Technology tools to help older adults manage health information and finances with digital assistants
Official title: Project 3: Technology Tools for Cognitive Support for Health Management Activities for Aging Adults with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11377276 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project to build and test intelligent digital helpers that assist adults 65 and older (including those with mild cognitive impairment) in gathering, organizing, and acting on health information and Medicare-related tasks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $540,255 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AG073090-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377276 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 65 and older, including those with Mild Cognitive Impairment or lower SES.
✕Less likely to help
The tools may not reduce cognitive load for some users or those with advanced dementia.
What this research studies
As an older adult, you may struggle to juggle health information from many online sources. This project creates easy-to-use digital assistant tools to support three common tasks: finding health services, managing healthcare finances, and using Medicare.gov tools. The team will study what helps or hinders diverse seniors in using these tools, then build highly usable assistants that adapt to different health tasks. Finally, they will compare the digital assistants to usual tools to see if they improve how people manage health information and tasks. The work combines expertise in AI and aging to make health management easier and more reliable for older adults, including those with MCI and lower SES.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tools could make health information easier to access and manage, reducing cognitive strain and improving decision-making for older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Past work shows potential benefits of user-friendly digital aids, but this project tests tailored assistants in real-world aging populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sharit, Joseph — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Sharit, Joseph
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.