April 4-6, 2024 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Innovations in Health Communication
Innovations in Health Communication
Abstract: Silver Care Anywhere: Applied Communication Research on Perceptions and Adoption of Telemonitoring Among Older Adults in Singapore
Introduction
Telemonitoring emerges as a pivotal solution for addressing the healthcare needs of Singapore's rapidly aging population. Despite its potential, the effective deployment and usage of telemonitoring technologies are hampered by communication inequalities, particularly impacting the elderly, its primary beneficiaries. The "Silver Care Anywhere" initiative represents an innovative applied communication research intervention. Its dual objectives are to examine the perceptions of Singaporean older adult residents towards an existing telemonitoring service, FullHealth, and to conduct a health campaign pilot. This pilot aims to (a) investigate the perceptions of Singaporean senior residents towards an existing telemonitoring service and (b) pilot a health campaign that explores the role of health control beliefs, framing strategies, and message modalities on the acceptance of telemonitoring adoption.
Method
This study is structured into two distinct yet complementary research components. Study One engaged in qualitative interviews with 17 older adults, encompassing both users and non-users of FullHealth, a community-based telemonitoring service in Singapore. The aim was to unearth facilitators and barriers influencing telemonitoring adoption. These interviews yielded key thematic insights, with a particular focus on the locus of control as a potential moderating factor. Study Two transitioned to an experimental setup, testing the impact of different message framing (episodic vs. thematic) and message modalities (video vs photo-text) on the older group's acceptance of telemonitoring. This was executed through a designed community-based three-week pilot campaign involving 120 participants.
Results
The findings from Study One have identified dominant motivators and barriers to telemonitoring use among older adult citizens. Accessibility, affordability, and health benefits emerged as key motivators, whereas a preference for in-person consultations, perceived limitations of remote monitoring, and challenges in information processing stood out as significant barriers. Study Two's results showed that episodic framing combined with photo-text modality had a more profound impact on shaping positive attitudes towards telemonitoring compared to thematic framing and video modality. Additionally, the presence of an external locus of control was found to moderate the relationship between the type of framing employed and the attitudes towards utilizing telemonitoring services.
Discussion
In our study focusing on Singapore's elderly population, we found that while convenience, price, and health benefits drive telemonitoring adoption, challenges such as a preference for traditional medical visits and cognitive processing limitations act as barriers. Significantly, our findings revealed that episodic framing and photo-text modality resonated more effectively with this demographic than thematic framing and video modality. This suggests a strategic pivot towards communication methods that align with the elderly's information processing preferences. Next, the study highlighted the moderating role of external locus of control in shaping attitudes towards telemonitoring. This finding underscores the importance of incorporating psychological factors into telemonitoring communication strategies, particularly in a culturally diverse setting like Singapore. Our research suggests that telemonitoring campaigns tailored to the cognitive and cultural nuances of the elderly can significantly enhance their receptiveness to such technologies. This approach is especially pertinent for organizations with constrained resources, as it points to more cost-effective yet impactful communication mediums.
Telemonitoring emerges as a pivotal solution for addressing the healthcare needs of Singapore's rapidly aging population. Despite its potential, the effective deployment and usage of telemonitoring technologies are hampered by communication inequalities, particularly impacting the elderly, its primary beneficiaries. The "Silver Care Anywhere" initiative represents an innovative applied communication research intervention. Its dual objectives are to examine the perceptions of Singaporean older adult residents towards an existing telemonitoring service, FullHealth, and to conduct a health campaign pilot. This pilot aims to (a) investigate the perceptions of Singaporean senior residents towards an existing telemonitoring service and (b) pilot a health campaign that explores the role of health control beliefs, framing strategies, and message modalities on the acceptance of telemonitoring adoption.
Method
This study is structured into two distinct yet complementary research components. Study One engaged in qualitative interviews with 17 older adults, encompassing both users and non-users of FullHealth, a community-based telemonitoring service in Singapore. The aim was to unearth facilitators and barriers influencing telemonitoring adoption. These interviews yielded key thematic insights, with a particular focus on the locus of control as a potential moderating factor. Study Two transitioned to an experimental setup, testing the impact of different message framing (episodic vs. thematic) and message modalities (video vs photo-text) on the older group's acceptance of telemonitoring. This was executed through a designed community-based three-week pilot campaign involving 120 participants.
Results
The findings from Study One have identified dominant motivators and barriers to telemonitoring use among older adult citizens. Accessibility, affordability, and health benefits emerged as key motivators, whereas a preference for in-person consultations, perceived limitations of remote monitoring, and challenges in information processing stood out as significant barriers. Study Two's results showed that episodic framing combined with photo-text modality had a more profound impact on shaping positive attitudes towards telemonitoring compared to thematic framing and video modality. Additionally, the presence of an external locus of control was found to moderate the relationship between the type of framing employed and the attitudes towards utilizing telemonitoring services.
Discussion
In our study focusing on Singapore's elderly population, we found that while convenience, price, and health benefits drive telemonitoring adoption, challenges such as a preference for traditional medical visits and cognitive processing limitations act as barriers. Significantly, our findings revealed that episodic framing and photo-text modality resonated more effectively with this demographic than thematic framing and video modality. This suggests a strategic pivot towards communication methods that align with the elderly's information processing preferences. Next, the study highlighted the moderating role of external locus of control in shaping attitudes towards telemonitoring. This finding underscores the importance of incorporating psychological factors into telemonitoring communication strategies, particularly in a culturally diverse setting like Singapore. Our research suggests that telemonitoring campaigns tailored to the cognitive and cultural nuances of the elderly can significantly enhance their receptiveness to such technologies. This approach is especially pertinent for organizations with constrained resources, as it points to more cost-effective yet impactful communication mediums.