Older adults are at risk of being excluded from digital society. They do not always find digital health services appealing, or they may have challenges with them. We investigated older adults´ emotional user experiences with digital health services and aimed to give designers tools to make digital health services more appealing for older adults. We interviewed 16 older adults about their experiences with digital health services. The use of digital health services brought joy and increased self-confidence. On the other hand, older adults had many negative emotional user experiences, including fear of pressing buttons and embarrassment of incompetence. In the future, designers should actively look for solutions that alleviate older adults´ fears and further encourage them to use digital health services. To enable that, proposals are made for designing digital health services.
1 Introduction
Older adults are at a great risk of being excluded from digital society [1‐3]. As we age, the risk of chronic disease and multimorbidity and the need for health care increase [4, 5]. Moreover, in this digital age, healthcare is evolving and relying more on digital health services [2, 6]. This can lead to inequalities between different citizen groups [7]: those who need healthcare services most often have challenges using new digital health services. In addition, they face challenges in accessing digital services and available knowledge, and they might sometimes experience being socially excluded [1, 5, 8]. Older adults may experience that they do not have enough knowledge, self-efficacy or support with digital health services, and the benefits of digital health services are not clear them [5].
The exclusion of older adults from digital health services points to technology-driven development processes, where end-users are not involved in design processes [1]. Designers should give attention to the needs of older adults, otherwise the situation will never change [1, 8]. For example, designers should consider older adults´ cognitive capabilities and cognitive changes, such as reduced working memory in their design decisions [9]. At the same time, healthcare providers should take their needs and abilities into account and offer digital health services that are easy to use and motivate older adults to use them [2, 5].
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Emotions are central to user experience [10‐12]. Emotional user experiences are an important part of being human, and in human-computer-interaction, emotional user experiences play a significant role [12, 13]. Emotional user experiences and digital services´ usability become entangled and affect each other [12, 14]. Emotional user experiences together with memories are central when individuals evaluate product success [14], but older adults´ emotional user experiences are especially important to investigate and consider when making design decisions because older adults´ first experiences with new digital services count the most [15]. At the same time, older adults may feel that learning something new, like using digital services, is a labor-intensive process, which challenges the engagement of older adults with digital services [15]. The successful use of technology supports self-efficacy and positive emotions when unsuccessful use of technology may cause even rejection of use [16]. Therefore, we believe that if the emotional user experiences of using digital health services are negative, older adults will reject new services, and their risk of inequal digital health service access will increase.
In this study, we collect emotional user experiences of older adults using digital health services, focusing on citizen´s digitally offered health services (e.g., nationwide patient portals), municipal or private service providers’ digital healthcare services (e.g., digital appointment booking to health centers), and digitally offered social services. We will refer to these various services as “digital health services.” We also give designers and developers tools (as a mode of design proposals) to take older adults experiences into account in design and development decisions, to lower the existing barriers to the use of digital health services and reduce older adults´ fears.
This research is guided by two questions: 1) What emotional user experiences do older adults have with digital health services? and 2) How can older adults be considered when designing digital health services?
2 Related Work
2.1 Older Adults´ Emotional User Experiences with Digital Services
Among all age groups, digital services cause experiences with full of emotions. At least 1) frustration 2) feeling of competent 3) pleasantness, 4) anxiety, 5) confusion, 6) desperation, 7) pride, 8) determination, 9) annoyance, 10) excitedness, 11) feeling of success, 12) feeling of self-efficacy, 13) vigilance, 14) fear, 15) trust, 16) sorrow, 17) pleasantness, 18) unpleasantness, and 19) confidence of digital services use have been recognized [13, 16, 17].
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When older adults´ experiences using computers and search engines were investigated it was found, for example, that content with unfamiliar language was problematic: too-difficult terminology in the user interface caused confusion and emotional user experience of helplessness [18].
The negative emotional user experiences, like fear, frustration, or worries, arise when older adults try to cope with the challenges of technology [19]. Challenges again rise, for example, when training materials are poor, support is not available, the user interfaces change too quickly, or older adults face physical limitations, such as hand tremors [15, 19]. The importance of support and the availability of manuals are emphasized [15].
