Lessons Learned About Digital Health Tool Acceptability Among Rural Older Adults: Systematic Review Guided by the...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Rural Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Digital health tools are crucial for rural healthcare, especially after hospital closures and increased telehealth use.
• Rural older adults face significant barriers to accessing digital health tools due to rurality and usability issues.
• Existing literature on digital health for rural older adults needs synthesis to establish best practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on digital health tools for rural older adults.
• To identify lessons learned regarding acceptability and usability.
• To propose strategies for enhancing usability in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched 5 electronic databases up to June 2023 for studies on digital health and rural older adults in the US.
• Analyzed 38 eligible manuscripts using the technology acceptance model (usefulness, ease of use, intention to use).

Main Results:

• Findings on the usefulness of digital health tools for rural older adults were mixed.
• While tools helped overcome access barriers, those with limited digital literacy struggled.
• Usability was affected by environmental factors, equipment issues, and user comfort, not solely age or rurality.

Conclusions:

• Rural older adults and providers find digital health tools generally acceptable for care delivery.
• Digital health can be a viable alternative to in-person visits for some.
• Barriers to acceptance are not exclusively tied to age or rurality, suggesting broader applicability of solutions.