# Innovative web-based service platform called Adult Wellbeing CheckUp (AWC) to assess older adults  wellbeing, obtain evidence-based recommendations, and receive support to take action

> **NIH NIH R44** · BELLAGE, INC. · 2024 · $497,829

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Older adults in America are living longer, and there are more of them than at any other time in the country’s
history. U.S. adults aged 65 and older are expected to increase from 54 million in 2020 to over 80 million by
2040. Older adults are at risk for poor health in many areas of life, including physical, mental, social, and
financial health. They want to age successfully as they seek information from their health care providers and
publicly available sources. Over 40% of adults use the internet for health information, although there is mistrust
and confusion because the availability of information is generic and scattered through many different
resources. For this Fast Track SBIR project, we propose the Adult Wellbeing Checkup (AWC) - an innovative
and informative assessment and recommendation tool that will help older adults assess their wellbeing in
twelve different domains and then receive personalized guidance (based on a collectively intelligent hybrid
reasoning methodology) on how to improve wellbeing in domains that were low-scoring and want to improve.
AWC will be designed and developed by BellAge, led by Principal Investigator (PI), James Firman, in
collaboration with Yong Choi and Stephen Engels, and supported by Benten Technologies. The specific aims of
Phase I are: 1) Develop a prototype of the AWC with personalized recommendations in two of the twelve
domains from formative research; 2) Conduct a 4-week pilot with 8 older adult care partners (CPs) and 8 older
adult non-CPs from three senior centers to assess feasibility (engagement, usability, and acceptance). The
specific aims of Phase II are to 1) Modify the AWC prototype for commercialization and provide personalized
recommendations for more wellbeing domains, and 2) Conduct a randomized control trial (RCT) with 25 older
adult CPs and 25 older adult non-CPs in eight research sites examining three of the twelve domains (i.e.,
loneliness, physical health, mental health) to significantly improve engagement, self-efficacy, and wellbeing on
one or more domains.
The short-term impact will be the feasibility, acceptance, and engagement of older adults with the AWC
platform. Then, in Phase II, if successful, this study will demonstrate the development and implementation of
personalized guidance can result in behavior change among older adults. Furthermore, the assessment could
improve wellbeing measurement for state-funded programs and organizations, allowing longitudinal data
collection to prompt future funding and development. For future research, we would further develop the
platform to provide personalized recommendations for the remaining nine domains. Ultimately, this service
could be a guidance system and preventative care intervention for many aspects of life for older adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10822186
- **Project number:** 1R44AG082602-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BELLAGE, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** James P Firman
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $497,829
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-02-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10822186

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10822186, Innovative web-based service platform called Adult Wellbeing CheckUp (AWC) to assess older adults  wellbeing, obtain evidence-based recommendations, and receive support to take action (1R44AG082602-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10822186. Licensed CC0.

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