PERSPECTIVE: Older Adults' Adoption of Technology: An Integrated Approach to Identifying Determinants and Barriers

Abstract

Technology has recently begun to be explored as a way to cope with the challenges related to the aging of the population. However, while many technological systems for older adults have entered the market, the rate of adoption is low despite the potential benefits they intend to provide. The market response suggests that older adults' adoption of technology is not simply a matter of performance and price, but a complex issue that is affected by multiple factors. To address the issue in a more comprehensive way, this review study identifies factors that influence older adults' perceptions and decisions around adoption and use of technology‐enabled products and services with an integration of related findings from various fields. Based on a survey of related studies, 10 factors—value, usability, affordability, accessibility, technical support, social support, emotion, independence, experience, and confidence—are identified as the facilitators or determinants of older adults' adoption of technology. While previous studies have focused on detailed design and physical ease‐of‐use, the 10 factors provide a holistic framework that covers social contexts of use and delivery and communication channels as well as individual characteristics and technical features. This paper describes the factors with empirical evidence and design implications. The goal of this paper is to provide a base for a more comprehensive understanding of older adults as users and consumers of technology; to inform designers, developers, and managers about practical implications; and to set a research agenda for future studies in related fields.

Older people, assistive technologies, and the barriers to adoption: A systematic review

“…Of least concern to older people when adopting ATs are feeling of embarrassment, autonomy and loss of dignity. The identified underlying factors (see table 1 Full-text articles assessed for inclusion (n = 44) [39,42,55] 3…”

Perception of Older Adults Toward Smartwatch Technology for Assessing Pain and Related Patient-Reported Outcomes: Pilot Study (Preprint)

“…This is particularly true for chronic pain that is often highly variable. (34) They also indicated that a simple interface, technical support, and clear instructions are needed to tackle the technological barriers, consistent with other studies (29,35). App interface customization was also a recurring theme across the focus group discussions, to tailor the app to individual needs and preferences of the users, and to accommodate hearing and visual impairment, further underlining the need for usability and accessibility.…”

“…Several previous studies also have found that anxiety is positively correlated with age while self-efficacy is negatively correlated, resulting in lower self-confidence and higher anxiety in older adults when facing new technology (27,32). As Lee and Coughlin point out (33), it is important to build an intuitive design to enhance selfconfidence among older adults. Our focus group results point to the fact that a smartwatch provides a sufficient degree of familiarity by resembling a regular watch, thus facilitating knowledge transfer and overcoming the learning barriers, possibly building confidence in older adults' ability to use this new technology (33).…”

“…In general, while it has been shown that older adults are less likely to use new technology compared with younger adults (27), there is ample evidence that they also desire interaction with new technologies to remain active and engaged with society (28). In a recent framework, Lee and Coughlin identified 10 factors that affect how technology is adopted by older adults, including: perceived value, usability, affordability, accessibility, technical support, social support, emotion, independence, experience, and confidence (29). Our results are consistent with these factors and with other previous studies on the use of technology among older adults (30,31), indicating an interest towards adopting new technology given perceived usefulness and potential benefits.…”

“…As Lee and Coughlin point out (33), it is important to build an intuitive design to enhance selfconfidence among older adults. Our focus group results point to the fact that a smartwatch provides a sufficient degree of familiarity by resembling a regular watch, thus facilitating knowledge transfer and overcoming the learning barriers, possibly building confidence in older adults' ability to use this new technology (33). In general, the participants perceived the smartwatch technology and its use for PRO assessment as an empowering tool as it allows them to provide real-world symptomology to care givers.…”