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Understanding older adults' perceptions of mHealth apps.
Mimi Trinh1, Maurita T Harris1, Renato F L Azevedo1
1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Illinois, USA.
Older adults see potential in mobile health (mHealth) apps but face barriers like usability and support. Enhancing adoption requires social support and guidance for better health technology engagement.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Informatics
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer potential benefits for older adults' wellness, including medication management and telehealth.
- However, adoption rates among this demographic are suboptimal, hindered by personal preferences and app design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate barriers and facilitators influencing mHealth app adoption in older adults.
- To adapt the Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2.0) for health technology assessment.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen older adults (mean age 65.6) participated in a study using adapted TRI-Health surveys and semi-structured interviews.
- Data analysis involved reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns in mHealth usage.
Main Results:
- Older adults expressed positive views on mHealth apps but identified significant barriers, primarily related to usability and technical support.
- Facilitators and barriers were categorized using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT) model.
Conclusions:
- mHealth apps present numerous advantages for older adults' health management.
- Facilitators like social support and instructional guidance are crucial for adoption.
- Barriers include limited prior technology experience and perceived lack of relevance to current health conditions.
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