Actual Use Of Services Research Articles

Novel approach to combining interview and register data – Case: social security and pediatric cancer

Abstract A parallel examination of interview data and register data provides a more holistic overall picture of social security needs and use than any one type of data alone. In our study, we aimed to build a comprehensive understanding of the benefit and service needs of parents whose child is diagnosed with cancer. Conducting solely interviews would have provided subjective perceptions of individuals in the midst of a challenging life situation, but the data would have lacked information of the participants’ documented use of social security benefits and services. On the other hand, utilizing solely register data, would have provided an objective overview of actual service use. However, register data alone would not have shed light on whether the benefits and services received were sufficient from the recipients’ point of view. In our study, parents’ interviews and their register data from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) offered complementary perspectives on the same life situation. Parents’ interviews provided information on support needs, service experiences as well as service deficits. The same families’ register data was used with their permission producing exact data on the insurance benefits and services that the family had applied for and received. The interviews were analysed as chronologically progressing narratives while the data received from Kela was depicted on timelines. When conjoined, the interview and register data formed a comprehensive picture of the benefit and service needs and use of families, whose child had cancer. In addition, this kind of triangulation revealed service deficits that were acknowledged by the interviewees and identified also through the register data. We argue, that combining subjective interviews together with institutional register data allow researchers to identify issues in the service system, which require improvements from the recipients’ and the system’s perspective. Key messages • The use of multiple types of data allows researchers to construct a holistic understanding of individuals’ social security needs and use. • Combining interview and register data allows researchers to identify issues in the service system, which require improvements.

The utility of smart government services apps solutions in the post-pandemic era

Purpose The main purpose of this study is to determine the antecedent factors of smart government service apps intention and its impact on actual use by extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in the Jordanian context. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the main purpose, a quantitative method was used to test collected data, and hypotheses testing through using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and smart partial least squares software. Findings The findings indicate that social media advertising has a positive effect on both social influence and peer influence. Furthermore, it demonstrated a significant effect of social influence on performance expectancy. In addition, there is a direct correlation between the government capacity, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and the intention to use e-government services. Lastly, the results mainly show that the actual use of e-government services is significantly and positively influenced by intention and self-isolation. Next, as expected, self-isolation moderated the relationship between intention to use and actual use of e-government services via the Sanad application, and hence the related hypothesis was supported. Originality/value This study provides practical recommendations for the policy-makers in the Jordanian e-government and Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) in Jordan.

Identifying Under- And Overutilization Patterns For Idaho Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance.

Children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance represent 7-12percent of all youth in the United States. In 2017, the State of Idaho implemented the Youth Empowerment Service program, which allows youth with serious emotional disturbance who are younger than age eighteen living in households with income up to 300percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for Medicaid and receive intensive, community-based treatment. A uniquely detailed method was used to assess the need for services: the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths tool, a ninety-seven-indicator instrument administered by a clinician. We used these indicators and Idaho's 2018-22 administrative Medicaid claims data to study the association between children and adolescents' clinical needs complexity and their actual Medicaid behavioral and mental health service use. Our findings show that there was a substantial proportion of youth who were underusing Medicaid behavioral and mental health care services, and there were virtually no overusers. Our findings have implications for the appropriateness of Medicaid utilization management in behavioral health care and program efforts to maintain families with youth having serious emotional disturbance in the Youth Empowerment Service program.

Gross ecosystem product accounting in Miyun County: the supply and use of ecosystem services

