Acceptance of e-health technology among older people: A qualitative study.

Abstract

E-health technology has been widely implemented in healthcare systems and has many benefits. However, available studies that focus on the acceptance and adoption of e-health technology, particularly among older people in primary care centers, are still limited. A qualitative approach was adopted in this study to explore the acceptability and adoption of health technology among older people who use primary health care. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 older people to gain in-depth insight into their perspectives on health technology. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to gain insight from older people. Three main themes emerged: (1) "demand of care" refers a situation where participants realized that they had a health problem, sought ways to solve the health problem, and expected to be cared and monitored; (2) "resistance and openness" represent technology acceptance by older people; and (3) "preference for home health monitoring": We found older people preferred home health monitoring in terms of comfort and ease of use. The study has provided important new knowledge in relation to acceptance and preference for health technology that currently exists, particularly among older people in Indonesia.