Using ‘Health’ to Promote Older Adults’ Digital Health Literacy
Main Article Content
Abstract
Aim: This project explored requirements for digital learning to support digital health literacy of older adults within a rural region.
Method: A qualitative study with purposeful sampling and thematic analysis of data. Interviews were held with ten digital educators and seven older adults (four with low vision) living and/or working in rural New Zealand.
Results: All participants recognised the importance of trust and having the right people to provide support and foster positive engagement with digital technologies. The digital educators recognised a missed opportunity to engage older adults using health as a topic for digital learning.
Conclusion: A positive experience with learning to use digital technologies is necessary to facilitate digital health literacy for older adults. Digital educators want access to reputable resources to promote health websites; many don’t know these exist. A wide range of digital literacy learning services exist which need to be better promoted in hard copy and online. The authors recommend building on older adults’ existing relationships, engaging with community groups, providing pop-up sessions, and running events to increase digital technological knowledge and engage with health information online. The key is utilising the right people to support the older adult with opportunities for digital skills uptake.
Keywords:
digital literacy, older adult, digital learning, health, technology, skills
Article Details
How to Cite
LOCKHART, Caroline A.; HUNTER, Inga.
Using ‘Health’ to Promote Older Adults’ Digital Health Literacy.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 6, july 2024.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5579>. Date accessed: 02 july 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i6.5579.
Section
Research Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
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33. Köttl H, Gallistl V, Rohner R, Ayalon L. "But at the age of 85? Forget it!": Internalized ageism, a barrier to technology use. J Aging Stud. 2021;59:100971. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100971
2. Parker R, Ratzan SC. Health literacy: a second decade of distinction for Americans. J Health Commun. 2010;15 Suppl 2:20-33. doi:10.1080/10810730.2010.501094
3. Dunn P, Hazzard E. Technology approaches to digital health literacy. Int J Cardiol. 2019;293:294-296. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.06.039
4. McCosker A, Critchley C, Walshe J, Tucker J, Suchowerska R. Accounting for diversity in older adults’ digital inclusion and literacy: the impact of a national intervention. Ageing and Society. 2023;43(11):2629-2649. doi:10.1017/S0144686X21001550
5. Nutbeam D, Lloyd JE. Understanding and responding to health literacy as a social determinant of health. Annu Rev Public Health. 2021 Apr 1;42(1):159-73. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102529
6. Stormacq C, Van den Broucke S, Wosinski J. Does health literacy mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and health disparities? Integrative review. Health Promot Int. 2019;34(5):e1-e17. doi:10.1093/heapro/day062
7. Associate Minister of Health. Healthy Ageing Strategy. Ministry of Health NZ. 13 December 2016. Accessed 11 October 2022. https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/healthy-ageing-strategy_june_2017.pdf
8. Jung SO, Son YH, Choi E. E-health literacy in older adults: an evolutionary concept analysis. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2022;22(28). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-01761-5
9. The New Zealand Health Strategy 2016. Ministry of Health NZ. 18 April 2016. Accessed 11 October 2022. https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/new-zealand-health-strategy-2016.
10. Grimes A, White D. Digital Inclusion and Wellbeing in New Zealand. Motu Working Paper 19-17. Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. A report to the Department of Internal Affairs. October 2019. Accessed 11 October 2022. https://motu-www.motu.org.nz/wpapers/19_17.pdf
11. Alhassan MD, Adam IO. The effects of digital inclusion and ICT access on the quality of life: A global perspective. Technology in Society. 2021;64:101511.
12. Peek ST, Luijkx KG, Rijnaard MD, et al. Older Adults' Reasons for Using Technology while Aging in Place. Gerontology. 2016;62(2):226-37.
13. Crengle S, Luke JN, Lambert M, et al. Effect of a health literacy intervention trial on knowledge about cardiovascular disease medications among Indigenous peoples in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. BMJ Open. 2018;8(1):e018569. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018569
14. Penchansky R, Thomas JW. The concept of access: definition and relationship to consumer satisfaction. Med Care. 1981;19(2):127-140. doi:10.1097/00005650-198102000-00001
15. May CR, Eton DT, Boehmer K, et al. Rethinking the patient: using Burden of Treatment Theory to understand the changing dynamics of illness. BMC Health Serv Res. 2014;14(1).
