Previously submitted to: Journal of Participatory Medicine (no longer under consideration since May 27, 2020)
Date Submitted: Feb 4, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Acceptance and uptake of wearable cardiac technologies in older adults: A systematic review and meta-synthesis
ABSTRACT
Background:
An array of wearable cardiac monitoring technologies have become available to consumers in recent years. A primary focus of research has been on the performance, accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of devices, with limited understanding of the barriers and enablers informing acceptance or uptake of these technologies, specifically in older adults
Objective:
This review aimed to explore experiences of older adults and health professionals in relation to using wearable cardiac health monitoring technologies and identify barriers and enablers of acceptance and uptake of these devices.
Methods:
A meta-synthesis was undertaken to synthesise qualitative studies.
Results:
A total of seven studies were included. Four interrelated themes emerged: (1) Feelings of trust, safety and confidence; (2) Functionality and affordability; (3) Risk of stigmatisation; and (4) Assurance of device data.
Conclusions:
This systematic review provides evidence of barriers and enablers in acceptability and uptake of wearable telemonitoring devices based on experiences of older adult, health professionals, and carers. Most significant factors that impact the uptake directly relate to the design aspects of the devices, appropriate and timely feedback, user-friendly technology and issues related to the affordability and cost. Findings highlight the need for end user engagement in the co-design and implementation of such interventions Clinical Trial: N/A