Low-income Elders' Experiences in Using u-Health (Ubiquitous Healthcare) Services

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand low-income elders’ experiences of community-based u-Health services. Methods: Qualitative data were collected from 11 participants. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three themes and eight sub-themes emerged as a result of analysis. The three main themes were ‘recovered confidence and health condition,’ ‘trial and error in change,’ and ‘hope.’The eight sub-themes were ‘the burden and efforts to overcome it in using bio-signal device,’ ‘ambivalence due to changing lifestyle,’ ‘increase of care time, decrease of pressure’, ‘conflict under environmental constraints,’ ‘difficulty in prioritizing health management,’ ‘discouragement in handling new devices,’ ‘desire not to be a burden to their children-gradual fulfillment of learning needs,’ and ‘long for broadening coverage range of services.’ Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that low-income elders among the participants have different needs in using u-Health services. Therefore, health professionals need to give personalized education to deal with their conflicts and requirements, especially emotional and environmental support in order for them to successfully accept the u-Health services for self-care.