The ability of an ecosystem to provide services differs from its actual consumption and use by human society. Overuse of ecosystems can degrade ecosystems. In order to evaluate the supply capacity and use status of the ecosystem in Miyun County, so as to better apply the ecosystem services to different policies and management, the supply and use of 10 types of ecosystem services in Miyun County were calculated by using value indicators, namely potential gross ecosystem product (GEP) and actual gross ecosystem product. The results show that: (1) In 2020, potential gross ecosystem product of Miyun County is 254.32 billion yuan, and actual gross ecosystem product is 53.28 billion yuan, accounting for 21% of the potential gross ecosystem product. (2) Among all kinds of ecosystem services, the contribution of water conservation services in potential gross ecosystem product is the highest, and the contribution of climate regulation services in actual gross ecosystem product is the highest. (3) The contribution of wetland was the highest in potential gross ecosystem product, while the contribution of forest was the highest in actual gross ecosystem product. (4) Natural ecosystem area and vegetation coverage are the main factors affecting potential gross ecosystem product, while actual gross ecosystem product is mainly affected by GDP and population. (5) By studying the potential supply and actual use of ecosystem services, we evaluated and distinguished between the services that ecosystem could produce and the services that were actually used by humans, and compared the supply capacity and actual use to assess the sustainability of ecosystem services, in order to formulate different policies and management measures for gross ecosystem product surplus and deficit regions. Potential gross ecosystem product could provide data support for the assessment of ecological protection benefits. Actual gross ecosystem product could be included in the system of national accounts, and as a standard for ecological compensation and ecological trading. Confusing potential supply and actual use in policy application would affect the effect of policy implementation, and distinguishing them could ensure policy implementation. The relative size of the relationship between the two could reflect the present and future levels of human well-being in a region. Both together provided management basis and policy-making support for guiding regional ecological protection and sustainable development.

Preliminary Evidence of the Use of Generative AI in Health Care Clinical Services: Systematic Narrative Review.

Generative artificial intelligence tools and applications (GenAI) are being increasingly used in health care. Physicians, specialists, and other providers have started primarily using GenAI as an aid or tool to gather knowledge, provide information, train, or generate suggestive dialogue between physicians and patients or between physicians and patients' families or friends. However, unless the use of GenAI is oriented to be helpful in clinical service encounters that can improve the accuracy of diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes, the expected potential will not be achieved. As adoption continues, it is essential to validate the effectiveness of the infusion of GenAI as an intelligent technology in service encounters to understand the gap in actual clinical service use of GenAI. This study synthesizes preliminary evidence on how GenAI assists, guides, and automates clinical service rendering and encounters in health care The review scope was limited to articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals. We screened and selected 0.38% (161/42,459) of articles published between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2023, identified from PubMed. We followed the protocols outlined in the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to select highly relevant studies with at least 1 element on clinical use, evaluation, and validation to provide evidence of GenAI use in clinical services. The articles were classified based on their relevance to clinical service functions or activities using the descriptive and analytical information presented in the articles. Of 161 articles, 141 (87.6%) reported using GenAI to assist services through knowledge access, collation, and filtering. GenAI was used for disease detection (19/161, 11.8%), diagnosis (14/161, 8.7%), and screening processes (12/161, 7.5%) in the areas of radiology (17/161, 10.6%), cardiology (12/161, 7.5%), gastrointestinal medicine (4/161, 2.5%), and diabetes (6/161, 3.7%). The literature synthesis in this study suggests that GenAI is mainly used for diagnostic processes, improvement of diagnosis accuracy, and screening and diagnostic purposes using knowledge access. Although this solves the problem of knowledge access and may improve diagnostic accuracy, it is oriented toward higher value creation in health care. GenAI informs rather than assisting or automating clinical service functions in health care. There is potential in clinical service, but it has yet to be actualized for GenAI. More clinical service-level evidence that GenAI is used to streamline some functions or provides more automated help than only information retrieval is needed. To transform health care as purported, more studies related to GenAI applications must automate and guide human-performed services and keep up with the optimism that forward-thinking health care organizations will take advantage of GenAI.

End-user perspectives on fintech services adoption in the Bangladesh insurance industry: the moderating role of trust

AbstractThis study focuses on understanding the factors that influence end-users’ (customers’) acceptance of fintech services in the insurance industry. The study employed a modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 model, incorporating perceived security and personal innovativeness as independent variables, and trust as a moderating variable. A total of 391 responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS software. The study’s findings indicate that factors such as effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived, and personal innovativeness positively affect users’ behavioral intention (BI) to use fintech services in the insurance industry. Moreover, BI positively influences the actual use (AU) of fintech services. Additionally, trust plays a positive moderating role between BI and AU. The results of this study have practical implications for academicians, researchers, insurance companies, and insurance regulatory bodies. Academicians and researchers can further explore the acceptance of fintech in developing countries based on these findings. Insurance companies and regulatory bodies can take necessary steps and formulate strategies to promote the adoption of fintech services in the insurance industry, considering the identified factors and the role of trust.

Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences in Sexual Violence Knowledge, Prevention Behaviors, and Care-Seeking Behaviors.

