Construction and Evaluation of an Information-Sharing Environment Using Cloud Storage Service for Community Welfare Supporters

With the progress of Information Communication Technology (ICT), many studies investigate the use of ICT in the community. Community welfare services have become increasingly important due to the population's aging. In this study, we investigated the issues of community welfare supporters and constructed an information sharing environment applying cloud storage service and tablets. In this environment, each community welfare supporter possesses a tablet that enables them to share and utilize information in their daily work. As a feasibility study field, the Aoi School District of Higashi-ward in Nagoya was chosen. We investigated the issues with which typical community welfare supporters, called "Minseiiin," are struggling and proposed that information be shared among them. We then implemented the information-sharing process. Through experiments, we witnessed some occasions when the Minseiiinn uploaded and shared information. We evaluated the usability of the information-sharing environment through a tablet trial session held in the Aoi School District, once a month.