2.2 Older Adults´ Emotional User Experiences with Health Technology
Older adults’ needs for health technology is increasing. When the older adults´ emotional user experiences with health technology, including the internet, computers, and healthcare applications were studied, both love and hate were identified, as well as concerns, confusion, and frustration, but emotional user experiences of being safe and getting help were also present [9, 20]. For example, older adults with health problems such as diabetes found that health technology benefited them, but the user interface and the use process bought challenges. In the interview study for older adults (n = 50) in Hong Kong was recognized that they had a fear of making mistakes with the devices and user interfaces [9]. Some of them did not want to use health technology at all, and behind the frustration was suspected to be a lack of skills and overly complex devices [9, 20]. The health technology should empower older adults; instead of increasing worries, it should offer experiences of self-confidence and improve older adults´ self-esteem [9].
Ware et al. [21] concentrated especially on barriers to older adults using digital health services, such as health portals or mobile apps related to health. Their interviewees reported frustration when trying to find relevant information about their health on the internet and trying to recognize the reliability of the information available. Respondents felt that they did not have good enough access to their health information. For example, medical records were kept in multiple places, which challenged access to information. From the other perspective, digital health services offer the possibility of peer support and communication, especially with other people in the same health situation; however, potential privacy issues worried older adults [21].
Privacy concerns [5, 22] are also reported with older adults, and challenges related to the use of language in patient portals, especially medical terminology, or Latin phrases that healthcare professionals use, were common among the participants. The lack of information available in time or errors with the information in the patient portal brought frustration to older adults [22].
2.3 Designing for Older Adults
With the careful design decisions, it´s possible to influence the emotions caused by digital services. Although older adults is a heterogeneous group with varying user needs [15, 23], the design proposals for older adults often differ based only on their age [23].
A positive design approach underlines the maximization of positive emotional user experiences and the minimization of negative ones [24, 25]. With the positive design approach, it is possible to increase older adults´ overall well-being and help them flourish [24, 25]. Moreover, negative emotional user experiences can be alleviated through design, supporting the experience of autonomy instead of forcing older adults to comply and offering value instead of frustration.
Positive computing shares the positive design philosophy´s targets in many ways. In positive computing, the information technology concentrates improving a human´s wellbeing focusing originally especially on psychological wellbeing, but also seen health and wellbeing in a larger context [26‐28]. The information technology should support, help, and strengthen end-users´ capabilities [26, 27].
The health conditions of older adults should be considered during design. When older adults might have many chronic diseases at the same time, and the need for assisting digital health services is high, the digital health services should adapt in changing health conditions to support older adults´ health self-management [29].
Seeing the benefits of digital services strongly motivates older adults [5, 15]. Therefore, it is important to understand older adults´ needs for digital health services as a part of the design process [15], as well as communicate the potential benefits to older adults [5]. In addition, with the careful user interface design decisions (e.g., restricting the number of available options, hierarchy, and process steps, and offering enough time to operate) it is possible to do help older adults to use digital services [15].
3 Study Design and Methods
3.1 Participant Recruitment
The material for this research was collected as part of a larger study [3], in which the focus was to recognize them, who are potentially in vulnerable positions, and their challenges with digital health services. The data of the larger study was analyzed and coded anew by PV using this study´s focus. In this study, 16 older adults between the ages of 67 and 90 (mean = 75.4 years) from different parts of Finland were interviewed. The interviews were conducted from 11/2020 to 01/2021, while the COVID-19 pandemic was in its second wave in Finland. Since the availability of physical services varies based on an individual’s distance from a city, participants both from cities and the countryside were included in the sample. Participants had different life situations and technological skills, and they were fairly well educated (the average of the years of education 12.5 years, range 7–20 years). The sample of the study did not include the most vulnerable older adults. All participants lived at home and were active. 13 participants were recruited using purposive sampling via two older adults´ affairs promotion associations. Three participants were found using snowball sampling.
3.2 Interview Design
The main interview structure was planned together with a group of 10 researchers, but the questions were modified by this study´s researchers (PV and SK) to be easier to understand by those older adults who may not have many information technology skills. The edits were, for example, the addition of examples to explain the interview questions. The interview questions of the emotional user experiences were add-ons to the larger study´s interview structure this study´s researchers (PV and SK). A pilot interview with an older adult was organized, and some minor changes were made to the interview questions. The data of the pilot interview were included in the data set with the permission of the interviewee. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the interviews were conducted remotely. The interviews were recorded with Audacity® (Version 3.2.5).
