E-health for older people: the use of technology in health promotion

Abstract

To meet the needs of frail older people and to promote functional longevity, providing health education and disease prevention to the elderly is important. The present study describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an e-health program for older persons. The objective of the 4-week e-health program was to improve elders' autonomous access to and use of health-related information in the form of physical exercise videography from a government-sponsored Web site. The content of the program included participants' mastery of basic computing skills and accessing and enhancing participants' interest in seeking health-related knowledge and information via the Internet. Data were collected in weeks 1 (pretest) and 4 (posttest) using questionnaires and open-ended questions. Thirty older people participated in the study (9 males, 21 females, aged 65-80 years, with the mean age of 72). Participants' mastery of basic computer operating skills increased significantly (p < 0.05); they were able to access health information via the Internet and had gained health-related knowledge by week 4 posttest (p < 0.05). The overall learning experience was positive. In conclusion, the collaboration of community partners in sponsoring a technology-based e-health program would be an effective way to provide health education to older people.