Using EXtended Reality to Support Vital Signs Measurement Training for Older Adults and Caregivers

Academic Mentor | Avinash Gupta
Community Partner | OSF Saint Francis Medical Center  

Project Description
Accurate vital sign monitoring is essential for early illness detection and chronic disease management, yet many older adults and caregivers face barriers to learning and performing these tasks. Limited access to training, digital literacy challenges, and outdated assumptions about aging and technology use can hinder adoption, even as evidence shows older adults are increasingly open to digital health tools when those tools are designed with their needs in mind.

This project explores the use of eXtended Reality (XR) to create an accessible, skills-based training system that supports older adults and care partners in learning vital sign measurement techniques. Using a single-device approach that integrates virtual reality and mixed reality, the project will develop immersive training experiences that move from foundational instruction in a distraction-free environment to simulated real-world practice with tools such as blood pressure cuffs.

Grounded in human factors principles and a participatory design approach, the project will involve older adults, caregivers, clinicians, and clinical partners in co-developing and refining the training system. Feedback from clinical experts and end users will inform iterative improvements, with the goal of creating an XR-based training experience that is usable, comfortable, and effective while challenging outdated assumptions about aging and technology use.

Role of the Community-Academic Scholar

The Community-Academic Scholar will be involved in multiple stages of this XR-based digital health research project. The scholar will support development of a needs assessment study, contribute to hierarchical task analysis, and assist with participant recruitment and data collection activities.

The scholar will engage with research participants and support activities aimed at understanding the training needs of care providers at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Additional responsibilities will include assisting with preliminary data analysis, synthesizing findings, and contributing to dissemination efforts, including presentations to the research team and clinical partners.

Through this role, the scholar will gain hands-on experience in human-centered design, immersive technology research, and community-engaged health innovation.