Challenges and lessons learned from implementing longitudinal studies for self-care technology assessment

Whilst literature is rich in lessons learned from recruitment and retention of participants in longitudinal studies, papers sharing practical experience of implementing such studies with or about ICT are lacking. We discuss the challenges and lessons learned in four longitudinal studies with older adults and chronic disease patients for the assessment of self-care technology. Despite apparently prosaic, everyday challenges and potential threats to studies with non-mainstream audiences may be hard to anticipate. A reflection by the researchers leading these studies led to three main themes associated to studies' timelines, which are described with practical examples.