Sexual violence (SV) on college campuses disproportionately affects cisgender (nontransgender) women, sexual minorities (e.g., gays/lesbians, bisexuals), and gender minority (e.g., transgender/nonbinary) people. This study investigates gender and sexual behavior differences in common SV intervention targets-SV-related knowledge, prevention behaviors, and care-seeking. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data, collected in 9/2015-3/2017, from 2202 students aged 18-24 years attending college health and counseling centers at 28 Pennsylvania and West Virginia campuses. Multivariable multilevel models tested gender and sexual behavior differences in SV history; recognition of SV; prevention behaviors (self-efficacy to obtain sexual consent, intentions to intervene, positive bystander behaviors); and care-seeking behaviors (knowledge of, self-efficacy to use, and actual use of SV services). Adjusting for lifetime exposure to SV, compared with cisgender men, cisgender women had higher recognition of SV and reproductive coercion, prevention behaviors, and care-seeking self-efficacy (beta range 0.19-1.36) and gender minority people had higher recognition of SV and intentions to intervene (beta range 0.33-0.61). Cisgender men with any same-gender sexual partners had higher SV knowledge (beta = 0.23) and self-efficacy to use SV services (beta = 0.52) than cisgender men with only opposite-gender partners. SV history did not explain these differences. Populations most vulnerable to SV generally have higher SV knowledge, prevention behaviors, and care-seeking behaviors than cisgender men with only opposite-gender sexual partners. Innovative SV intervention approaches are necessary to increase SV-related knowledge among heterosexual cisgender men and may need to target alternative mechanisms to effectively reduce inequities for sexual and gender minority people.

Ageing well with tech: Exploring the determinants of e-healthcare services adoption in an emerging economy.

The adoption of e-healthcare services is critical for improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency, particularly in regions with diverse populations, such as Malaysia. Although e-healthcare services offer numerous advantages, their adoption is considerably low and requires a thorough understanding of the key factors that influence their use. This study investigated the determinants and dynamics of e-healthcare adoption among adults over 40 years by extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. We employed a quantitative research approach, specifically a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 393 Malaysian respondents through a structured survey questionnaire, using convenience sampling. They were analyzed using partial least-squares-structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and perceived product value significantly influenced individuals' intentions to use e-healthcare services. Meanwhile, perceived risk had an insignificant negative effect. Facilitating conditions significantly influenced individuals' intentions and actual usage of e-healthcare services. Furthermore, individuals' intentions to use e-healthcare services significantly affected their actual use of these services. Additionally, the intention to use e-healthcare services mediated the relationship between the factors and usage of e-healthcare services, except for perceived risk. Surprisingly, perceived service accuracy had no significant moderating effect on the relationship between individuals' intention to use and their actual use of e-healthcare services. This study offers valuable insights for educators, practitioners, and policymakers, enriching the scholarly discourse in this field. For education, integrating e-healthcare topics into curricula can enhance digital health literacy. In practice, healthcare providers should focus on improving user experience and addressing barriers to technology adoption. For policy making, developing supportive policies, and infrastructure to facilitate e-healthcare adoption is crucial to enhancing public health outcomes.

Innovations in analytics as a marketing tool, as an example of car insurance

The article is devoted to the study of the current state and trends in the development of innovations in analytics as a marketing tool in the context of global digitalization. The development of digital technologies allows companies to use more opportunities to conduct their activities, improve their products and offers. Significant interest in innovations in analytics is revealed by high scientific interest in this topic among researchers. The current state of the car insurance market, the influence of analytical innovations in marketing on the processes of market functioning, products and offers of companies are considered. The main areas of digitization of the industry were identified: the implementation and use of Big Data for risk reduction and detailed study of service consumers, monitoring of the actual use of insurer services by customers using IoT devices and the help of artificial intelligence for data processing and ideas for implementing changes. A detailed description of the essence of each of these innovations is given and the practical use of some of these methods of digitization of the industry by foreign and Ukrainian companies is indicated. The activities of the best examples of the use of Big Data, IoT technologies, work with artificial intelligence by the world's leading insurers and compared with the current set of innovative, analytical tools used by Ukrainian companies are considered. It has been studied that foreign insurers use more innovative measures in analytics than Ukrainian ones. The strengths and weaknesses of insurtech innovations in analytics, in the field of auto insurance, are determined. Taking into account the conducted analysis, practical recommendations are provided regarding possible ways to expand innovation methods for use by Ukrainian insurance companies, possible options for cooperation with enterprises of other fields are determined for a more detailed market analysis and study of consumer requests. As a result of applying the recommendations presented in the work, Ukrainian insurers will be able to better analyze potential and existing customers, reduce possible risks, adapt their products to the received data and personalize, improve offers, which will help to be competitive in the market.