3.3 Data Analysis
The data were transcripted, pseudonymized and classified into themes, which were decided together with other researchers of the main study [3]. Next to the collaborative data analysis of the main study in Microsoft Excel (Version 2208 (Build 15601.20680) (“Excel”), data were collected (PV) under two extra themes as well: interviewees’ ideas about how older adults could participate in digital society better in the future and older adults´ experiences among healthcare, which were raised during the interviews on an ad hoc basis. Therefore, next to the collaborative analysis of the main study [3], the data were further analyzed and re-grouped in detail (PV) in ATLAS.ti (Version 8.4.26.0) and Excel.
In this further analysis, the data were reviewed again following the grounded theory´s code recognition practices [30, 31], and to identify emotions based on the literature [13, 16, 17]. For example, some new, lower-level codes were created, and the digital health services that older adults use in their everyday lives were identified. At this stage of the analysis, situations with some emotional user experiences were also picked, and coded to understand the background, possible values, expectations, and life situations behind the emotions. The recognized emotional experiences (emotions) were grouped again under the emotion categories from the literature [13, 16, 17]: 1) frustration 2) feeling of competent 3) pleasantness, 4) anxiety, 5) confusion, 6) desperation, 7) pride, 8) determination, 9) annoyance, 10) excitedness, 11) feeling of success, 12) feeling of self-efficacy, 13) vigilance, 14) fear, 15) trust, 16) sorrow, 17) pleasantness, and 18) un-pleasantness, and 19) confidence [13, 16, 17]. Finally, it was calculated how many different emotional experiences belonged to each category. This further review of the data focused on content related to digital health services (including social services).
4 Results
The data of this study consisted of a total of 931 min of recording (average length 58 min, range 46–72 min), which was transcribed into 225 pages (Verdana 11, line spacing 1). The codes for emotional user experiences that were highlighted in the analysis relating to this study are presented in Fig. 1.
Most of the emotion categories (A-E, G) were opened based on the emotions recognized [13, 16, 17]. In addition to that, the emotion categories F, H-K (Disgust, Rebellion, Experience of being forced, Embarrassment, and Stress) were formed via identifying new codes. The most frequently mentioned emotional user experience was joy and contentment (Category A.) with digital health services use. Participants liked the ease of accessing services digitally. They were also proud that they could use digital health services, which seemed to bring self-confidence (Categories G, H). From another perspective, digital health services brought a lot of negative emotional user experiences, such as anger, irritation, worries, and even fear to participants (Categories B-F, I-K). Often, those older adults in our study who could use digital health services were very worried about those who cannot use digital health services because they do not have enough guidance and support to use digital health services or do not have well-functioning devices.
Fig. 1.
Emotional user experiences and the number of the mentions per each emotion category.
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Next, we specify with examples the emotional user experiences that caused the emotions presented in Fig. 1. We concentrate on joys first and continue to frustration. Finally, we suggest some design aspects to consider when designing digital health services based on the existing literature and the findings of our study.
4.1 Joys
Delight with the Ease that Digital Health Services Bring to Everyday Life. Making appointments remotely delighted older adults. Using digital devices and services was a joy for those who knew how to take advantage of them. Digital health services brought ease to their everyday lives.
For example, a blood test time can be booked in advance digitally. No need to sit there on the spot for long periods queuing. What a great relief! (Male, 75)
Once the devices work and you know how to use them, [using digital health services] is great. When you can do with them what you need. (Female, 69)
Well, in general, appointments booking digitally [with digital health services] goes well. I’m alive. I have not had any problems with them. (Male, 79)
Before, I always walked there [to the healthcare service provider] and made an appointment from there. Now I book appointments through the internet. (Female, 69)
The Joy of Learning Something New.
The digital health services can bring joy to older adults. Learning to use digital health services and devices can activate and motivate older adults.
Someone should just tell the older adults that feel free to get to know digital devices and digital health services through their grandchildren or a friend first.--- You will learn to use them! Luckily, I have my family who always want to inspire me to get involved. So, I have that good side in my life. And besides, I’m brave and accept [digital health services], that’s it. There’s nothing stopping me, like thinking that I can’t or don’t want to. But rather, I think that I want to, and I learn! (Female, 90)
It’s a pleasure to know for sure that especially that button should be pressed [in the user interface]. (Female, 70)
Digital health services have become pretty well more, and I think they work well. They are easy to use once you get used to them. (Male, 71)
Increasing Self-confidence with the Success of Using Digital Health Services.
The success of using digital health services improves older adults´ self-confidence. They rejoice in being able to manage their affairs digitally and independently, although the use of digital health services is not always without problems.
