Study Description

Attachment I. Study Description

Older Adult Mobility Ride Share (OAMRS) Study Description

NORC at the University of Chicago – a not-for-profit research organization at the University of Chicago – is conducting a study of the barriers and facilitators of older adult use of ride share services. NORC is conducting this study on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This study will collect information from older and younger adults who are users and non-users of ride share services to understand their experiences with these services. The purposes of this project are three-fold:

1. Describe currently available U.S. ride share services, including services specifically for older adults and services that include older adults as part of their service population;

2. Understand older adult attitudes and beliefs toward using these services; and

3. Compare older adult attitudes and beliefs to a group of younger (age <65 years) adults.

Study participants include users and non-users of ride share services. Ride share services are for-profit or not-for-profit companies or organizations that provide transportation to people using a private automobile. Examples include a privately owned car, van, truck, or sport utility vehicle. Ride share services include volunteer driver programs, and companies such as Uber, Lyft, and ITN, for example. Ride share services do not include public transportation or rides provided by a commercial van, bus, or taxi. They also do not include rides provided by a friend or family member.

NORC will conduct focus groups with older adults (aged 65+) and younger adults (aged 25 to 39), and interviews with older adults (aged 65+) and younger adults (aged 18 to 64), to discuss their experiences and perspectives.

Given that ride share services are a promising mechanism for promoting older adult health and wellbeing by improving mobility, it is imperative to understand the barriers and facilitators of their use. This study will help CDC to understand older and younger adults' use of ride share services and to identify strategies for meeting older adults' transportation needs.