Assessing the acceptability of a sleep-targeted digital intervention among geriatric inpatients: A preliminary study

Background Sleep complaints are a major concern for the aging population. Insomnia affects quality of life, and is associated with unfavorable geriatric outcomes. Digital technologies offer promising perspectives to assess and support various health conditions, including for the older adults. Among them, the KANOPEE app, a smartphone-based virtual autonomous conversational agent, has been validated in general adult population for insomnia assessment and behavioral interventions. This research primarily aimed to assess the acceptability of the KANOPEE application for evaluating insomnia in older adults. The secondary objective aimed to identify the determinants influencing the acceptability of the app. Methods This cross-sectional study included geriatric department inpatients aged 70 or older, undergoing a standardized interview with the app, addressing sleep complaints. Acceptability was assessed using the Acceptability E-Scale (AES) and ECA Trust Questionnaire (ETQ). Sociodemographic and geriatric data were collected for multivariate linear regression analysis to assess determinants of acceptability scores. Results Fifty inpatients were included (mean age: 85.8 years, men: 48%), 40% declaring a novice level of familiarity with technology. Insomnia Severity Index mean score was of 8.2, with significant clinical insomnia for 12%. The KANOPEE app showed good acceptability on AES and ETQ scales (respectively 22/30 and 18/24). Familiarity with technology increased credibility in the app (β = 1.5, CI [0.1, 2.9]). Acceptability increased with multimorbidity score (β = 1.5, CI [0.1, 2.2]), and decreased with hearing impairment (β = 1.5, CI [−10.6, −2.8]). Higher depression score decreased trust in the app (β = −0.7, CI [−0.9, −0.4). Conclusion This preliminary investigation confirms that older adults can use autonomous virtual agent based applications to quantify their sleep complaints. Understanding and tailoring the unique needs of older users are paramount for successful digital interventions. Further research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings and assess the broader impact of digital apps in a larger sample.