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Published on: February 3, 2022
Experience of older adults using smart devices and mHealth apps for proactive health: a descriptive qualitative study
Huafang Li1, Chunlan Liu1, Qian Zhang1
1The Geriatrics Department of Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore older adults' experiences of using smart devices and mHealth apps for proactive health and identify the key factors affecting their adoption and sustained engagement.
Methods:
The current study utilized descriptive qualitative research methodology, adopting the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical framework. Purposive sampling was used to recruit older adults from a tertiary Grade A general hospital in Hangzhou. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using directed content analysis.
Results:
A total of 20 older adults in Hangzhou were interviewed for the study. Analyses yielded two themes and eight sub-themes: perceived usefulness (enhanced health awareness and self-efficacy, real-time health data monitoring and early warning, accuracy and reliability of information and convenient communication with medical professionals), and perceived ease of use (interface simplicity and operability, learning cost and learning support, privacy concerns and information security, and technical support and experience sharing).
Conclusion:
This descriptive qualitative study explores older adults' experiences of using smart devices and mHealth apps for proactive health, highlighting that perceived usefulness and ease of use are key determinants of their technology adoption and sustained engagement. Future digital health tool development should align with research on older adults' user experiences to ensure these technologies' universality and applicability.
