Current Healthcare Situation Research Articles

The Oregis Dashboard: Web-based Ophthalmic Research Benchmarking in Germany.

The oregis registry operated by the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) serves as a central digital platform for collecting and analysing ophthalmological healthcare data in Germany. The aim of oregis is to provide a comprehensive picture of the current healthcare situation and promote healthcare research using real-world-data from inpatient and outpatient facilities. Since its launch in 2020, oregis has continuously expanded its database to enable scientific analyses on a wide range of topics. This paper presents the new dashboard feature allowing participating centres to compare their own patient data with aggregated data in real time while also covering privacy aspects of the system. The oregis steering committee opted to implement the oregis dashboard based on existing medical registries. First, forty-nine national and international registries were analysed to identify common features such as benchmarking functionality. This was followed by technical realisation and implementation. Each centre connected to oregis has secure access to the oregis dashboard, which displays key indicators for patients, diagnoses, and treatments. Dynamic filtering options allow targeted data analysis, comparing each centre's results anonymously with aggregated data from other centres. The dashboard uses Apache Superset data visualisation software [! etwas informativer]. Data is synchronised using an integrated oregis Konnektor module to anonymise patient data according to defined standards. Extensive security and privacy measures ensure data security, including server-side encryption, transport encryption, and two-factor authentication. The dashboard is part of a comprehensive privacy policy developed and validated for oregis by privacy experts. The number of centres connected to oregis is still growing. The new web-based dashboard allows flexible analysis of data and comparison with other centres without allowing conclusions to be drawn about any individual care centre; this ensures data privacy and independence in each centre. More features can be added to provide a more thorough overview of eye care in Germany as oregis grows.

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ ФИНАНСИРОВАНИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ В НОВЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ ЭКОНОМИКИ КАЗАХСТАНА

The economic development of modern Kazakhstan is distinguished by its social orientation. In a socially oriented economy, the healthcare sector is one of the priority areas in our country. Currently, one of the pressing problems for the healthcare system of Kazakhstan is promoting the quality and efficiency of medical services. For this purpose, the budget policy in the field of healthcare financing provides for the provision of affordable and high-quality medical care to residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The current health care situation in Kazakhstan is characterized by insufficient resources and insufficient quality of medical care. The regional complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan switched to the principles of a market economy in conditions of price liberalization, high inflation and state budget deficit, which seriously caused the problem of budget financing. Kazakhstan currently does not have sufficiently high economic efficiency in the functioning of budgetary medical institutions. The slowdown due to limited public resources and the lack of an acceptable form of relationship between the budget and private health care institutions requires studying the experience of institutional structures in order to find opportunities to attract additional investment in the sector and improve the performance of budget institutions.

E-health as a sine qua non for modern healthcare

In each era we need to balance between being able to provide care with our “technical skill, scientific knowledge, and human understanding” (Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 1950) to the...

Chronic kidney disease as cardiovascular risk factor in routine clinical practice: a position statement by the Council of the European Renal Association.

The European Society of Cardiology 2021 guideline on cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) prevention in clinical practice has major implications for both CV risk screening and kidney health of interest to primary care physicians, cardiologists, nephrologists, and other professionals involved in CVD prevention. The proposed CVD prevention strategies require as first step the categorization of individuals into those with established atherosclerotic CVD, diabetes, familiar hypercholesterolaemia, or chronic kidney disease (CKD), i.e. conditions that are already associated with a moderate to very-high CVD risk. This places CKD, defined as decreased kidney function or increased albuminuria as a starting step for CVD risk assessment. Thus, for adequate CVD risk assessment, patients with diabetes, familiar hypercholesterolaemia, or CKD should be identified by an initial laboratory assessment that requires not only serum to assess glucose, cholesterol, and creatinine to estimate the glomerular filtration rate, but also urine to assess albuminuria. The addition of albuminuria as an entry-level step in CVD risk assessment should change clinical practice as it differs from the current healthcare situation in which albuminuria is only assessed in persons already considered to be at high risk of CVD. A diagnosis of moderate of severe CKD requires a specific set of interventions to prevent CVD. Further research should address the optimal method for CV risk assessment that includes CKD assessment in the general population, i.e. whether this should remain opportunistic screening or whether systematic screening.

