Engagement With Digital Health Technologies Among Older People Living in Socially Deprived Areas: Qualitative Study of Influencing Factors
Authors: Chadwick Helen , Laverty Louise , Finnigan Robert , Elias Robert , Farrington Ken , Caskey Fergus J , van der Veer Sabine N 
Published: December 2024

Background

The potential benefits of incorporating digital technologies into health care are well documented. For example, they can improve access for patients living in remote or underresourced locations. However, despite often having the greatest health needs, people who are older or living in more socially deprived areas may be less likely to have access to these technologies and often lack the skills to use them. This puts them at risk of experiencing further health inequities. In addition, we know that digital health inequities associated with older age may be compounded by lower socioeconomic status. Yet, there is limited research on the intersectional barriers and facilitators for engagement with digital health technology by older people who are particularly marginalized.

Objective

This study aimed to explore factors influencing engagement with digital health technologies among people at the intersection of being older and socially deprived.

Methods

We conducted semistructured interviews with people who were 70 years or older, living in a socially deprived area, or both. Chronic kidney disease was our clinical context. We thematically analyzed interview transcripts using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as a theoretical framework.

Results

We interviewed 26 people. The majority were White British (n=20) and had moderate health and digital literacy levels (n=10 and n=11, respectively). A total of 13 participants were 70 years of age or older and living in a socially deprived area. Across participants, we identified 2 main themes from the interview data. The first showed that some individuals did not use digital health technologies due to a lack of engagement with digital technology in general. The second theme indicated that people felt that digital health technologies were “not for them.” We identified the following key engagement factors, with the first 2 particularly impacting participants who were both older and socially deprived: lack of opportunities in the workplace to become digitally proficient; lack of appropriate support from family and friends; negative perceptions of age-related social norms about technology use; and reduced intrinsic motivation to engage with digital health technology because of a perceived lack of relevant benefits. Participants on the intersection of older age and social deprivation also felt significant anxiety around using digital technology and reported a sense of distrust toward digital health care.

Conclusions

We identified factors that may have a more pronounced negative impact on the health equity of older people living in socially deprived areas compared with their counterparts who only have one of these characteristics. Successful implementation of digital health interventions therefore warrants dedicated strategies for managing the digital health equity impact on this group. Future studies should further develop these strategies and investigate their effectiveness, as well as explore the influence of related characteristics, such as educational attainment and ethnicity.