Standaar Lucille, Israel Adriana Margje, van der Vaart Rosalie, Keij Brigitta, van Lenthe Frank J, Friele Roland, Beenackers Mariëlle A, van Tuyl Lilian Huibertina Davida
Centre for Public Health, Healthcare and Society, Department of National Public Health and Healthcare, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Postbus 1, Bilthoven, 3720 BA, The Netherlands, 31 631135143.
Department of Tranzo, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
JMIR Form Res. 2025 Apr 28;9:e60612. doi: 10.2196/60612.
There is worldwide recognition of the potential increase of digital health inequity due to the increased digitalization of health care systems. Digital health skill development may prevent disparities in eHealth access and use. In the Dutch context, the public library has started to facilitate support in digital health skill development by offering public eHealth courses. Understanding the motivations of people to seek support may help to further develop this type of public service.
This is a qualitative study on the motivations of citizens participating in an eHealth course offered by public libraries. The study aimed to explore why citizens were motivated to seek nonformal support for eHealth use.
A total of 20 semistructured interviews with participants who participated in an eHealth course were conducted in 7 public libraries across the Netherlands. The interviews were conducted between April and June 2022. Purposive sampling took place in the public library during the eHealth course. The interviews covered participants' motivations, attitudes, and experiences with eHealth use and their motivations to seek help with eHealth use. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified via a comprehensive thematic data analysis.
The participants were 51 to 82 years of age (average 73.5, SD 6.6 y) and 14 (70%) participants were female. Three motivational themes were identified: (1) adapting to an increasingly digital society, (2) sense of urgency facilitated by prior experience in health care, and (3) a need for self-reliance and autonomy. Additionally, participants expressed a general desire for social contact and lifelong learning. A lack of adequate informal support by friends and family for digital skills and positive experiences with formal support from public libraries stimulated the participants to seek formal support for eHealth use.
We show that the participants had a feeling of urgency that sparked their motivation to seek nonformal support in the public library. Motivations to participate in the eHealth course stemmed from the need to adapt to the digital society, being a patient or a caregiver, or the need or wish to be independent from others. Participants of the study were mainly older female adults who had native language abilities, up-to-date digital devices, and time. It is likely that other populations experience similar feelings of urgency but have other support needs. Future research should explore the needs and attitudes of nonusers and other users of digital health toward seeking support in eHealth access and use.
随着医疗保健系统数字化程度的提高，数字健康不平等现象可能加剧，这已得到全球认可。数字健康技能的发展可能会防止电子健康获取和使用方面的差距。在荷兰，公共图书馆已开始通过提供公共电子健康课程来促进数字健康技能发展方面的支持。了解人们寻求支持的动机可能有助于进一步发展这类公共服务。
这是一项关于公民参加公共图书馆提供的电子健康课程的动机的定性研究。该研究旨在探讨公民为何有动力寻求非正规的电子健康使用支持。
在荷兰的7家公共图书馆对参加电子健康课程的参与者进行了20次半结构化访谈。访谈于2022年4月至6月期间进行。在电子健康课程期间于公共图书馆进行了目的抽样。访谈涵盖了参与者使用电子健康的动机、态度和经历，以及他们寻求电子健康使用帮助的动机。访谈进行了录音和转录。通过全面的主题数据分析确定了主题。
参与者年龄在51岁至82岁之间（平均73.5岁，标准差6.6岁），14名（70%）参与者为女性。确定了三个动机主题：（1）适应日益数字化的社会，（2）医疗保健方面的先前经历促成的紧迫感，以及（3）对自力更生和自主的需求。此外，参与者表达了对社交接触和终身学习的普遍渴望。朋友和家人在数字技能方面缺乏足够的非正式支持以及在公共图书馆获得正式支持的积极体验促使参与者寻求电子健康使用的正式支持。
我们表明，参与者有一种紧迫感，这激发了他们在公共图书馆寻求非正规支持的动机。参加电子健康课程的动机源于适应数字社会的需要、作为患者或护理人员的身份，或独立于他人的需要或愿望。该研究的参与者主要是有母语能力、拥有最新数字设备且有时间的老年女性成年人。其他人群可能也会有类似的紧迫感，但有其他支持需求。未来的研究应探讨数字健康的非使用者和其他使用者在电子健康获取和使用方面寻求支持的需求和态度。
