platform features (Study 1, N=24). This, plus a heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthrough by experts, will inform user-needs and re-design requirements that will be implemented and iteratively tested in Aim 2 (Study 2, N=12). Each platform iteration (at least three iterations) will be presented to two cognitively intact older adults and two older adults with MCI to identify and minimize use challenges. In Aim 3, the new, optimized platform will be installed in the homes of older adults with and without MCI (Study 3, N=12) who will use and experience it for four weeks. Pre-post measurements of social connectedness, loneliness, isolation, belonging, mattering, and quality of life will explore potential benefits. In addition, technology acceptance, usability, and usage patterns will determine the feasibility of Potluck in the proposed user populations. Potluck’s commercial potential will be enhanced by the successful completion of this project, and is already substantial given partnerships with civic, academic, and financial institutions. In Phase II, product refinements would be implemented based on Phase I learnings as well as sufficiently-powered study protocols with proper controls to address effects on health and quality of life in older adults, with and without MCI. In Phase III, Potluck would pursue commercialization objectives, as well as perhaps a large randomized controlled trial will need to determine long-term clinical health benefits including dementia risk mitigation.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE This research and product development delivers a novel social engagement technology for older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that is tailored to their needs, abilities, and interests, and will connect them to others in an accessible way, thereby stimulating social connectedness and a sense of purpose, which has been found beneficial to health and quality-of-life outcomes for older adults.

Project Terms:
Address; Adoption; Adult; Affect; Age; aged; Aging; base; Case Study; Clinical; Cognitive; Collaborations; commercialization; Computers; Country; Dementia; design; Development; Disease Progression; Elderly; Evaluation; expectation; experience; fictional works; Frequencies; Funding; Goals; Health; Health Benefit; heuristics; Home environment; Human; Illinois; Impaired cognition; Impairment; Individual; Institution; interest; Internet; Interview; iterative design; Laboratories; Learning; Loneliness; Measurement; meetings; mild cognitive impairment; mortality; Neurocognition; new technology; novel; Outcome; Pattern; Phase; Philadelphia; Population; preference; Privatization; product development; Protocols documentation; Quality of life; Randomized Controlled Trials; Reporting; Research; research and development; Research Design; Risk; risk mitigation; Sampling; satisfaction; Schedule; simulation; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; social; social engagement; Social Interaction; Social isolation; social media; Social support; Socialization; Structure; System; Technology; Testing; Time; Universities; usability; virtual

This Phase II SBIR proposal submitted by Potluck LLC (Philadelphia, PA) requests funds to expand and rigorously test over 2 years an online social engagement platform (OneClick) for adults aged 65-85, including those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The long-term goal is to benefit health outcomes, such as survival and the mitigation of dementia, which are affected by social engagement or lack thereof. Older adults are at risk of social isolation, and therefore, negative health and quality-of-life outcomes. The existing OneClick platform connects people in different locations over shared interests in a live, small-group, video conversation. In distinct contrast to existing social media and online chat, dating, or meet-up apps, OneClick connects people online for in-depth, meaningful conversation on topics they are passionate about. No exchange of private information or physical meeting is required. Our prior research has shown older adults with and without MCI are interested in and will use computer technology and internet for personal enjoyment; however, they have unique socialization needs and technology design requirements that are rarely accommodated. In collaboration with experts in human factors, aging, and cognitive decline at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, we tested and redesigned the OneClick platform in our Phase I SBIR to establish feasibility, usability, and social engagement benefits for older adults with and without MCI. In Phase II, the same team in partnership with Home- and Community-Based Organizations (HCBOs) proposes to establish OneClick’s efficacy, scalability, and market readiness. In Aim 1A, the OneClick platform, intervention content, and implementation protocols will be finalized based on Phase I learnings. This will prepare for Aim 1B, a 12-week randomized controlled trial to rigorously assess efficacy of the OneClick intervention; 120 older adults with and without MCI (60 each) will be randomized to the OneClick intervention group or the Wait-listed control group. The intervention group will use OneClick for 12 weeks, while the Wait-listed control group will receive no intervention. Both groups will complete assessments at week 6 and week 12. Subsequently, participants in the Wait-listed control group will then start using OneClick for 12 weeks of intervention, with assessments after 6 and 12 weeks. Pre-post assessments will determine effects on social engagement, quality of life, acceptance, and subjective stress. In Aim 2A, the team will partner with HCBOs to develop an online dashboard for OneClick Intervention implementation and program evaluation. This will prepare for Aim 2B, which will assess scalability by evaluating whether OneClick can be readily implemented by an HCBO to support social engagement among independently living older adults with and without MCI affiliated with their organization. The deliverable is a rigorously designed social engagement technology and program tailored to the needs, abilities, and interests of older adults with and without MCI, and the HCBOs that serve them. Upon completion of this work, OneClick will be ready for commercialization around the U.S.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE This research and product development delivers a rigorously designed social engagement technology (OneClick) for older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI); the home- and community-based organizations that serve them; and that is tailored to their needs, abilities, and interests. OneClick connects people with shared interests in an accessible way, thereby stimulating social connectedness, which is beneficial to health and quality-of-life outcomes for older adults.

Project Terms:
Adoption; Adult; Affect; Age; aged; Aging; Alzheimer's Disease; Alzheimer's disease related dementia; base; Categories; Clinical Trials; Collaborations; commercialization; Communities; Computers; Control Groups; dashboard; Data Reporting; Dementia; design; Development; Disease Progression; efficacy testing; Elderly; Ensure; Evaluation; Event; Feedback; Funding; Goals; group intervention; Health; Health Benefit; Home environment; Human; Illinois; Impaired cognition; improved; Independent Living; Individual; interest; Internet; Intervention; Learning; Location; Manuals; Measures; meetings; mild cognitive impairment; mobile application; mortality; novel; Organizational Objectives; Outcome; Participant; Phase; Philadelphia; Preparation; primary outcome; Privacy; Privatization; product development; Program Evaluation; programs; Protocols documentation; Quality Control; Quality of life; Randomized; Randomized Controlled Trials; Readiness; Research; research and development; Resources; response; Risk; satisfaction; Security; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; social; social engagement; Social Interaction; Social isolation; social media; Social support; Socialization; Standardization; Stress; stress reduction; System; Technology; Testing; Training; Training Programs; Universities; usability; Waiting Lists; Work