Treatment Status and Healthcare Cost Trends for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Japan: A Claims Database Analysis.

IntroductionThe healthcare situation of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its course are not being thoroughly investigated in Japan. We aimed to examine the current healthcare situation, including treatment and healthcare costs, of MS according to duration since its first diagnosis using Japanese real-world data to determine unidentified healthcare issues at each disease stage.MethodsThis retrospective, non-comparative, non-interventional study used a Japanese nationwide claims database (April 2008–August 2018) comprising 20 million patients from 329 acute care hospitals (as of June 2018). Treatment patterns, comorbidities, healthcare resource utilization, and healthcare costs were analyzed using longitudinal analyses of patients with MS according to duration since the first diagnosis. The time from diagnosis to first treatment was examined using Kaplan–Meier analysis.ResultsWe identified 7067 patients with MS [mean (standard deviation) age at first diagnosis 45.0 (16.2) years]. About 70% of the patients did not receive disease-modifying therapy (DMT) within the first year of diagnosis. The frequency of DMT use decreased in patients with a longer duration since the first diagnosis. MS treatment costs tended to increase with a longer duration from the first diagnosis until 9 years, followed by a tendency to decrease; contrastingly, other healthcare costs tended to increase with duration after decreasing from the year of the first diagnosis to the next year. The frequencies of hospitalizations and hospital visits, healthcare costs—excluding those for MS treatment and tests—and prevalence of comorbidities tended to be higher in patients with a longer duration since the first diagnosis.ConclusionA considerable proportion of patients did not receive DMT, suggesting that patients with early-stage MS may lose the opportunity to improve their prognosis through early intervention with DMT. Among patients with a longer duration since the first diagnosis, fewer treatment choices may be available despite the larger clinical and treatment burden.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40120-022-00374-4.

Urban Poor’s Healthcare Status in Chittagong City, Bangladesh

The study is an attempt to explore the existing status of urban poor’s healthcare services and problems in addition to showing a way out of the current situation. Primary data collection was qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study reveals a significant spatio-temporal variation considering the current healthcare situation. The overall status of current healthcare was found moderate to very poor and very severe in Sandwip Colony. The absence of public sector healthcare services was identified inside the three study sites. Besides, community hospitals and clinics were the burning issues for maternity and child healthcare along with the unavailability of seeking medicine, especially in the Sandwip Colony. The study concluded that the urgency of establishing a community hospital in the Shershah Colony and a maternity clinic in Burma & Sandwip Colony for free treatment, with specialist doctors, the availability of ambulance by the government and the NGOs. Moreover, community people could arrange medical campaigns and personal hygiene awareness programs in their locality. Further study and a structural policy are needed to formulate the improvement of the urban poor’s healthcare services in Chittagong city. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Centennial Special Volume June 2022: 29-41

COVID-19 and Cushing's disease in a patient with ACTH-secreting pituitary carcinoma.

SummaryThe pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is of an unprecedented magnitude and has made it challenging to properly treat patients with urgent or rare endocrine disorders. Little is known about the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with rare endocrine malignancies, such as pituitary carcinoma. We describe the case of a 43-year-old patient with adrenocorticotrophic hormone-secreting pituitary carcinoma who developed a severe COVID-19 infection. He had stabilized Cushing’s disease after multiple lines of treatment and was currently receiving maintenance immunotherapy with nivolumab (240 mg every 2 weeks) and steroidogenesis inhibition with ketoconazole (800 mg daily). On admission, he was urgently intubated for respiratory exhaustion. Supplementation of corticosteroid requirements consisted of high-dose dexamethasone, in analogy with the RECOVERY trial, followed by the reintroduction of ketoconazole under the coverage of a hydrocortisone stress regimen, which was continued at a dose depending on the current level of stress. He had a prolonged and complicated stay at the intensive care unit but was eventually discharged and able to continue his rehabilitation. The case points out that multiple risk factors for severe COVID-19 are present in patients with Cushing’s syndrome. ‘Block-replacement’ therapy with suppression of endogenous steroidogenesis and supplementation of corticosteroid requirements might be preferred in this patient population.Learning pointsComorbidities for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are frequently present in patients with Cushing’s syndrome.‘Block-replacement’ with suppression of endogenous steroidogenesis and supplementation of corticosteroid requirements might be preferred to reduce the need for biochemical monitoring and avoid adrenal insufficiency.The optimal corticosteroid dose/choice for COVID-19 is unclear, especially in patients with endogenous glucocorticoid excess.First-line surgery vs initial disease control with steroidogenesis inhibitors for Cushing’s disease should be discussed depending on the current healthcare situation.

