Table 3 Thematic analysis
Themes | Code | Example quotation |
|---|---|---|
Digital engagement | Digital literacy/competency | Building on participants’ level of competence through learning and some self-reflection, including knowledge, personal beliefs, and support [33]. |
Participants felt that their level of awareness was raised and provided them with encouragement to remain active and meet their goals [27]. | ||
Study products either lacked technological competence or participants preferred communicating through calls instead of text messaging [18]. | ||
Age | Visually impaired participants reported difficulties with the interface and felt those interfaces were probably designed for the younger generation [18]. | |
Motivation | Ability to adjust the level of exercise based on individual’s condition. Felt that was both important and motivating [33]. | |
Difficult to find a balance between structure and flexibility [33]. | ||
Person-centred | Participants believed digital tools could positively improve their overall well-being if designed in a patient-centred manner [18]. | |
Communication | Patient and healthcare providers’ communication | Improve and facilitate communication between participants, family caregivers, physicians, and ambulant formal caregivers [18]. |
The overall oncology module is useful to improve my communication with my healthcare provider [42]. | ||
Independence | Independent living | Reduction of stress/pressure on carers. Increased the level of independence and decrease the level of anxiety for participants [3]. |
Being able to remain independent and age in place [18]. | ||
Human connection | Human contacts | Fear that technologies might reduce human contacts such as care, empathy, and emotions [18]. |
The robot was described as being “too cute” and participants felt offended and described it as “childish”, raising the risk of deception [18]. | ||
Social connection | Moving from own home into a nursing (residential care) home and loss of social connection with the local community. Use Facebook, Skype, text messages, iPad, and smartphone to stay in touch with family members living locally and overseas [4]. | |
Language decline with the use of English led to a decline in the ability to communicate with staff members. Able to converse with volunteers in their mother tongue through digital technologies – making video calls thus improvement in well-being [4]. | ||
Privacy and cost | Privacy/safety concerns | Drawing a line for personal space. Risk of redundant data being collected and repurposed, and a risk of data being misused – stolen, or leaked via a third party [18]. |
You have to think about safety. I lose my balance now and then and have to grab hold of a wall or a table when walking by [33]. | ||
Cost concerns | Basic health insurance does not cover reimbursement of digital health technologies, exposing socioeconomic inequalities and low adoption of digital health technologies [18]. |