Optimizing digital drug information formats for older adults: An eye-tracking study on performance and user experience

Objective The study seeks to examine the behavioral performance (time and accuracy), physiological responses (eye movement metrics), and user experience (comfort, usability, and emotion) associated with different digital drug-information formats (text-only, dynamic image-text, and static image-text) among older adults. Methods A between-subjects experiment (N=48) was conducted, and data were gathered and examined through an integration of eye-tracking methodologies, questionnaires, and behavioral measurements. Results The study’s results showed that different formats of digital drug information significantly affected older adults’ performance and experience (p < 0.05). Specifically, static image-text formats were more effective than text-only formats and dynamic image-text formats, as measured by efficiency, cognitive load (indicated by shorter fixation times), and user satisfaction. Older adults with different educational levels preferred the static image-text format among the three types, and this format effectively bridged the performance gap caused by educational differences. In addition, eye-tracking data further revealed that the static image-text format minimizes extraneous cognitive load, thereby improving older adults’ recognition, accuracy, and user experience of drug information. Conclusion These findings provide practical design guidelines for inclusive digital health interfaces, effectively improving the accuracy and safety of drug usage in older adults.