A systematic review of risk stratification tools internationally used in primary care settings.

Background and AimsIn our current healthcare situation, burden on healthcare services is increasing, with higher costs and increased utilization. Structured population health management has been developed as an approach to balance quality with increasing costs. This approach identifies sub‐populations with comparable health risks, to tailor interventions for those that will benefit the most. Worldwide, the use of routine healthcare data extracted from electronic health registries for risk stratification approaches is increasing. Different risk stratification tools are used on different levels of the healthcare continuum. In this systematic literature review, we aimed to explore which tools are used in primary healthcare settings and assess their performance.MethodsWe performed a systematic literature review of studies applying risk stratification tools with health outcomes in primary care populations. Studies in Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries published in English‐language journals were included. Search engines were utilized with keywords, for example, “primary care,” “risk stratification,” and “model.” Risk stratification tools were compared based on different measures: area under the curve (AUC) and C‐statistics for dichotomous outcomes and R 2 for continuous outcomes.ResultsThe search provided 4718 articles. Specific election criteria such as primary care populations, generic health utilization outcomes, and routinely collected data sources identified 61 articles, reporting on 31 different models. The three most frequently applied models were the Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG, n = 23), the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI, n = 19), and the Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC, n = 7). Most AUC and C‐statistic values were above 0.7, with ACG showing slightly improved scores compared with the CCI and HCC (typically between 0.6 and 0.7).ConclusionBased on statistical performance, the validity of the ACG was the highest, followed by the CCI and the HCC. The ACG also appeared to be the most flexible, with the use of different international coding systems and measuring a wider variety of health outcomes.

Surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive review of current recommendations

The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a global health emergency that has also caused profound changes in the treatment of cancer. The management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) across the world has been modified according to the scarcity of care resources that have been diverted mostly to face the surge of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Oncological and hepatobiliary societies have drafted recommendations regarding the adaptation of guidelines for the management of HCC to the current healthcare situation. This review focuses on specific recommendations for the surgical treatment of HCC (i.e., hepatic resection and liver transplantation), which still represents the best chance of cure for patients with very early and early HCC. While surgery should be pursued for very selected patients in institutions where standards of care are maintained, alternative or bridging methods, mostly thermoablation and transarterial therapies, can be used until surgery can be performed. The prognosis of patients with HCC largely depends on both the characteristics of the tumour and the stage of underlying liver disease. Risk stratification plays a pivotal role in determining the most appropriate treatment for each case and needs to balance the chance of cure and the risk of COVID-19 infection during hospitalization. Current recommendations have been critically reviewed to provide a reference for best practices in the clinical setting, with adaptation based on pandemic trends and categorization according to COVID-19 prevalence.

Experiences of family caregivers regarding a community-based care- and case-management intervention. A qualitative study.

