Data privacy, ease of use vital for digitized healthcare adoption among older people

While Singapore’s elderly may be open towards digitalization and technology in healthcare, they see no urgent need for it, according to a recent study. Affordability, data protection, and ease of use are important factors to consider for improving the acceptability of healthcare technologies among elderly adults.

“Smart Nation is a key initiative of Singapore to move toward digitalization of its industries including healthcare,” the researchers said, noting that the digital divide might not only derail this effort, but could also amplify existing social inequalities.

A quantitative approach was taken through semi-structured, in-depth interviews of 20 elderly adults aged 50–65 years. Interviews were conducted according to a guide document based on existing literature. All identities of the respondents have been withheld.

Thematic analysis revealed four major themes of responses and 10 sub-themes. Participants did not believe that technology was crucial for them to determine whether they need to use healthcare services or not. This was due to two main reasons: no perceived need for healthcare-related technology and accessibility of services was not dependent on technology. [Front Public Health 2021;9:588590]

Particularly, respondents preferred face-to-face interactions with their care providers, who they trusted more as regards health information. Web searchers were just regarded as supplementary for what they already knew. In this context, participants saw healthcare technology, like smartphone apps, as helpful, but not crucial.

Most respondents, however, were receptive towards such technologies and learning how to integrate them into their daily lives. To be able to maintain their health goals, for example, some participants have turned to the internet for information, while others have used apps to stay on top of their diet, activity, and blood pressure.

In addition, long queue times in the clinic have made respondents open to appointment-booking services and teleconsultations to save time. Participants were also open to sharing their personal medical information through the app, but only to medical professionals.

Concerns about data privacy was one of the top identified barriers to the adoption of healthcare technologies, with participants expressing worries about how their information will be protected and the risk of it being misused in the future. Another main barrier was the affordability of healthcare devices and third-party services.

Moreover, not all participants had smartphones, suggesting that “there may be a population of older adults who will inevitably be unable to adopt health-related technology,” the researchers said. Some participants were also uninterested in owning a smartphone, citing costs and difficulty of use as reasons. Even those who owned smartphones found that using it could become too complicated.

The final main theme was the differing influences of social network on the use of technology, which could be an important avenue for promoting health technologies. Participants with social circles using such technologies, for example, may be more adaptable.

“[O]ur findings stress the need to develop targeted solutions for elderly with different attitudes and usage levels of technology,” the researchers said. “We can also tap on older adults’ willingness to use technology in specific areas, such as seeking health information online, sharing personal medical information with doctors, and maintaining health goals.”