Telehealth is vital for older folks, allowing them to get healthcare remotely. Many factors affect the usefulness of telehealth, including gender, which has been extensively examined. Villines’ dependent variable is older persons’ telehealth usability, and the independent variable is gender-related telehealth adoption inequalities (Villines, 2020). The study focuses on how women who regularly care for others may adjust to telehealth, affecting its usability. A critical, independent variable affecting women’s telehealth experience is caring. Telehealth is less useful for female caregivers due to their unique situations. The study suggests that gender-based care responsibilities make balancing technology use and management challenging. Due to these variations, the study proposes tailoring telehealth solutions to women’s distinct difficulties and requiring caregivers for older adults’ telehealth use. Understand and address these disparities to design telehealth solutions that operate better for everyone and account for men’s and women’s caregiving roles.
Older persons’ telehealth service effectiveness is the dependent variable, and gender-specific self-care activities are the independent variable. Telehealth technology may promote self-care and self-monitoring depending on gender-specific health practices. Gender-specific distinctions study if self-care variations affect telehealth adoption and use. The study examines how gender differences in self-care affect telehealth usability and efficacy. These complexities clarify gender and telemedicine, helping us understand how older persons embrace and prosper with telehealth. Identifying gender-specific health behaviors helps customize telehealth interventions to men’s and women’s unique requirements and preferences, boosting their usability and impact on older persons’ self-care and monitoring.
Mao examined social expectations for technology adoption in community-dwelling older individuals’ telemedicine hurdles and gender-related issues (Mao, 2022). According to the study, social expectations, including technology learning curves, differ between older men and women. The study examines how gender and society affect the usefulness of telehealth. The study notes that gender-based technology use expectations may create different challenges and opportunities for older men and women using telemedicine. For solution adjustment, the research focuses on recognizing and resolving cultural expectations. Inclusive and focused telehealth solutions require understanding older men’s and women’s issues and goals. A study on how societal norms affect gender-specific telemedicine experiences lays the framework for accessible, culturally and socially sensitive telehealth interventions for older persons. Mao’s research clarifies how gender and cultural expectations affect telemedicine hurdles for community-dwelling older individuals and can inform more inclusive telehealth solutions.
In Rahman, Amit, and Kafy (2022), gender is the independent variable, while telehealth uptake and usability are the dependent variables. Rahman, Amit, and Kafy (2022) examine how gender affects telehealth adoption and use. The research reveals that women may struggle to engage with telehealth due to many caregiving duties. Understanding these gender-specific hurdles is essential for devising interventions that meet men’s and women’s needs.
Race “and its relationship to telehealth usability
Racial and ethnic disparities in telehealth access, use, and efficacy are complex. Numerous studies have studied how race influences telehealth utilization and outcomes. Haynes et al. 2021 probed COVID-19 telehealth racial disparities. The study found that race, socioeconomic status, and technology access affect telehealth use. Telehealth services were complex for Black and Hispanic people due to inadequate mobile and broadband internet connectivity (Haynes et al., 2021). The study emphasizes the need for telehealth usability therapies based on race and socioeconomic status.
Rangachari et al. 2021 addressed a racial gap in telehealth uptake. Historical and structural concerns cause healthcare disparities, including telemedicine (Rangachari et al., 2021). Healthcare mistrust, language barriers, and digital access may affect racial minorities. The ATA promotes culturally competent telehealth programs and policies that overcome these hurdles to ensure equitable use across racial groups. George & George (2023) evaluated telehealth patient satisfaction by race. Telehealth experiences by race are examined. Research suggests that communication, provider-patient interactions, and cultural competence affect telemedicine patient satisfaction (George & George, 2023). Telehealth usability and acceptance among diverse racial groups depend on understanding these distinctions.
Black and Hispanic persons used telemedicine less than White people. Technology literacy, privacy, and virtual care quality impeded telehealth utilization. The study emphasizes the need to close telehealth racial gaps and increase usability for all populations. Healthcare equity depends on race and telehealth usability. Researchers found racial and ethnic disparities in telehealth use, satisfaction, and access.