BEST PRACTICES FOR STUDYING OLDER MIGRANTS IN CONTEXT

Abstract Understanding health outcomes of the older migrant (ages 60+) requires insight into the perceptions of the older person and considering the impact of the environment in which the older person lives. The four papers on this panel address these issues, each using a different methodology. Bilecen’s study, using qualitative methods, examines the impact of the wording of questions on the ways in which older Turkish migrants in the Netherlands discuss loneliness. The paper helps us understand both perceptions of older migrants and the influence of methodology used on the types of responses collected. Diederich’s paper on Cuban migrants to the United States uses census data to investigate the impact of changes in the environment of arrival at different points in time on care arrangements later in life. She demonstrates the value and limitations of using this type of data. Torres uses a survey of the scientific literature to ask questions about the impact of bigotry on the well-being of older immigrants and whether lack of attention to this topic means there is an important missing piece in our understanding of the experience of the older migrant. Glicksman et. al. use clinical data to describe interactions with the formal health and social service systems by persons of limited English proficiency, an opportunity to understand both actual service use and the benefits and limitations of using clinical data for this purpose. Schrauf’s response will discuss both the findings and the relation of methods to goals in the study of older migrants. This is an International Aging and Migration Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

Users’ fintech services acceptance: A cross-sectional study on Malaysian Insurance & takaful industry

The emergence of fintech services in the insurance industry has been a transformative force, reshaping how insurance companies operate, how policies are sold, and how customers interact with their insurers. Financial technology developments, also known as "fintech," are changing how financial services are offered, presenting novel possibilities for the insurance industry worldwide. However, in the Malaysian insurance and takaful industry a good number of customers are still dependent on conventional channels like agents and brokers continue to be important sources for purchases and payments related to insurance instead of using Fintech services. The insurance industry's success and growth are highly dependent on adopting technological services offered by companies to make the process efficient and profitable. So, this study aimed to empirically identify the determinants influencing Malaysia's insurance and takaful industry customers to accept the fintech services for insurance-related transactions and activities. The research combined two prominent technology adoption models UTAUT2, and Delone and Mclean IS Success, and proposed a new research framework. The data for the research has been collected from the insurance and takaful industry customers through Google Forms. Finally, 350 responses were received. The PLS-SEM method was utilized to investigate the data by Smart PLS 3.2.9 software. The result of the study revealed that effort expectancy, information quality, service quality, system quality, and perceived risk impact behavioral intention to use fintech services (BI). In addition, the actual use of fintech services is impacted by behavioral intention. Nevertheless, no impact was found in the case of performance expectancy and social influence on BI. The findings of the study are helpful for academicians, researchers, and insurance companies to explore determinants for fintech services acceptance.

An Exploration of how Intimate Partner Relationships Impact the Mental Wellbeing of Men in the Construction Sector in Aotearoa New Zealand: Understanding the Interplay Between Work, Family, and Employee Mental Health

A well-developed financial system facilitates the financial inclusion and development of people. Digital financial technologies have the potential to reach disadvantaged communities by providing secure, affordable, and stable financial services. The extant research on digital financial services concentrates mainly on the adoption of mobile money applications. Although investigating adoption provides an analytical lens to understand the individual’s intention to use technology, this line of investigation does not scrutinise the actual use of digital financial services and how they contribute to people’s goals in life. This empirical study examines the mechanisms by which individuals use digital financial services to achieve their diverse goals. This research adopts a qualitative approach to analyse experiences, views and feelings of rural individuals living in the villages of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The preliminary findings from the ongoing fieldwork suggest that rural individuals use different digital financial services to meet their personal and professional objectives. While younger rural residents (i.e. 20-45 age group) believe that digital financial services can enhance their economic participation, senior rural community members perceive them as ‘messy’, ‘inconvenient’, and ‘tricky’. My presentation will include an overview of my research project, its significance, research methodology, analysis technique, preliminary findings, and pictures taken during my visits to the target villages.

