Hospitalized Older Patients' Readiness to Use mHealth Mobility Apps

Hospitalization-associated disability (HAD) is prevalent among older adults, impacting their recovery and independence post-discharge. Assessing the readiness and willingness of older adults to use mobile health (mHealth) apps can provide new opportunities to mitigate HAD by promoting physical activity during hospitalization.

We performed a cross-sectional study of patients aged 65 years and older, admitted to the general medical unit of a large academic hospital. In-person surveys assessed participants' perceptions of physical activity, mobile device familiarity, and willingness to use a hypothetical mHealth mobility app that would provide reminders to be active during hospitalization. Participants also completed a practical digital literacy assessment by setting an alarm on their personal mobile device. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from electronic medical records.

Of 80 eligible patients invited, 69 (86%) were enrolled. The median age of participants was 74 years (interquartile range, 69-77 years). The majority of participants preferred to stay physically active during hospitalization (81%), owned a mobile device (83%), and expressed willingness (55%) to use an mHealth app that provides notifications to perform physical activities. Participants willing to use such an app had a higher median Charlson comorbidity score (8 vs. 6, p = 0.005), more likely completed education beyond high school (84% vs. 57%, p = 0.016), and reported greater comfort using mobile devices in general (90% vs. 67%, p = 0.033) compared to those unwilling. Willing participants were more successful in the alarm-setting task compared to those unwilling (63% vs. 13%, p = 0.001).

In this single-center study, most older adults prefer to stay physically active, and a majority are willing and capable of using an mHealth app to receive mobility reminders during hospitalization. These findings support the development of targeted mHealth interventions to decrease HAD in geriatric acute care settings.