What helped older people use a phone and video conferencing service in Finnish Lapland?

Details

The study addressed a need to better understand how older people use, do not use, and learn about eHealth services in everyday life. It examined a phone and video conferencing service intended to promote social connectedness and well-being among older people in sparsely populated Finnish Lapland.

In this case study, researchers conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with one service coordinator, two volunteers, and two service users. The volunteers were 69 and 71 years old, and the users were 88 and 89.

The coordinator and volunteers described the service as new and needed in sparsely populated areas. They said it supported older people’s social interaction and well-being. Some users, however, experienced inconvenience and concerns, including negative feelings due to technical problems.

Reported barriers to learning and using the service included a negative perception of oneself as a technology user and cognitive and physical difficulties. Reported enablers included technical support and older people’s willingness and ability to practice and learn. The authors concluded that eHealth services can be experienced as useful, especially by older people in sparsely populated areas. However, inconvenience, concerns, and barriers were recognized as influencing willingness to use the service.

The authors also concluded that older people’s digital competence and digital competencies distributed within their network play important roles in learning to use and using an eHealth service. Digital competence also influences how the technology becomes part of everyday life.