Investigating the Role of Wearable Devices in Facilitating Telehealth Adoption Among the Aging Population: Mediation Analysis of US National Data.

Abstract

Background: Telehealth adoption has grown significantly, presenting valuable opportunities for the aging population to access health care remotely. Despite evidence of its benefits in managing chronic conditions and promoting independence, many older adults remain hesitant to adopt telehealth, preferring traditional in-person visits even post pandemic. Current literature largely focuses on younger or general populations, overlooking the unique barriers faced by older adults, such as technology literacy and access disparities.

Objective: This study investigates how telehealth adoption among the aging population is influenced and mediated by relevant factors, including the use of wearable devices, demographic factors, health conditions, and physical activity levels.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data collected from March to November 2022. Of the 6252 respondents, 1596 older adults (≥65 years) were included. Telehealth adoption was defined using 2 survey items on receiving or being offered telehealth services. We construct regression and mediation analyses to understand the relationships between telehealth adoption and influential factors, including demographics, physical activity levels, health conditions, and the use of wearable devices.

Results: We found that wearable device use, while not directly significant, plays a critical role in adoption when mediated by factors such as education, income, and general health. Specifically, higher levels of education and income increased the likelihood of telehealth adoption (P<.001), underscoring the importance of socioeconomic status. Additionally, rural versus urban residency emerged as a critical factor (P=.003), with rural residents demonstrating lower adoption rates, highlighting the accessibility and technology literacy barriers in these areas. Health conditions were inversely associated with telehealth adoption, suggesting that healthier individuals may perceive less need for telehealth services. The total effect of wearable use on telehealth adoption was significant (P=.007), with indirect effects via education (P<.001), income (P=.007), and health conditions (P=.004). The findings underscore the role of socioeconomic factors in influencing the adoption of health technologies.

Conclusions: While wearable device use is associated with increased telehealth adoption among older adults, its effect operates primarily through mediating factors such as education, income, and health status. These findings suggest that addressing disparities in socioeconomic status and health literacy is critical to increasing telehealth engagement in aging populations.