Engaging digitally disadvantaged people.

CHEN, H.; MAXWELL, J. H.; XING, L.; LEVKOFF, S. E.

Purpose Improving access to health services based on health information technology (HIT) is a challenge for digitally disadvantaged elderly groups, who are often from low socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. In recent projects we tried different strategies to deliver HIT-based psycho-educational programs to families that have obvious health needs, but are disadvantaged in their access to HIT. The purpose of this presentation is to describe what was and was not effective in these case examples and to evaluate these efforts with respect to the emerging field of technology acceptance research. Method In two different studies, we provided online education and support to older adults and family caregivers and then qualitatively evaluated the degree to which participants engaged in the online programs. Results In our first study, we provided online education and support to Chinese dementia caregivers living in an older Shanghai community where industrialization and commercialization are relatively underdeveloped. Families targeted for the intervention typically did not have computers at home (n=88) and were not able to participate in the program. After trying various options, the final successful solution was to organize an offline group learning by gathering family caregivers with peer volunteers at a nearby community senior center and then conducting the learning session using the online program via a large screen in a conference room. The second project provided online telemonitoring support to older adults living in rural Arkansas and suffering from congestive heart failure. The majority did not have computers and could not participate in the program as designed. Of those who did have computers (n=57), about 50% participated. The most promising solution, which is currently being tested, is to provide the telemonitoring program through mobile phones to transmit monitoring data (e.g., blood pressure, weight) to the clinical center, with which prospective participants are already familiar. Discussion The experience from these empirical trials suggests that to successfully engage digitally disadvantaged people, the most promising design for HIT programs is a design based on technological modes that are currently available and familiar to the target users. This position is consistent with the Accelerating Diffusion of Proven Technologies (ADOPT) perspective, which emphasizes the importance of integrating an HIT program with the local social, clinical, and financial environments1. Despite barriers such as poverty, digital illiteracy, and residence in rural areas, many improvements can be made for digitally disadvantaged groups by using HIT innovations.

TAIWAN; HEALTH services accessibility; DIGITAL technology; MEDICAL informatics; PSYCHOEDUCATION; SERVICES for caregivers; CONFERENCES & conventions; COMPUTER literacy; ONLINE education; PATIENT participation; CAREGIVER attitudes; PATIENTS' attitudes; OLD age

Gerontechnology, 2014, Vol 13, Issue 2, p99

1569-1101

Academic Journal

10.4017/gt.2014.13.02.243.00