African American Older Adults' Perceived Use of Technology for Hypertension Self-Management.
Carolyn Harmon Still, Lenette M Jones, Karen O Moss and 2 others
PMID 30230518WHAT IT FOUND
All 21 African American older adults owned phones, but only 4 used smartphones actively for health self-management.
Phones were mainly for communication, and some wanted training or preferred paper options.
Key findings
01All 21 participants who attended the session reported owning a cell phone or smartphone.
02Only 4 participants reported being highly interactive with smartphones for health and self-management.
03Some participants preferred paper lists, pill boxes, or pencil and paper, and one said training was needed to use a medication app.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were a convenience sample from one Midwest community center, so it may not represent other African American older adults. Twenty of 21 participants were women, and the authors say male perspectives may be missing. Only one focus group was analyzed, and the authors state data saturation was not reached. The study reports perceptions and experiences rather than tested outcomes. Socioeconomic data such as education and income were not available for interpretation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that health apps or text reminders improve hypertension self-management in African American older adults. This was a qualitative focus-group study of perceptions, not a test of whether technology changed blood pressure or adherence.