I feel that I will succeed [using digital health services] if I just focus properly. In a way, digital technology has told me that yes this is taken care of, and this is for your benefit. I have accepted the use [of digital health services] step by step. --- So, this doesn’t evoke any such wow-effect, but the emotional user experience that I will probably succeed the next time [using digital health services] as well. That emotional user experience is neutral. I kind of forget the emotional user experience until the next time comes [using digital health services]. (Female, 69)
However, I am quite pleased I can handle those most important things online. That is, banks, My Kanta pages [national patient portal] and emails. (Female, 78)
--- I can use some [digital health services] myself. All alone, even if I don’t support, and I’ll get along pretty well. --- I am glad that I know this much, and that I have the devices [and digital health services]. (Female, 70)
--- Then my husband and I took care of things together [via digital health services]. I didn’t have to take responsibility for it alone [using digital health services], and it seemed to work quite easily. (Female, 69).
4.2 Frustrations
Anger About Poorly Designed Digital Health Services. Older adults demand better-designed services. They understand that their use problems with digital health services are not just due to their limitations but also to poor design. Older adults feel that digital health services are too confusing and complex and that they change too much with development. Poorly designed services annoy older adults.
I think digital health services are in the worst condition of all. They are so confusing! The only thing that works in digital health services is an appointment booking. Elsewhere, digital health services are developed in a haphazard way. (Male, 71)
Fear of Using Devices for Digital Health Services.
Pressing the function keys on the user interface is scary. Older adults know that pressing a button starts a process that is important for their everyday life or well-being. The fear of pressing a button includes the concern that the process will go wrong, that the wrong process will start, or that the process cannot be canceled. Fear of a disaster includes fear of breaking either the device or the digital health service and is also related to older adults´ concerns about the lack of help available. If one is not used to dealing with digital health services, it takes a lot of courage to try again when the first try has failed. Overly complicated digital health services confuse older adults and complicate the situation.
If I must take care of something through the internet, I stop when I can’t and don’t know how to act, and I’ll start to be afraid of where I’ll click. Then I quit very suddenly and make a phone call to my eldest son for help. (Female, 69)
Many are afraid to press a button: what happens then and so on. I don’t know how that fear could then be dispelled. (Female, 67)
If you haven’t normally been using them [referring to the devices], many are afraid of doing something like that… So, I always say that don’t be afraid; that it’s a device [tablet, computer, or mobile phone], and it won’t break down now or go out of order, and if you click something a little wrong, it doesn’t break. It will not be a disaster. (Male, 75)
Concerns About Competence.
Even for them from older adults who know how to take advantage of the basic functions of digital health services, problem situations cause a lot of headaches. They have uncertainty about whether their skills are sufficient to solve potential computer problems.
While I may be able to look for the bugs or problems that now always arise when working on a computer, and even if I can navigate in the right files, I don’t have enough know-how to solve the problems. (Male, 78)
When you don’t know how to use them perfectly, yes, it keeps you watching out about what you do there [in digital health services]. (Male, 79)
Worry of Lack of Support in Crisis.
Older adults need support both in the use of digital health services and in the crisis of digital health service use. If help is not available when needed, digital health services may not be fully utilized, and stress may increase.
I am not at all surprised that my peers and even older than me are without data connections and a computer. It’s hard to learn something new, pile yourself up, and focus on sitting still all day and searching for something specific from the Internet. (Female, 78)
I get frustrated when there is always a problem with my computer, which I then try to solve with the little digital know-how I have. That’s when I always hope to have a friend to ask for help. How should I solve the problem, what should I do, and what is wrong here? At some point, I have a lot of stress. (Male, 78)
I don’t have any young or older people I could ask for help if needed. I am now content with what I have. I think that this is just the situation now. I rub along somehow. I would like to be able to do a little more with the computer as it would make communication easier, and I could send those messages. --- I miss out a lot. (Male, 88)
Worry About not Understanding the Contents of the Digital Health Services (e.g., Language, Names of the Functions).
Older adults become worried about digital health services when they can´t understand the content of the services, or the content is offered in another language that they do not understand. For example, overly challenging terminology in digital health services, such as specific medical terminology that healthcare professionals use, brings challenges to older adults when using digital health services.
So at least I think of that computer, that I kind of respect it because of that, because I don't understand what it means with the things what it tells me to do. (Female, 78)
I tried to search the internet for an appointment at an office. --- I didn’t understand those texts (in the user interface of the digital health service). (Female, 69)
Embarrassment About Incompetence.
