Tutorials for continued use of mHealth application among older adults: Research proposal

Abstract

Purpose: According to the Pew Research Center, 65% of older Americans had a smartphone in 2021, compared to 13% in 2012 (Faverio, 2022). The three leading objectives of mobile applications targeting older adults are improving their well-being, reducing stress, and providing entertainment (Portenhauser et al., 2021). The usability studies, on the other hand, reveal a different picture. The target groups of those mobile applications complain about the complicated design preventing them from using those health applications continuously (Cajita et al., 2018). American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found that despite the rising trends in older adults’ use of smart technologies, only 13% of surveyed seniors benefit from health management devices (Kakulla, 2023). Considering the low digital literacy rates among this age group, proper instructions can be one of the solutions the app designers can offer to the older end users. To address the mHealth design issue, this experimental study aims to identify the best practices for building the mHealth instructional guide for older adults. Method: Participants 65 years old and above will be recruited for the experimental study. After administering a pre-test questionnaire to understand the mobile technology acceptance beliefs among them, the participants will be split into experimental and control groups. Both groups will receive one-time in-person instruction on how to use the app. Following this hands-on instruction, the experimental group will be guided to access an on-demand tutorial for the instances in which they experience any technical difficulties in the future use of the application. Three months later, both groups will be approached with the post-test questionnaire aiming to show the changes in mobile technology acceptance attitudes. Implications: The study has a design implication, providing an end-user-directed perspective on mHealth use and potential improvements in tutorial design. Besides, the study is expected to show the differences in the impact of different modalities on mHealth knowledge