Factors Predicting Decisions About Technology Adoption Among Older Adults

Berkowsky, Ronald W.; Sharit, Joseph; Czaja, Sara J.

doi:10.1093/geroni/igy002

Cited by 195 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…However, studies have documented that the usage of technology is low in older adults [23], especially compared with younger age groups [24], and the major reasons for using technology in the elderly are email communication, search engines, text processing, and Web-based shopping [25]. The acceptance and usage of mobile and connected technology in the elderly are determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to person-related, technology-related, and contextual barriers [26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile and Connected Health Technology Needs for Older Adults Aging in Place: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Wang

Coleman

et al. 2019

JMIR Aging

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Background An increasing number of mobile and wearable devices are available in the market. However, the extent to which these devices can be used to assist older adults to age in place remains unclear. Objective This study aimed to assess older adults’ perceptions of using mobile and connected health technologies. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 51 participants were recruited from a senior community center. Demographics and usage of mobile or wearable devices and online health communities were collected using a survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics assessed usage of devices and online health communities. The Fisher exact test was used to examine the relationship between technology usage and having access to a smartphone. Results The sample was primarily comprised non-Hispanic white (35/51, 69%), educated (39/51, 76% any college), and female (36/51, 71%) participants, with an average age of 70 (SD 8) years. All participants were insured and nearly all lived at home (49/51, 94%). A total of 86% (44/51) of the participants had heard of wearable health devices, but only 18 out of 51 (35%) had ever used them. Over 80% (42/51) expressed interest in using such devices and were interested in tracking exercise and physical activity (46/51, 90%), sleep (38/51, 75%), blood pressure (34/51, 67%), diet (31/51, 61%), blood sugar (28/51, 55%), weight (26/51, 51%), and fall risk (23/51, 45%). The greatest concerns about using wearable devices were cost (31/51, 61%), safety (14/51, 28%), and privacy (13/51, 26%); one-fourth (12/51) reported having no concerns. They were mostly interested in sharing data from mobile and connected devices with their health care providers followed by family, online communities, friends, and no one. About 41% (21/51) of the older adults surveyed reported having ever heard of an online health community, and roughly 40% (20/51) of the participants reported being interested in joining such a community. Most participants reported having access to a smartphone (38/51, 74%), and those with such access were significantly more likely to show interest in using a wearable health device ( P <.001) and joining an online health community ( P =.05). Conclusions Our findings suggest that, although few older adults are currently using mobile and wearable devices and connected health technologies for managing health, they are open to this idea and are mostly interested in sharing such data with their health care providers. Further studies are warranted to explore strategies to balance the data sharing preference of older adults and how to best integrate mobile and wearable device data with clinical workflow for health care providers to promote healthy aging in place.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile and Connected Health Technology Needs for Older Adults Aging in Place: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Wang

Coleman

et al. 2019

JMIR Aging

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“…This might partly reflect the fact that the elderly of today have less experience of using technology than future groups will have and that it is this not only age per se that is hindering the use of ICT. A recent study investigated what might affect the adoption of different technologies (not only ICT) in the elderly, and a factor that seemed important was the perceived value [33]. A reflection in relation to this is that, what may be seen as valuable, might also reflect general experience and expectations concerning ICT, and this in turn could be affected by age in today’s elderly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Information and Communication Technology as Support for Family Members of Persons With Heart Failure: Qualitative Study

Allemann¹,

Thylén²,

Ågren³

et al. 2019

J Med Internet Res

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Background Heart failure (HF) affects not only the person diagnosed with the syndrome but also family members, who often have the role of informal carers. The needs of these carers are not always met, and information and communications technology (ICT) could have the potential to support them in their everyday life. However, knowledge is lacking about how family members perceive ICT and see opportunities for this technology to support them. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of ICT solutions as supportive aids among family members of persons with HF. Methods A qualitative design was applied. A total of 8 focus groups, comprising 23 family members of persons affected by HF, were conducted between March 2015 and January 2017. Participants were recruited from 1 hospital in Sweden. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to find family members of persons with symptomatic HF from diverse backgrounds. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis revealed 4 categories and 9 subcategories. The first category, about how ICT could provide relevant support, included descriptions of how ICT could be used for communication with health care personnel, for information and communication retrieval, plus opportunities to interact with persons in similar life situations and to share support with peers and extended family. The second category, about how ICT could provide access, entailed how ICT could offer solutions not bound by time or place and how it could be both timely and adaptable to different life situations. ICT could also provide an arena for family members to which they might not otherwise have had access. The third category concerned how ICT could be too impersonal and how it could entail limited personal interaction and individualization, which could lead to concerns about usability. It was emphasized that ICT could not replace physical meetings. The fourth category considered how ICT could be out of scope, reflecting the fact that some family members were generally uninterested in ICT and had difficulties envisioning how it could be used for support. It was also discussed as more of a solution for the future. Conclusions Family members described multiple uses for ICT and agreed that ICT could provide access to relevant sources of information from which family members could potentially exchange support. ICT was also considered to have its limitations and was out of scope for some but with expected use in the future. Even though some family members seemed hesitant about ICT solutions in general, this might not mean they are unreceptive to suggestions about their usage in, for example, health care. Thus, a variety of factors should be considered to facilitate future implementations of ICT tools in clinical practice.

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“…Through social isolation younger generations can keep in touch with friends and family through technology and social media. A lack of IT skills may be noticeable in older generations and some remain internet naïve, especially those with poor financial status and a lower educational level (Vaportzis et al, 2017, Berkowsky et al, 2018. It is important that where older adults are socially isolated that they are assisted with accessing means of staying in contact with family members and friends and this is likely to be the most effective method in improving an individuals mental health during Covid-19 isolation (Cotton et al, 2013).…”

Section: Social Aspects Including Environmental Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biopsychopharmacosocial approach to assess impact of social distancing and isolation on mental health in older adults

Baker

Clark

2020

Br J Community Nurs

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It is impossible to predict or comprehend the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The UK Government's advice for vulnerable people, including older adults, to move towards self-isolation and social distancing is likely to reduce rates of transmission, the risk of severe illness and the impact on the acute health services. Although justified and necessary, this process of isolation is likely to have a negative impact on the mental health of these vulnerable groups, especially older people. It will become increasingly important for community health professionals to assess subtle changes in older persons' mental health, as the duration of this period of isolation remains unclear. The biopsychopharmacosocial model provides one method of assessing mental health and planning health and social care needs. This article hopes to guide community health professionals through the specifics of this assessment model in relation to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Factors Predicting Decisions About Technology Adoption Among Older Adults

Cited by 195 publications

References 36 publications

Mobile and Connected Health Technology Needs for Older Adults Aging in Place: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Mobile and Connected Health Technology Needs for Older Adults Aging in Place: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Perceptions of Information and Communication Technology as Support for Family Members of Persons With Heart Failure: Qualitative Study

Biopsychopharmacosocial approach to assess impact of social distancing and isolation on mental health in older adults

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