16. Hunter I, Lockhart C, Rao V, et al. Enabling Rural Telehealth for Older Adults in Underserved Rural Communities: Focus Group Study. JMIR Form Res. 2022;6(11):e35864.
17. O’Connor S, Hanlon P, O’Donnell CA, Garcia S, Glanville J, Mair FS. Understanding factors affecting patient and public engagement and recruitment to digital health interventions: a systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2016;16(1).
18. Henni SH, Maurud S, Fuglerud KS, Moen A. The experiences, needs and barriers of people with impairments related to usability and accessibility of digital health solutions, levels of involvement in the design process and strategies for participatory and universal design: a scoping review. BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1). doi:10.1186/s12889-021-12393-1
19. Urban rural New Zealand [Internet]. Stats NZ. 2021. Accessed 11 October 2022. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f98ae8750e8d4690a48ed3e827b1efdc.
20. Long-term projections for Manawatū region: Executive summary. 2020. Accessed 11 October 2022. https://ceda.nz/wp-content/themes/ceda/uploads/Long-Term-Projections-2020-Manawatu-Report.pdf
21. Massey University. Code of ethical conduct for research, teaching and evaluations involving human participants. 2017. Accessed 22 October 2022. https://www.massey.ac.nz/documents/1590/Code_Ethical_Conduct_Research_Teaching_Evaluations_Involving_Human_Participants.pdf
22. Braun V, Clarke V. Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qual Res Psych. 2006;3(2):77-101.
23. Sieck CJ, Sheon A, Ancker JS, Castek J, Callahan B, Siefer A. Digital inclusion as a social determinant of health. npj Digit Med. 2021;4(1).
24. Blažič BJ, Blažič AJ. Overcoming the digital divide with a modern approach to learning digital skills for the elderly adults. Educ Inf Technol. 2020; 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-09961-9
25. Damodaran L, Sandhu J. The role of a social context for ICT learning and support in reducing digital inequalities for older ICT users. International Journal of Learning Technology. 2016;11(2):156. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJLT.2016.077520
26. Honey M, Collins E, Britnell S. Education Into Policy: Embedding Health Informatics to Prepare Future Nurses—New Zealand Case Study. JMIR Nurs. 2020;3(1):e16186. doi:10.2196/16186
27. Mather C, Cummings E, Gale F. Nurses as Stakeholders in the Adoption of Mobile Technology in Australian Health Care Environments: Interview study. JMIR Nurs. 2019 Aug 9;2(1):e14279. doi: 10.2196/14279
28. Nazeha N, Pavagadhi D, Kyaw BM, et al. A Digitally Competent Health Workforce: Scoping Review of Educational Frameworks. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Nov 5;22(11):e22706. doi: 10.2196/22706
29. Luijkx K, Peek S, Wouters E. "Grandma, You Should Do It--It's Cool" Older Adults and the Role of Family Members in Their Acceptance of Technology. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(12):15470-15485. Published 2015 Dec 5. doi:10.3390/ijerph121214999
30. Kuoppamäki S, Hänninen R, Taipale S. Enhancing Older Adults’ Digital Inclusion Through Social Support: A Qualitative Interview Study. In Tsatsou P, editor. Vulnerable People and Digital Inclusion: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives. Palgrave MacMillan [eBook]; 2022 (pp. 211-230).
31. Konttila J, Siira H, Kyngäs H, et al. Healthcare professionals' competence in digitalisation: A systematic review. J Clin Nurs. 2019;28(5-6):745-761. doi:10.1111/jocn.14710
32. Mace RA, Mattos MK, Vranceanu AM. Older adults can use technology: why healthcare professionals must overcome ageism in digital health [published correction appears in Transl Behav Med. 2022 Nov 03;:]. Transl Behav Med. 2022;12(12):1102-1105. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibac070
33. Köttl H, Gallistl V, Rohner R, Ayalon L. "But at the age of 85? Forget it!": Internalized ageism, a barrier to technology use. J Aging Stud. 2021;59:100971. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100971