{"134791":{"#nid":"134791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches HomeLab to Help Companies Evaluate In-Home Use of Emerging Health Technologies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBaby boomers have witnessed many technological innovations, and they expect technology to provide them with solutions to help maintain their independence for as long as possible. They are outfitting their homes with products to help them live healthy lifestyles, manage chronic conditions, remember to take medications and remain connected with their caregivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help companies evaluate baby boomers\u2019 perceptions, use and acceptance of home health and wellness technologies, the Georgia Institute of Technology has launched \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/homelab.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EHomeLab\u003C\/a\u003E. HomeLab is a statewide network of adults 50 years of age and older recruited to evaluate the in-home usability and effectiveness of consumer products designed for the aging adult population.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHomeLab currently consists of 100 homes distributed throughout the state of Georgia; the network is expected to grow to 150 homes later this year and 550 homes by 2014.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy wife and I are in generally good health and are interested in assisting homebound citizens by evaluating new innovations for their independent living. We want to be part of the solution for this excellent challenge,\u201d said Ivan Cottrell. Cottrell signed up to be a HomeLab participant with his wife, Judy, who was a home health nurse in Florida and witnessed many seniors struggling to stay in their own homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe HomeLab infrastructure lessens the burden for companies that need to find participants 50 years of age and older for extended in-home product testing. Because Georgia Tech collects detailed information about each HomeLab participant\u2019s health and home up front, individuals can be rapidly recruited for targeted short- and long-term product testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHomeLab provides an efficient means for companies to limit the cost of extensive user testing that is required to bring a product to market,\u201d said Brad Fain, director of HomeLab and a principal research scientist in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). \u201cEvaluation of a pre-market or mature technology by Georgia Tech\u2019s HomeLab will provide a company with documented evidence for marketing, regulatory compliance and product design.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI has a history of helping companies evaluate and improve the design of consumer products and currently serves as the independent product testing organization for the U.S. Arthritis Foundation, the Arthritis Society of Canada and Arthritis Australia. If a product passes GTRI\u2019s rigorous ease-of-use testing, the company that created the product can use the arthritis organization\u2019s logo in its advertisements and on its packaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor this work, GTRI recruits users to test a variety of consumer products -- medicine bottles, beverage containers, office supplies, medical devices, vehicles and cell phones -- in its Accessibility Evaluation Facility for at most a few hours.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the launch of HomeLab, GTRI will expand its product testing program to include extended in-home product evaluations, which will range from one month to one year in duration and involve 25 to 125 participants who are compensated for their time. HomeLab will provide companies with product design support, early product testing, and formal usability and effectiveness evaluations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is important that companies obtain consumer feedback on products as early as possible in the design process and HomeLab can facilitate an early connection with target populations to evaluate design concepts or early prototypes,\u201d noted Fain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your company has a health-related product it would like to test using the HomeLab network, or if you\u2019re 50 years or older, live in the Atlanta area or surrounding communities, and are interested in participating in this program, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/homelab.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/homelab.gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo help companies evaluate baby boomers\u2019 perceptions, use and acceptance of home health and wellness technologies, Georgia Tech has launched\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/homelab.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EHomeLab\u003C\/a\u003E. HomeLab is a statewide network of adults 50 years of age and older recruited to evaluate the in-home usability and effectiveness of consumer products designed for the aging adult population.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech launched HomeLab to help companies evaluate the in-home use of emerging health technologies designed for the aging adult population."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-06-12 07:47:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:22","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176","name":"aging"},{"id":"35651","name":"Aging Population"},{"id":"35661","name":"Baby Boomer"},{"id":"35611","name":"Brad Fain"},{"id":"35681","name":"Consumer Product"},{"id":"415","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"35671","name":"Health Care Technology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}