스마트폰 센서를 통한 우울증 탐지 및 위급상황 탐지 모델 연구

Due to the deepening of COVID-19, high-intensity social distancing has been prolonged and many social problems have been cured. In particular, physical and psychological isolation occurred due to the non-face-to-face system and a lot of damage occurred. The various social problems caused by Corona acted as severe stress for all those affected by Corona 19, and eventually acted as a factor threatening mental health such as depression. While the number of people suffering from mental illness is increasing, the actual use of mental health services is low. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a system for people suffering from mental health problems. Therefore, in this study, depression detection and emergency detection models were constructed based on sensor information using smartphones from depressed subjects and general subjects. For the detection of depression and emergencies, VAE, DAGMM, ECOD, COPOD, and LGBM algorithms were used. As a result of the study, the depression detection model had an F1 score of 0.93 and the emergency situation detection model had an F1 score of 0.99. direction.

How Does Perceived Risk and Trust Affect Mobile Banking Adoption? Empirical Evidence from India

The emergence of high-speed internet (5G) services and the demonetization of the Indian currency by the Government of India in the year 2016 served as catalysts for the growth of banking services, such as internet/mobile banking. The main objective of the study was to investigate the role of perceived financial cost, perceived risk, and trust in the adoption of mobile banking services by users. The study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explain the adoption of mobile banking services by young Indian customers. The data from 253 users of age between 18–30 years were collected through a survey questionnaire and were analyzed using structural equation modeling with Amos 22.0. The results revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and perceived financial cost exhibited a significant positive influence on behavioral intentions. However, the facilitating conditions were found to exert no effect on actual use. In addition, the results demonstrate that both perceived risk and perceived trust moderate the relationship between behavioral intention and the actual use of mobile banking. The results of the study provide some novel insights into how perceived risk and perceived trust shape the interplay between behavioral intention and the actual use of mobile banking services. The inferences drawn from the study may enhance the understanding of the transformation of behavioral intention into the adoption and actual use of mobile banking services.

An empirical study of healthcare professionals' willingness to utilise telehealth services based on protection motivation theory

With the increasing data protection regulations, protecting patients' digital information is a growing concern for healthcare professionals and institutions, as people continuously live their lives through telehealth services. This study examines how threats and coping appraisals, as constructs from protection motivation theory, influence the implementation of telehealth services. The empirical results after data collection and analysis from 543 respondents' using structural equation modelling technique showed that perceived patients' information security threat and privacy risk, perceived telehealth systems security threat and self-efficacy had a significant effect on health professionals' behaviours to use telehealth services. Health professionals' behaviour also had a significant effect on actual telehealth service use. Response efficacy however had no significant effect on health professionals' adoption of telehealth services. The study results contribute to empirical knowledge by identifying health professionals' preparedness to use telehealth services.

ACTUAL AND DESIRED SERVICE USE OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING CONSUMERS OF HOME- AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

Abstract Federal and state long-term care policies are focused on helping people age in their community rather than in nursing homes or other institutional settings. Through home- and community-based (HCBS) waiver programs, states have the flexibility to target specific populations, providing supportive services meant to promote residence in the community. Although consumer needs and goals are a key component of HCBS delivery and effectiveness, little is known about how actual service use differs from the services individuals desire to meet their needs. Using the National Core Indicators-Aging and Disability (NCI-AD™) survey responses from 2018-2019 (N=14,202), an effort by state agencies to measure and track performance outcomes using standardized measures, we examined differences in actual versus desired use of HCBS among people living in the community. Services were categorized as delivered in home-based setting, day services, transportation, support/modification services, health and therapeutic services, and respite. Among NCI-AD respondents in the community (n=9,860), 11% used one service area, 49% used two service areas, and 36% used three or more service areas. The most common service area was home-based services (57%). About a third of community-dwelling respondents desired at least one additional service area. Factors significantly associated with wanting more services included being in combined Medicaid-Medicare, managed LTSS, a woman, an adult aged >65, living alone, and having a physical disability. While the majority of community-dwelling HCBS recipients do not list unmet service needs, there is heterogeneity by program category and other key demographic and social characteristics.