Education level and its relationship to telehealth usability
Education impacts telehealth usability, access, technical literacy, and health outcomes. Telehealth uptake, use, and efficacy studies demonstrate school-level issues and opportunities. Telehealth may be difficult for less educated persons (Estacio et al., 2019). Telehealth is less popular with less educated people since they need to learn how to utilize it or how it might benefit them (Estacio et al., 2019). This highlights how educational variations affect the creation and delivery of easy-to-use virtual solutions. Telehealth is better when people understand health. This emphasizes the importance of focused education, health literacy, and telehealth usability initiatives to equalize health literacy. Malhotra et al. examined telehealth and education perceptions in 2020. Telemedicine may be worthwhile after college (Malhotra et al., 2020). Telehealth may be easier to use in colleges if more individuals use it. Jones-Jang et al. (2021) link telehealth training to education. Telehealth solutions work better for educated and tech-savvy people (Jones-Jang et al., 2021). However, schooling and digital skills are linked, so working with schools to simplify telehealth for all children is crucial.
A thorough review by Statti and Torres (2020) explores educational variations in telehealth uptake. Educational programs are needed to reduce the digital divide and improve technical literacy among educated people (Statti & Torres, 2020). According to the study, telehealth access can be increased by tackling educational inequities.
Amount of experience with telehealth systems
It is crucial to know how telehealth users’ familiarity with these technologies affects their capacity to use, access, and benefit from services. Using telehealth well requires experience, which has been researched about healthcare results. Sánchez-Cruzado et al. (2021) examine telehealth experience and digital literacy. Telehealth experience is the independent variable, and technology proficiency is the dependent variable. The technology works better for experienced users, making telehealth more useful (Sánchez-Cruzado et al., 2021). Xu et al. (2021) examined patient satisfaction and the usability of the telehealth platform. Patient experience is the independent variable, and telehealth platform usability is the dependent variable. More patients find telehealth systems more straightforward, enhancing user experience (Xu et al., 2021). An intriguing study by Dandapani et al. (2023) examines the telehealth adoption learning curve. The learning curve and telehealth experience are measured. Telehealth requires practice but gets easier (Dandapani et al., 2023). This shows how telehealth usability changes over time and how important it is to have experience getting past the first problems. Petros looks at telehealth experience and patient happiness. The variable being measured is patient experience, and the variable being measured is patient satisfaction with telehealth services. Researchers discovered that telehealth makes patients happier if they have used it before (Petros, 2023). This shows how important experience is for usability.
Experience and how easy it is to use telehealth are linked in a complex and changing way. Studies show that experience improves adoption, digital literacy, patient experience, learning curves, and satisfaction. Because users’ familiarity changes over time and exposure may make therapy more effective, customizing telehealth therapies need to consider experience and usability. Understanding how experience affects usability would help improve telehealth systems and ensure they are widely used.
References
Dandapani, H., Davoodi, N., Serina, P., Keene, S., & Goldberg, E. M. (2023). Telehealth during COVID-19: Perspectives on Usability by US Physicians. Journal of Brown Hospital Medicine, 2(3). https://bhm.scholasticahq.com/article/77982
Estacio, E. V., Whittle, R., & Protheroe, J. (2019). The digital divide: examining socio-demographic factors associated with health literacy, access and use of internet to seek health information. Journal of Health Psychology, 24(12), 1668–1675. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317695429
George, A. S., & George, A. H. (2023). Telemedicine: A New Way to Provide Healthcare. Partners Universal International Innovation Journal, 1(3), 98–129. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8075850
Haynes, N., Ezekwesili, A., Nunes, K., Gumbs, E., Haynes, M., & Swain, J. (2021). “Can you see my screen?” Addressing racial and ethnic disparities in telehealth. Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports, pp. 15, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-021-00685-5
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