Understanding Older People's Readiness for Receiving Telehealth: Mixed-Method Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Dutch Ministry of Health aims to increase telehealth adoption, shifting from 93% face-to-face care.
• Telehealth implementation raises questions about older adults' readiness for digital healthcare.
• A theoretical framework identified 6 factors influencing technology use intention in older populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess community-dwelling older adults' readiness for telehealth services.
• To investigate intention to use videoconferencing as an indicator of telehealth readiness.
• To evaluate capacities for using digital technology in daily life among older adults.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-method triangulation design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.
• Phase 1: Cross-sectional survey (n=256, aged ≥65) analyzing a theoretical framework via multilevel path analysis.
• Phase 2: Qualitative home-based observations (n=15, aged 65-87) of older adults performing technological tasks.

Main Results:

• Older adults' intention to use videoconferencing was predicted by performance expectancy (OR 1.26), effort expectancy (OR 1.23), and perceived privacy/security (OR 1.30).
• Performance expectancy was influenced by effort expectancy (OR 1.38), which was predicted by self-efficacy (OR 1.55).
• Qualitative findings identified key themes: self-efficacy, digital literacy, obstacles, prior experience, support, and performance expectancy.

Conclusions:

• Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and perceived privacy/security directly predict older adults' intention to use videoconferencing.
• Self-efficacy is crucial for both intention to use and actual use of technology among older adults.
• Self-efficacy and digital literacy significantly impact older adults' capacity to utilize digital technology effectively.