The role of digitalization in health decisions: family and intergenerational perspective

In a culture where health decisions are often made collectively rather than individually, how digitalization reshapes this process has not been sufficiently explored. The aim of this study is to reveal how family members experience digital health technologies in the context of family health decisions and how this experience is interpreted in terms of decision-making authority, trust and intergenerational interaction.

In this study, phenomenological design was used to reveal how individuals experience digital health applications in the context of family health decisions and how they attribute meaning to these experiences. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling method. The sample consists of four groups [Baby Boomers, Generations x, y and z]. Individuals who met the inclusion criteria were interviewed until data saturation was reached or a new topic was created. As a result, the study was completed with sixteen participants. Interview recordings were transferred to the MAXQDA program. All recordings were analyzed, and participants' statements were coded. The codes were classified thematically. Four themes and 10 sub-themes were obtained from the codes.

Four main themes were identified: Digital Health Literacy, Digital Application Use and Trust, Family Decision Processes, Intergenerational Interaction. Access to health-related information evolves from family advice to digital resources in the process from the Baby Boom generation to Generation Z. Likewise, while trust in digital tools is high in Generation Z, it is observed that trust decreases with age and is approached cautiously. Unlike others, Generation X participants characterize themselves as both decision makers and adaptors.

Research findings revealed that the level of use of digital health applications and attitudes towards these applications are not the same across all generations. Most respondents reported that important health decisions are made in consultation with family members. Younger individuals gathered information from digital sources to support the decisions of older family members, but the final decision was mostly made by older individuals; however, these decisions were most often driven by Gen Xers.