Understanding User Acceptance, Inclusion, and the Societal Impact of Digital Health Technologies

It is estimated that by 2030, 1 in 6 members of the global population will
be aged 60 or over. This population group is at greater risk of experiencing chronic
health conditions that can impact daily living activities. The availability of smart
health solutions provides an opportunity to support healthy and active ageing,
however, technology adoption may be impacted by several factors including a user’s
willingness to accept technology, and their perception of the usefulness and usability
of digital services. Moreover, a lack of digital literacy skills may also reduce the
benefits of using health technology. In this work we describe the development of a
Europe-wide survey that seeks opinions regarding digital health technologies, in
order to better understand user needs as a predictor of user acceptance. The survey
focuses on the Smart and Healthy Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive
Systems (SHAPES) [1] platform. The EU funded SHAPES project is developing a
large-scale, EU-standardised open platform that will provide smart health solutions
for older people. The platform includes smart health devices, telehealth services, IoT
platforms and predictive modelling.
The survey instrument describes the use of SHAPES digital health solutions through
four co-created digital story videos that describe the lifestyle of an older person and
highlight how the symptoms of a health condition (e.g. diabetes, heart failure) affect
their daily activities. Each video illustrates how digital health could be used by an
individual to help manage their symptoms and support their lifestyle. The survey
includes questions that focus on three categories that surround technology adoption
- user acceptance, digital inclusion, and the societal impact of technology.
Several of the questions are based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and
focus on two factors that are often found to be prominent determinants of whether a
user will accept a technology, perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use.
Trust is often identified as a factor that will predict a user’s willingness to use a
technology therefore the respondents’ perception of the trustworthiness of the digital
health technologies is also reviewed.
Digital inclusion refers to having the skills and connectivity to use digital technologies
therefore several questions focus on whether potential users would have the skills
and confidence to use the technologies, and the amount of training needed.

An individual is more likely to use a digital health technology if they can perceive a
health benefit(s) therefore the survey also discusses the socioeconomic benefits that
may be obtained from widespread adoption of health technologies. This includes
whether using the technology could sustain the independence and quality of life of
the user, and the economic impact on health systems.
It is the aim of this research that the survey will uncover factors that are likely to
encourage adoption of the SHAPES digital health solutions or act as barriers, hence
providing vital new information into the prediction of acceptance of digital health
innovations.
[1] https://shapes2020.eu