Sometimes not being able to use digital health services embarrasses older adults. This embarrassment about incompetence is mixed with the worry that other people might find them stupid or simple or express pity that digital skills have not been learned in their time.
This digital world is not problem-free. Millions of Finnish adults do not use or do not know how to use this nonsense [referring to the digital health services]. Then the others [referring them who can use digital health services or developers] think that how stupid those millions are and turn their noses up at them. (Male, 72)
It’s annoying that I have all that kind of digital, like computers, left out. --- It’s a little hard to admit, but I feel stupid when everyone’s talking about the internet and digital things. I feel like an outsider. (Male, 88)
4.3 Design Proposals
The aim of these design proposals (Table 1) is to reduce negative emotional user experiences, such as fear, and help older adults flourish when using digital health services in the spirit of the positive design approach and positive computing [24‐26, 32]. Although these design proposals are aimed at older adults, they would probably benefit everyone [19]. The design proposals have been formed by combining the interview results and ensuring their relevance from the background literature. Both researchers participated in the design proposal creation. The targets of the design proposals are done in the light of positive design and positive computing [24‐26, 32]. The design proposals 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 target to increasing the older adults´ self-confidence with the success of using digital health services. The design proposals 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 target to bringing the delight with the ease that digital health services bring to everyday life. The design proposals 3, 7, and 8 target to offering the joy of learning something new. The design proposals 1, 2, and 8 target to lowering the worry of lack of support in crisis. The design proposal 2 targets to lowering the worry about not understanding the contents of the digital health services and the fear of using devices for digital health services. The design proposals 2, 7, 8, and 9 target to lowering and the concerns about competence. The design proposals 4, 5, 6 and, 8 target to lowering the anger about poorly designed digital health services. Finally, the design proposals 8, and 9 target to lowering the embarrassment about incompetence.
Table 1.
Design proposals and the literature for ensuring the relevance.
Design Proposal
Background Literature
1. Contact information for support should be easily visible and use instructions should be available. We suggest offering manuals and guidance. An easy access to support should be offered in several channels next to digital health service
2. Face-to-face guidance for use should be offered to those who need it. It still should be possible to meet service providers face-to-face alongside the remote services
3. Different user groups should be identified, and in the best case, the content of a digital health service and the support available should be adjusted based on the needs of the user group. The health and wellbeing of older adults is a diverse phenomenon, and older adults´ individual differences should be taken account in user experience design
4. The usability of a digital health service should often be tested as development progresses and participants should include older adults with different skill levels and in different health and life situations. The focus should be on consistency, simplicity, and minimizing the number of procedure steps and potential errors
7. It is challenging for older adults to learn new habits. Therefore, minimal updates and other changes to the interface as development progresses could help older adults with their use challenges
8. Building the trust between older adults and digital health services should be emphasized by: 1) Simple interface language, 2) A clear feedback on successful performance, 3) Openly informing about potential security issues and how to avoid them, and 4) Providing help for important maintenance procedures, like security updates
9. Clarify the older adults´ real values: do they need a new digital channel for their health issues, or does some other channel fit to their real needs better. Take account also the older adults´ changing health situations
In this interview study, emotional user experiences of older adults regarding to their digital health service use were gathered. In addition, this study presented design proposals for digital health services which take the older adults account, based on the quantitative and qualitative research.
The interviews showed that the older adults experienced strong emotions about digital health services. This came out even when the emotions were just a side plot in the interview structure. They also describe their experiences in a rich way. In the spirit of Kujala and Miron-Shatz [14], many of the older adults we interview have emotional user experiences that affect their behavior, for example, their choice to use or not to use digital health services. Based on the interviews, positive experiences encouraged the use of the digital health services, while negative experiences could even cause the digital health services not to be used. For example, a successful digital health service's first use motivates one to use it again. On the other hand, due to negative testing experiences, the use of the services has been completely abandoned.
We identified many positive emotions in the use of digital health services by older adults. Interestingly, the most often mentioned emotional user experience in our study was joy. The joy came out for example in situations, where the digital health service functioned well or supported the older adults´ lives especially well. Learning new digital health self-management ways motivated older adults in the study. Other literature has also observed positive effects by older adults of using digital health services [e.g., [3, 5]. These can be supported for example with the positive design approach and positive computing [24‐28, 32]. If the use of digital health services produces mostly negative emotional user experiences, a negative cycle is possible, the ageing population´s self-confidence decreases, and using the services starts to make older adults anxious or can even cause them stress [16]. Therefore, it is not enough to concentrate in helping older adults to get practices to use digital health services. It is also important to build older adults´ self-confidence with digital health services. Our results show that not only the capability to use digital health services counts; the experiences of success are at least as important.
