Case Report: Retirees’ Acceptance and Perceived Contribution of Smartphone in Chronic Disease Management

Objectives: As smartphones become more popular, so do their applications. However, expectations of the elderly regarding the contribution of smartphone in controlling chronic diseases remain unclear. This research aims to understand senior retirees’ smartphone acceptance, perceived contribution of smartphone application in facilitating chronic disease control and their association. Findings from the study provide insights for the development of mobile applications in chronic disease management. Methods: convenience sampling was conducted to recruit 110 senior retirees who worked as volunteers in a regional hospital in Taipei. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive, chi-square and logistic regression statistics were applied to analyze data. Results: A total of 108 completed questionnaires were collected with a return rate of 98.2%. Mean age was 65.34 ± 9.59 years old. Of all respondents, 40.7% reported acceptance of internet-enabled smartphones and 54.6% expected that smartphones would facilitate chronic disease management in the future. However, a statistically significant 37.3% of those expecting smartphone to play a role in disease management did not accept smartphones yet. After controlling for age and education, logistic regression analysis showed that older adults with higher smartphone acceptance were more likely to expect use of smartphone in case management (OR = 7.439, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The research presented a scope for smartphone application to control chronic disease in the future. Despite a relatively lower level of smartphone acceptance, the elderly still expected a positive role for mobile appliances to play in chronic disease management.