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1. Use of Intelligent Voice Assistants by Older Adults with Low Technology Use

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3373759  

   Pradhan, Alisha; Lazar, Amanda; Findlater, Leah (August 2020, ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction)

   Voice assistants embodied in smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Echo, Google Home) enable voice-based interaction that does not necessarily rely on expertise with mobile or desktop computing. Hence, these voice assistants offer new opportunities to different populations, including individuals who are not interested or able to use traditional computing devices such as computers and smartphones. To understand how older adults who use technology infrequently perceive and use these voice assistants, we conducted a 3-week field deployment of the Amazon Echo Dot in the homes of seven older adults. While some types of usage dropped over the 3-week period (e.g., playing music), we observed consistent usage for finding online information. Given that much of this information was health-related, this finding emphasizes the need to revisit concerns about credibility of information with this new interaction medium. Although features to support memory (e.g., setting timers, reminders) were initially perceived as useful, the actual usage was unexpectedly low due to reliability concerns. We discuss how these findings apply to other user groups along with design implications and recommendations for future work on voice-user interfaces. 

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2. An empirical study investigating the user acceptance of a virtual conversational agent interface for family health history collection among the geriatric population

   https://doi.org/10.1177/1460458220955104  

   Ponathil, Amal; Ozkan, Firat; Bertrand, Jeffrey; Agnisarman, Sruthy; Narasimha, Shraddhaa; Welch, Brandon; Chalil Madathil, Kapil (December 2020, Health Informatics Journal)

   null (Ed.)

   Critical for the early diagnosis of genetic disorders, a Family Health History (FHx) can be collected in several ways including electronic FHx tools, which aid easy editing and sharing by linking with other information management portals. The user acceptance of such systems is critical, especially among older adults experiencing motor and cognitive issues. This study investigated two types of FHx interfaces, standard and Virtual Conversational Agent (VCA), using 30 young (between 18 and 30) and 24 older participants (over 60). Workload, usability and performance data were collected. Even though participants required less time to complete three of five tasks on the standard interface, the VCA interface performed better in terms of subjective workload and usability. Additionally, 67% of the older adults preferred the VCA interface since it provided context-based guidance during the data collection process. The results from this study have implications for the use of virtual assistants in FHx and other areas of data collection. 

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3. User Study: Smart Speakers and Visual Disabilities

   Kim, Hyung Nam; Ugboya, I; Ogunmwonyi, V (May 2025, Journal on technology and persons with disabilities)

   This study investigates how individuals with visual disabilities and their sighted counterparts perceive user experiences with smart speakers. A sample of 79 participants, including 41 with visual disabilities and 38 sighted individuals, used Amazon Echo 4th Gen smart speakers. After participants used the smart speakers for one week in their daily lives, exit interviews were administered and analyzed, yielding themes of accessibility, effectiveness, enjoyment, efficiency, and privacy. Findings revealed that the voice user interfaces of smart speakers significantly enhanced accessibility and user satisfaction for those with visual disabilities, while the voice assistant Alexa contributed to fostering emotional connections. Sighted participants, while benefiting from the smart speaker's multifunctionality and efficiency, faced challenges with initial setup and advanced features. Individuals with visual disabilities raised privacy concerns. This study underscores the need for inclusive design improvements to address the diverse needs of all users. To improve user experience, future enhancements should focus on refining voice command accuracy, integrating predictive features, optimizing onboarding processes, and strengthening privacy controls. 

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4. Data Capture and Analyses from Conversational Devices in the Homes of the Elderly.

   https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34146-6_14  

   Purao, S.; Meng, C. (November 2019, Advances in Conceptual Modeling. ER 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science.)

   Guizzardi, G.; Gailly, F.; Suzana, P. (Ed.)

   Conversational devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home represent more than a way to tap into the behavioral surplus of consumers. They provide an opportunity to address societal problems by examining data streams produced by these devices. In this paper, we describe usage patterns and problems related to the use of Amazon Echo devices at home by one specific demographic: the elderly. We rely on a pilot project to collect usage data over multiple months based on deployment of these devices in the homes of eight elderly individuals who either live alone or with a spouse. The paper describes methods used to ensure confidentiality, data collection and analysis procedures, and our findings. We find that the use of conversational devices remains restricted to single commands instead of conversations, making yourself understood remains a problem, sustained use remains a challenge, and the interaction rarely goes beyond simple commands. We interpret the results, and point to the potential for such devices in the lives of the elderly, specifically for health-related problems. The paper also describes lessons learned for capture and analysis of data from such conversational devices. 

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5. Designing Intelligent Voice Assistants for Older Adults' Collaborative Care: Exploring Supportive and Non-Supportive Interactions

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3757465  

   Karimi, Pegah; Martin-Hammond, Aqueasha (October 2025, Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction)

   Intelligent voice assistants (IVAs) have the potential to facilitate health information tasks among older adults and caregivers. However, when adopting these tools, older adults face a significant challenge balancing needs for support versus values, such as privacy and control. This paper explores older adults' expectations of IVAs that support collaborative health information tasks. We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten older adult-informal caregiver dyads and nine older adults who collaborate with formal caregivers to manage their health (n=29). To identify factors that influence supportive and non-supportive interactions in caregiving relationships, we use an existing model to examine collaborative care experiences within older adult-caregiver dynamics and perceptions of emerging IVAs that support similar activities. We learned that expectations of emerging IVA interactions overlap with those within human caregiving relationships. We discuss implications for designing IVAs for collaborative health information tasks that address needs for control, trust, transparency, and personability and the need to further explore designing for support versus care. 

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