Factors, Barriers, and Recommendations Related to Mobile Health Acceptance among the Elderly in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The use of mobile health (mHealth) is providing value to the elderly, but their acceptance of it is lower than in other age groups. Thus, this study aims to explore the factors influencing their intention to use mHealth and identify barriers and suggested solutions among elderly people aged 50+ years in Saudi Arabia, guided by the Healthcare Technology Acceptance Model (H-TAM). In this qualitative study, 14 elderly people (six females and eight males) were recruited. Participants were included if they were Saudi, aged 50+ years, and used smartphones. Participants were engaged in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Peer review was conducted and saturation was reached to maintain rigor. Three major themes emerged: (1) factors affecting intention to use, (2) concerns and barriers, and (3) solutions and recommendations. Influenced factors were identified as perceived usefulness, perceived need, perceived ease of use, perceived benefits, familiarity, trust in technology, advice acceptance, facilitating conditions (family support), and compatibility. Older participants, particularly those with lower educational attainment, displayed less familiarity with mHealth. Lack of digital literacy, health and aging issues, worry about making mistakes, and social issues emerged as central barriers. Addressing these factors in the design and promotion of mHealth can enhance its successful adoption among the elderly.

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“…The theoretical foundation of this research is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was first developed to investigate how new technology adoption occurs [16], [17]. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), which focuses on how individuals assess the value and benefits of blockchain technology, forms the basis of this model [18], [19].…”

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“…Evaluating the acceptance of mobile health applications tailored for elderly users, considering factors like user-friendliness, perceived usefulness, and ease of navigation. [4,5,15,19,24,28,47,48] Health Information Systems:…”

“…Furthermore, TAM has been proven useful in understanding the factors influencing the adoption of wearable health devices among the elderly, including smartwatches and fitness trackers designed to monitor vital signs and activity levels [28,45,46]. In the context of mobile health applications, TAM can also help evaluate the acceptance of apps tailored for elderly users, taking into account user-friendliness, perceived usefulness, and ease of navigation [4,5,15,19,24,28,47,48].…”

“…Furthermore, advocating for policies that promote inclusive technology design and accessibility standards is essential, as is encouraging government support for initiatives aimed at bridging the technological literacy gap among older adults. By implementing these comprehensive measures, a concerted effort can be made to overcome barriers and enhance the acceptance and utilization of healthcare technologies among the elderly population [1,3,6,19,25,45,46,58,64,65,[81][82][83][84].…”

“…TAM2, TAM3, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) are examples of extended models that consider social influence, cognitive instrumental processes, and other contextual factors [4,15,16,18]. In the healthcare context, TAM has proven to be valuable for understanding how individuals, especially the elderly, approach and integrate healthcare technologies into their lives [3,4,6,19]. It provides a structured framework for researchers and practitioners to assess the factors influencing technology adoption among elderly individuals, contributing to the development and implementation of more effective and user-friendly healthcare technologies tailored to their specific needs [3,4,6,8].…”