Exploring App use in older adults with a chronic lung condition: ‘The biggest problem I have is I don’t understand my phone at all’
Isis Grigoletto1, Fiona Coll2,3, Sheldon Wulff3, Scott Claxton4, Vinicius Cavalheri2,5,6, Kylie Hill2,5,7 1São Paulo State University (UNESP), Faculty of Science and Technology, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil2Curtin School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia3Physiotherapy Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia4Advara HeartCare, Perth, Western Australia, Australia5Curtin enAble Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia6Allied Health, South Metropolitan Health Service, Perth, Western Australia, Australia7Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Abstract
In older adults with a chronic lung condition, this study explored: (i) commonly used mobile Apps; (ii) the time taken to download an App; and (iii) changes in self-efficacy for downloading an App after a single practice session. In Part A, participants attended a single appointment during which App usage over the previous week was extracted from their smartphones. In Part B, they were asked to download a pedometer App (single appointment). Participants were encouraged to ‘think out loud’ and the appointment was recorded. Before and after the task, participants rated their self-efficacy for downloading an App using a Visual Analogue Scale (0-10). Twenty-seven participants (mean±SD 74±5 years) completed Part A. Commonly used mobile Apps were related to communication (e.g. texting; median [interquartile range] 15 [9-25] min/day), interest (e.g. news; 14 [4-50 min/day] and social media (e.g. Facebook; 4 [0-35 min/day]). Fifteen participants (73±7 years) completed Part B. The median time taken to download the App was 24 [22-37] minutes. Analysis of the ‘think out loud’ data converged into four domains: (i) low self-efficacy for using and learning technology; (ii) reliance on others for help; (iii) unpleasant emotional responses and (iv) challenges due to changes associated with longevity. Self-efficacy increased by 4 (95% confidence interval 2 to 6). People with a lung chronic condition use Apps mainly to facilitate social connection. It will take these people a median of 24 minutes to download an App. However, a single practice session improved self-efficacy for this task.
Biography
Isis Grigoletto has a bachelor’s in Physiotherapy, has specialization in Respiratory Physiotherapy, and a master’s in Physiotherapy from São Paulo State University – UNESP, Brazil. Currently, is a Ph.D. student from UNESP (Brazil) and is working as visiting research associate at Curtin University under Vinicius Cavalheri and Kylie Hill’s supervision.