Acceptance of digital health services among older adults: Findings on perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, privacy concerns, ICT knowledge, and support seeking.

Over the last decade, the rapid advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have also driven the development of digital health services and applications. Older adults could particularly benefit from these technologies, but they still have less access to the Internet and less competence in using it. Based on the empirical literature on technology acceptance among older adults, this study examines the relations of perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, privacy concerns, ICT knowledge, and support seeking (family, informal, formal/institutional) with older adults' intention to adopt new digital health services. The study included 478 older adults who participated in an online or paper/pencil questionnaire (M = 70.1 years, SD = 7.8; 38% male). Sociodemographic characteristics, subjective health status, and variables related to technology acceptance were assessed. Latent structural equation modeling revealed that higher perceived usefulness, higher self-efficacy regarding digital health technologies, and lower privacy concerns contributed to a higher intention to use digital health services among older adults. Contrary to our expectations, general ICT knowledge was not a significant predictor. Older adults who reported seeking more support regarding technology problems from family members and formal/institutional settings also reported higher usage intentions, whereas informal support was not as relevant. Furthermore, higher age was associated with higher perceived usefulness and lower self-efficacy. Future studies should further explore mediating factors for intention and actual use of digital health services and develop educational programs including follow-up assessments.

Older Adult Transportation in Rural Communities: Results of an Agency Survey

The proportion of people over age 65 is higher in U.S. rural and small communities than in urban or suburban areas. When older adults who reside in these communities retire from driving, they may need to rely on alternative transportation options that exist in urban settings but that might not be provided, might be less accessible, or might be available in a different form in their communities. This paper uses a survey of service providers to identify the types of public transportation options available to older adults residing in these communities, as well as the strategies employed to finance, operate, and/or market these services. The survey results highlight a need for more careful investigation of the nature of service partnerships, the effectiveness of service strategies, and the actual use of services by older adults.

Mothers’ Perspectives on Utilization of Maternal Health Services in Rural Health Units in Luzon: A Qualitative Study

Introduction. Despite implementing various maternal health care programs and integrating these into Service Delivery Networks, the Philippines continues to have high maternal mortality. Identifying factors that impede the utilization of available maternal care services may help reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and bridge the gap between the need and actual use of such services among mothers in the community.Objectives. This study identified barriers, hindrances, and other factors influencing mothers in availing maternal health services in Luzon, the largest island in the country and the area that accounted for more than half of total maternal mortality.Methods. Eight focus group discussions participated in by a total of 78 pregnant women and mothers were conducted across all of the eight regions of Luzon. In each session, the participants were asked to answer questions based on a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded, translated and back-translated, transcribed, and compiled before analysis by the deductive-dominant approach using NVivo12.Results. Factors affecting maternal health service utilization center on the capacity of health facilities to provideservices like evaluation of the progress of pregnancy, laboratory examinations, free medicines, and immunizations; and on region-bound individual factors. The availability of skilled health personnel and lack of financial resources were the most common subthemes.Conclusion. This study identified some key factors that deter patients from availing of existing maternal healthservices in Luzon. Eliminating these barriers will not only help strengthen local health infrastructure and improve service delivery but also promote the utilization of such services, leading to better maternal outcomes.

Digital Financial Services for Achieving Life Goals: Analysing Experiences of Rural Individuals in India

A well-developed financial system facilitates the financial inclusion and development of people. Digital financial technologies have the potential to reach disadvantaged communities by providing secure, affordable, and stable financial services. The extant research on digital financial services concentrates mainly on the adoption of mobile money applications. Although investigating adoption provides an analytical lens to understand the individual’s intention to use technology, this line of investigation does not scrutinise the actual use of digital financial services and how they contribute to people’s goals in life. This empirical study examines the mechanisms by which individuals use digital financial services to achieve their diverse goals. This research adopts a qualitative approach to analyse experiences, views and feelings of rural individuals living in the villages of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The preliminary findings from the ongoing fieldwork suggest that rural individuals use different digital financial services to meet their personal and professional objectives. While younger rural residents (i.e. 20-45 age group) believe that digital financial services can enhance their economic participation, senior rural community members perceive them as ‘messy’, ‘inconvenient’, and ‘tricky’. My presentation will include an overview of my research project, its significance, research methodology, analysis technique, preliminary findings, and pictures taken during my visits to the target villages.