To gain the feeling of success was not obvious in this study either. Older adults had emotional user experiences, such as many fears, anger, and embarrassment, when they failed to use digital health services. For example, fear arose when an older adult did not know how to use devices or user interfaces and thus rejected digital health services. On the other hand, anger or frustration arose when the benefits of digital health services were not understood, and the interest in using them was lacking. The result of this study shows that self-confidence and self-efficacy are one of the main factors to older adults related to their willingness to use digital health services, which is in line with Wilson et al. [5]. If they don´t have self-confidence and self-efficacy with digital health services, the use of digital health services brings negative emotional user experiences, such as anger, embarrassment, or experience of being outsider of the community. This is somewhat in line with Saariluoma and Jokinen [13], where was found that the smooth technology use follows the experience of competence and presented even in more detail: poor usability in digital services activates negative emotional experiences. Also, other studies emphasize the importance of emotions and experiences to been investigated and taken account in human–technology interaction design and remark the connection between the end-users’ feelings of their competence levels and the possible frustration with technology use [16, 17]. However, our research did not deep dive in that correlation but recognized older adults´ emotional experiences when using digital health services.
Our study shows that older adults have a fear of using digital health services, and they are unsure of the consequences of continuous updates and other maintenance work on devices. This may come from the fact that they can be from different generations of technology than the user interfaces have been designed for [43], and older adults´ mental models do not always match the performance of younger adults’ mental models [44]. In addition, maintenance procedures for devices, such as security updates, can feel terrifying to older adults due to, for example, fear of changes in the user interface’s layout after the update [40]. This fear was mentioned in the interviews.
Therefore, it´s also important to help older adults to strengthen their knowledge and capability to 1) use digital health services, but also 2) maintenance their devices for example with security updates themselves. This might empower older adults and to calm them down with possible security issues and reduce their concerns about competence. On the other hand, like mentioned in the interviews, older adults get the joy of learning something new as well.
When designing digital health services, it is important to listen to the concerns of older adults and remember that some of them think that digital health services are frightening [3]. In many cases open communication of the benefits of digital health services might help to reduce older adults´ barriers to use digital health services [5].
Supporting successful use of digital health services enables older adults to independently live for as long as possible and provides them with the joy of success, as it was expressed in the interviews. Many are upset about being excluded from these digital services [1, 3]. Designers should therefore look for solutions that can reduce the fear of using digital health services. Older adults should be encouraged to overcome their concerns and to try to use digital health services more boldly.
5.1 Limitations and Future Research
This study investigated what older adults experience with digital health services. To refine and complement the design proposals presented in this article in line with positive design and positive computing, the lives of older adults in terms of health and well-being should be examined in more detail. The user needs of older adults for digital health services should be further explored. In addition to that, the testing, and prioritizing the design proposals will be necessary. The design proposals in this study were created to help strengthen positive experiences and reduce negative ones. Therefore, they were quite general and should not be viewed as user interface guidelines.
The study was conducted remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Finland, older adults had been ordered to stay at home for safety reasons. At the same time, many health services were offered, mostly digitally for safety reasons. These circumstances may have influenced to the emotional user experiences in this study.
In the analysis phase, the emotional experiences were not comprehensively compared to the findings in other studies. Therefore, it´s not possible to distinguish whether the experiences were the same as in other studies. The study neither attempted this comparison. However, we got an idea of what kind of emotional experiences older adults have of digital health service use.
6 Conclusions
In this study, we collected older adults´ emotional user experiences of using digital health services. We found that the use of digital health services caused emotional user experiences on both ends of the spectrum, from frustration to joy. The experiences of joy showed the empowerment of older adults, and experiences of success using digital health services made their daily lives easier. Designers have both an excellent opportunity and a great responsibility to influence the experiences of older adults regarding digital health services in the future. Based on existing literature and our findings of emotional user experiences of older adults when using digital health services, we created design proposals to reduce the negative emotional user experiences and to highlight positive ones.
Acknowledgments
The work was supported by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland (grants 352501 and 352503), and NordForsk (project 100477). The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Review Board of Aalto University. We would like to thank co-researchers from the DigiIN, DigiCOVID, and NORDeHEALTH projects for their help with research arrangements.
Disclosure of Interests
None.
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