Gerontechnology acceptance by older adults and their satisfaction on its servitization in Hong Kong

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, the unprecedented growth of the aging population has posed lots of challenges to society. Gerontechnology, combining gerontology with technology, could be a way to turn this challenge into an opportunity. As older adults always evidence a lower-level technology usage compared with younger people, studies on technology acceptance and adoption for older adults have significant research value. Although this topic has been widely studied, most of them focus on the design of products’ physical features and the interaction between older adults and technology, its related services are rarely discussed. To bridge the gap, this study aims to capture older adults’ gerontechnology acceptance and usage conditions and increase the knowledge of gerontechnology servitization for older adults. A face-to-face interview-based survey questionnaire was purposely designed for collecting data related to older adults’ technology experience, technology acceptance factors, and their views on services. Older adults aged 55–75 years old in Hong Kong participated in this survey. The study shows the pitfall of a lack of supportive services of gerontechnology, especially during initial use, and highlights the potential for comprehensive design that integrates products and services into a system facilitating older adults’ technology acceptance and adoption.