Abstract
Background: Social isolation is a lack of regular social contacts that often negatively impacts well-being. The literature on recreational activities for addressing social isolation in older adults offers a variety of activities with different effectiveness levels, but it does so without concrete goals or decision methods to recommend them. Goal: This paper proposes a prototype for ℞OSI, a web-based decision support tool that aims to support independent living staff in identifying, assessing, evaluating, and recommending (prescribing) activities to improve the social engagement of residents. Methodology: The Design Science Research Methodology is used for the prototype development, and qualitative methods from social sciences were adapted for requirements elicitation. Data from 20 podcasts on preventing social isolation in older adults was analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. The results were used to complement the information extracted from a literature review to develop input questions, underlying logic, and outputs. Results: ℞OSI is built on Social Exchange Theory and the prototype was developed using open-source software (Pencil). ℞OSI is designed for independent living in North America. ℞OSI's input questions cover important aspects related to demographics, social engagement levels, interests, and accommodation needs. ℞OSI's outputs cover (1) baseline classification of an individual based on engagement levels, (2) confirmation of the user goal, (3) recommended recreational activities, benefits, steps, frequencies, and preparation checklists, and (4) reminders for individuals who use assistive technologies so that they can be prepared for their recreational activities. The underlying logic for recommending recreational activities aims to increase social engagement in an incremental manner. Future Directions: This is a work in progress and the prototype will be tested with older adults and experts in the field.