Evaluating mobile Health technology use among cancer caregivers in the digital era.
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ABSTRACT: Introduction
Digital health technology-based interventions have the potential to support cancer caregivers in caregiving responsibilities and in managing their own health and well-being. The objective of this study was to examine the association between caregiving characteristics and different types of digital health technologies used in a national sample of caregivers of patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).Methods
We conducted an online, cross-sectional survey of 948 HCT caregivers.Results
Spousal caregivers comprised nearly one-third of respondents (27.1%) with a median age of 59 years (range: 18-80 years), compared with parents (32.9%: 38 years), adult children (28.9%: 38 years), and other (11.1%; e.g. friend, other family member: 36 years). Almost two-thirds (65.4%) of all respondents reported using an app for fitness or step counting and 41.3% reported using a smartwatch. However, spousal caregivers were the least likely group to use mobile apps (0.72; P < 0.005) or smartwatches (OR = 0.46; P < 0.005) compared with parent caregivers in models adjusted for demographics and coping style. Caregiving for six months or greater was associated with the use of fewer apps compared with caregiving for less than six months in adjusted models (OR = 0.80, P < 0.005). Caregivers of patients receiving an allogeneic transplant (i.e. non-self-donor) used more apps on average than caregivers of patients receiving an autologous transplant (i.e. self-donor) in adjusted models (OR = 1.36, P < 0.005).Conclusion
Digital health technologies reflect promising avenues for supporting cancer caregivers. While digital technologies are becoming increasingly pervasive, older caregivers remain an underserved population. Future research should integrate older adult caregivers in the co-design and development activities of technology-driven caregiver support products.
SUBMITTER: Raj M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9234853 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7327318 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDigital technologies (DTs) for older adults focus mainly on health care and are considered to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults. However, adoption rates of these DTs are considered low. Although previous research has investigated possible reasons for adoption and acceptance of DT, age-based stereotypes (eg, those held by health care professionals) toward the abilities of older adults to use DTs have yet to be considered as possible barriers to adoption.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the influencing role of ageism in the context of health care professionals attitudes toward older adults' abilities to use health care DT. A further goal was to examine if social comparison and stereotype activation affect and moderate this association.MethodsA new measurement to assess health care professionals' attitudes toward older adults using technology (ATOAUT-10) was developed and used in 2 studies. Study 1 involved the development of the ATOAUT-10 scale using a principal component analysis and further examined health care professionals' attitudes toward the use of health care DTs and correlations with ageism. Study 2 further explored the correlation between ageism and ATOAUT in an experimental design with health care professionals.ResultsIn study 1, physiotherapists (N=97) rated older adults as young as 50 years as less able to use health care DT compared to younger adults (P<.001). A multiple regression analysis revealed that higher levels of ageism, beyond other predictors, were predictive of more negative ATOAUT, (β=.36; t=3.73; P<.001). In study 2, the salience of age was manipulated. Health care professionals (N=93) were randomly assigned to rate the abilities of a young or old person to use health care DT. Old age salience moderated the correlation between ageism and ATOAUT (R2=0.19; F6,85=3.35; P=.005), such that higher levels of ageism correlated with more negative ATOAUT in the old age salient condition, but not the young condition. Stereotype activation accounted for health care professionals' attitudes more than did the experience of working with older patients or the professionals' age.ConclusionsNegative and ageist attitudes of health care professionals can potentially affect how older adults are viewed in relation to DT and consequently might influence actual use and adoption of technology-based treatment. Future studies should broaden the validation of the ATOAUT-10 scale on more diverse samples and focus on the discriminatory aspect of ageism and self-ageism of older adults. This study calls for a focus on ageism as a determinant of adoption of DT.
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