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Older Adult Health-Related Support Networks: Implications for the Design of Digital Communication Tools
Miruna Petrescu-Prahova1, Katie Osterhage2, Jean O Taylor1
1Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle.
Innovation in Aging
|July 16, 2020
Summary
Older adults
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Digital Health
- Social Support Networks
Background:
- Digital tools can aid health support for older adults.
- Design features for these tools are not well understood.
- Understanding older adults' support networks is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Describe health-related social support networks in older adults.
- Provide design recommendations for digital support tools.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 88 older adults using validated instruments.
- Conducted semistructured qualitative interviews.
- Analyzed quantitative data with descriptive statistics.
- Analyzed qualitative data using directed content analysis.
Main Results:
- Support networks varied (0-10 members), some lacking family or friends.
- Most support members (74%) lived in the same state, few (15%) lived with the participant.
- Emotional support was most common, followed by instrumental, informational, and appraisal support.
Conclusions:
- Older adult support networks are complex and diverse.
- Digital tools should connect geographically dispersed members.
- Tools need task allocation features and secure health information sharing.
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