Family caregivers play an essential role in healthcare for elderly people in primary care settings. The complexity of geriatric patients as well as the fragmentation of healthcare systems can lead to a burden for family caregivers, which can affect their physical and psychological health as well as social relationships, economic productivity and quality of caregiving. Care- and case-management offers a possibility to support, empower and navigate family caregivers through healthcare systems in order to reduce their own burden. The project RubiN (Continuous care in a regional network) was developed to provide regional care- and case-management for outpatient care of the elderly (age >70years) in a primary care setting in Germany. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore experiences and attitudes of family caregivers of geriatric patients regarding the community-based care- and case-management intervention RubiN. Telephone interviews with a purposeful sample of 21 family caregivers enlisted in all RubiN networks were conducted between March and May 2020 and were followed by qualitative content analysis. The main categories, which emerged were namely: (1) current healthcare situation and (2) experiences with RubiN. Main findings suggest that participants in this study valued the provided support and experienced a sense of relief. However, some participants were disappointed with RubiN and the included support by care- and case-managers. A care- and case-management affected caregiving per se as well as the patient's and family caregiver's well-being. Important aspects contributing to these findings were a continuous relationship, training and expertise of the care- and case-managers. Establishing networks between the patients, family caregivers, care- and case-managers and healthcare providers were key components as well as a good explanation about RubiN itself for family caregivers. Therefore, a community-based care- and case-management can play an important role in detecting, facilitating and preventing family caregiver burden.

Versorgungswirksamkeit von Psychotherapie in Österreich

Die aktuelle Versorgungssituation psychisch Kranker in Österreich wird zur Diskussion gestellt. Dabei steht eine Analyse der Versorgungswirksamkeit von Psychotherapeutinnen und Psychotherapeuten in freier Praxis im Vordergrund. Anhand eines Fallbeispiels wird die Wichtigkeit der interdisziplinären Zusammenarbeit erläutert.

Quality of care criteria in the treatment of penile cancer

Penile cancer is arare malignancy and the wide range of quality of care associated with it often results in inferior oncologic and functional treatment outcomes. Assessment of the current healthcare situation in clinical routine and identification of the relevant key features and reference values for quality of care. Search for relevant peer-reviewed articles and published congress abstracts in Medline, Embase and other databases as well as Google web search engine. Key quality features of penile cancer management include organ-sparing surgery of the primary tumor, invasive inguinal lymph node staging and systemic treatment. Adherence to treatment guidelines is currently low. Centralization of care has already led to aconsiderable improvement in the quality of care in some areas and increasing conformity with the guidelines' recommendations. Centralization of care and networks based on this can significantly improve patient outcomes. Thus, reference values for core parameters of quality cancer care can be generated and validated. Moreover, organ-sparing surgery, invasive lymph node staging and systemic therapy should be increasingly utilized. As areference value, 90% adherence to the guidelines for these three features is recommended. However, before centralization of care can be introduced, aspects relevant to practical implementation must be addressed, such as the reimbursement of travel costs for those affected, infrastructure costs and instruments to measure quality of life and patient satisfaction after centralization.

Research on the Development of Shaoxing Health Care Industry under the Background of Digital Economy

In recent years,China's economy has developed rapidly and people's lives have generally improved, but there are also many problems accompanying it. The life pressure of the population is high, the rural population is migrating to cities to work, and there are many left-behind elderly in the rural areas; aging is increasing, and the retirement age in cities continues to shift. As the problem of aging in our country becomes increasingly prominent, the need to build a digital health care industry is becoming more urgent. At present, the current situation of health care in our country is problematic. In this regard, we should face up to the problems existing in the current traditional health care model, and actively introduce "Internet +" to create a digital health care industry. Through changing thinking and strengthening management, it can provide the elderly with more accurate. At the same time, the service of the elderly can also shorten the distance between the elderly and the society, and truly achieve "the elderly have a sense of support" at the same time.

Problems of implementing the rights to housing and health protection of internally displaced persons in Ukraine: theoretical and practical aspects

The article studies the problems of state provision of such socio-economic rights and freedoms of internally displaced persons as the right to housing and the right to health protections and proposes updating of current legislation in this area. It is found that Ukraine lacks the Unified registry of state, communal and private property to register internally displaced persons. Special emphasis is laid on the necessity for such registry’s provision and maintenance. The low level of medical services provision of internally displaced persons is revealed. The cause of displacement is identified and recommendations concerning improvement of the current healthcare situation are given.

Living with coronavirus outbreak in India.

The present paper focuses on living with coronavirus outbreak in India. This piece emphasizes on various policies adopted by the government of India to face the coronavirus crisis. It brings into perspective what financial strides the economy is going through, the mental health of the citizens, and the current situation of health care in the country. The current commentary reflects the learnings from COVID-19, the role of defined governmental policies, and support in surviving such an unforeseen situation.

Substance-related disorders in adolescence and young adulthood

Substance-related disorders in adolescence and young adulthood Abstract. Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of addiction and comorbid psychological disorders. Although substance use disorders (SUD) are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions and a leading cause for hospitalization in the young population, young people with SUD can be considered an underserved population. Existing capacities for the provision of specific health services including withdrawal treatment for young SUD patients are inadequate, and medical rehabilitation facilities are lacking almost completely. Because SUD often becomes a chronic condition with high degree of relapse, from a life-course perspective this demands a highly connected healthcare structure at the intersection of child and adolescent and adult psychiatry as well as other health services. These interconnected services must be sensitive to the developmental needs and aspects of adolescent SUD, such as motivational, social, and educational factors. Moreover, there is a need for ongoing and often multidisciplinary support during the transition from child and adolescent to adult psychiatry with a transparent medical documentation and clear allocation of costs. The establishment and formative evaluation of (specific) medical rehabilitation facilities for children, adolescents, and young adults is highly recommended to improve the current healthcare situation for young SUD patients.

Prevalence, symptomatology, risk factors and healthcare services utilization regarding paternal depression in Germany: study protocol of a controlled cross-sectional epidemiological study

BackgroundWhile postpartum depression is a well-researched disorder in mothers, there is growing evidence indicating that some fathers also develop depressive symptoms (paternal postpartum depression, PPD). A recent meta-analysis revealed a total prevalence of paternal depression during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum of 8.4%, with significant heterogeneity observed among prevalence rates. International studies suggest that PPD is characterized by additional symptoms compared to maternal postpartum depression. Furthermore, various risk factors of PPD have been identified. However, the prevalence, symptomatology, risk factors and healthcare situation of fathers affected by PPD in Germany are unknown.Methods/designThis study comprises a controlled, cross-sectional epidemiological survey administered via postal questionnaires. The primary objective is to compare the prevalence of depressive symptoms in fathers with a 0–12-month-old infant to the prevalence of depressive symptoms in men without recent paternity. Two structurally differing regions (concerning birthrate, employment status, socioeconomic structure, and nationality of inhabitants) will be included. A random sample of 4600 fathers (2300 in each region) in the postpartum period and 4600 men without recent paternity matched by age, nationality and marital status will be assessed regarding depressive symptoms using the PHQ-9. Contact data will be extracted from residents’ registration offices. As secondary objectives, the study aims to provide insights into symptoms and risk factors of PPD in fathers and to assess the current healthcare situation of fathers with PPD in Germany. In an add-on study, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of PPD will be explored.DiscussionThis study will conduct the first direct comparison between fathers in the postpartum period of one year after childbirth and a matched sample of men without a newborn child. Besides closing this research gap, the findings will provide prevalence estimates as well as insights into specific symptomatology, risk factors, and the current healthcare situation regarding fathers with PPD in Germany. The results will identify low-threshold approaches as a relevant issue for healthcare. Moreover, the findings should inform the development of PPD-specific screening instruments and healthcare offers addressing fathers with PPD.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00013339; Trial registration date: August 20, 2018; Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111–1218-8185.

Accreditation of endocrine surgery units.

A key measure to maintain and improve the quality of healthcare is the formal accreditation of provider units. The European Society of Endocrine Surgeons (ESES) therefore proposes a system of accreditation for endocrine surgical centers in Europe to supplement existing measures that promote high standards in the practice in endocrine surgery. A working group analyzed the current healthcare situation in the field of endocrine surgery in Europe. Two surveys were distributed to ESES members to acquire information about the structure, staffing, caseload, specifications, and technology available to endocrine surgery units. Further data were sought on tracer diagnoses for quality standards, training provision, and research activity. Existing accreditation models related to endocrine surgery were included in the analysis. The analysis of existing accreditation models, available evidence, and survey results suggests that a majority of ESES members aspire to a two-level model (termed competence and reference centers), sub-divided into those providing neck endocrine surgery and those providing endocrine surgery. Criteria for minimum caseload, number and certification of staff, unit structure, on-site collaborating disciplines, research activities, and training capacity for competence center accreditation are proposed. Lastly, quality indicators for distinct tracer diagnoses are defined. Differing healthcare structures, existing accreditation models, training models, and varied case volumes across Europe are barriers to the conception and implementation of a pan-European accreditation model. However, there is consensus on accepted standards required for accrediting an ESES competence center. These will serve as a basis for first-stage accreditation of endocrine surgery units.

Development of health care needs assessment tool for the elderly

Objective To develop a health care needs assessment tool for the elderly at home, which is in line with China's national conditions. Methods Guided by Zuluaga-Raysmith model theory, a health care needs assessment tool for the elderly was developed through literature review, theoretical analysis, expert review, expert consultation and pre-survey. Results An item pool of 10 first-level items and 72 second-level items, which were suitable for home-based elderly health care needs assessment tools was initially formed. Through three rounds of national expert consultation and pre-survey, an elderly health care needs assessment tool consisting of 7 first-level items, 10 second-level items and 61 third-level items was formed. The expert authority coefficient was 0.791, the expert positive coefficient was 100%, and the expert coordination coefficient was 0.935 (P<0.05) . Conclusions The pool of items for the assessment tool is reasonably formed, the results of Delphi expert consultation are reliable. The scale can be widely used after adjustment. It can help medical staff quickly and comprehensively understand the current situation of health care needs of the elderly, provide support for the accurate construction of long-term care service system for the elderly, and support the development of community/home care for the elderly. Key words: Aged; Health care; Needs; Assessment

Understanding Older People's Readiness for Receiving Telehealth: Mixed-Method Study.

BackgroundThe Dutch Ministry of Health has formulated ambitious goals concerning the use of telehealth, leading to subsequent changes compared with the current health care situation, in which 93% of care is delivered face-to-face. Since most care is delivered to older people, the prospect of telehealth raises the question of whether this population is ready for this new way of receiving care. To study this, we created a theoretical framework consisting of 6 factors associated with older people’s intention to use technology.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to understand community-dwelling older people’s readiness for receiving telehealth by studying their intention to use videoconferencing and capacities for using digital technology in daily life as indicators.MethodsA mixed-method triangulation design was used. First, a cross-sectional survey study was performed to investigate older people’s intention to use videoconferencing, by testing our theoretical framework with a multilevel path analysis (phase 1). Second, for deeper understanding of older people’s actual use of digital technology, qualitative observations of older people executing technological tasks (eg, on a computer, cell phone) were conducted at their homes (phase 2).ResultsIn phase 1, a total of 256 people aged 65 years or older participated in the survey study (50.0% male; median age, 70 years; Q1-Q3: 67-76). Using a significance level of .05, we found seven significant associations regarding older people’s perception of videoconferencing. Older people’s (1) intention to use videoconferencing was predicted by their performance expectancy (odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% CI 1.13-1.39), effort expectancy (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07-1.39), and perceived privacy and security (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.17-1.43); (2) their performance expectancy was predicted by their effort expectancy (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24-1.52); and (3) their effort expectancy was predicted by their self-efficacy (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.42-1.68). In phase 2, a total of 6 men and 9 women aged between 65 and 87 years participated in the qualitative observation study. Of the primary themes, 5 themes were identified that could provide greater understanding of older people’s capacities and incapacities in using digital technology: (1) “self-efficacy and digital literacy,” (2) “obstacles to using technology,” (3) “prior experience and frequency of use,” (4) “sources of support and facilitating conditions,” and (5) “performance expectancy.” These 5 themes recurred in all 15 observations.ConclusionsPerformance expectancy, effort expectancy, and perceived privacy and security are direct predictors of older people’s intention to use videoconferencing. Self-efficacy appeared to play a role in both older people’s intention to use, as well as their actual use of technology. The path analysis revealed that self-efficacy was significantly associated with older people’s effort expectancy. Furthermore, self-efficacy and digital literacy appeared to play a major role in older people’s capacities to make use of digital technology.