PREFERENCES FOR ASSISTIVE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY BY OLDER CHINESE ADULTS: A DISCRETE CHOICE EXPERIMENT
Author(s)
Jin Liu, Master1, Anli Leng2, Stephen Nicholas, PHD3, Elizabeth Maitland, PHD4, Jian Wang, PHD5;
1Shandong University, Qingdao City, China, 2Qingdao, China, 3University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia, 4University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Australia, 5Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
1Shandong University, Qingdao City, China, 2Qingdao, China, 3University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia, 4University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Australia, 5Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the stated preferences that influence the acceptance and adoption of the technology-assisted healthcare among older adults in China.
METHODS: Selected through a stratified random sample approach across five cities in Shandong Province, data were collected through face-to-face interviews administered by trained investigators with adults aged 60 and above. The discrete choice experiment (DCE) included six key attributes: service location, service function, technology difficulty, technology security, out-of-pocket payments and quality of life. Conditional logit and mixed logit models were used.
RESULTS: A total of 235 older adults completed the DCE survey. All six attributes had a significant impact on older people’s preferences, with technology security, quality of life and service location identified as the most important attributes. Participants preferred assistive technologies that could be used at home (vs. nursing institutions, β=-0.454, p<0.01), focused on daily living assistance (vs. psychiatric care, β=-0.262, p<0.05), featured low technology difficulty (vs. high difficulty, β=0.327, p<0.01), ensured high security (vs. low security, β=0.736, p<0.01), improved quality of life (good vs. poor quality of life, β=0.497, p<0.01), and incurred lower out-of-pocket payments (β=-0.002, p<0.01), with the maximum WTP of $129.747 per month. The predicted uptake rate for the optimal assistive technology services scenario (home-based, providing health management, low technology difficulty, high technology security, good quality of life and a monthly cost of $14.40) was 66.6%. Notable preference heterogeneity was observed, with females placing greater value on security, rural residents showing stronger preferences for home-based care, and individuals with chronic diseases prioritizing quality-of-life improvements.
CONCLUSIONS: Chinese older adults prioritized assistive technology with high technology security, better quality of life, home-based, low technology difficulty, lower out-of-pocket costs and offering daily living assistance services.The observed preference heterogeneity across sex, urban-rural residence, and health conditions revealed the necessity for tailored policy interventions to encourage technology adoption among diverse groups.
METHODS: Selected through a stratified random sample approach across five cities in Shandong Province, data were collected through face-to-face interviews administered by trained investigators with adults aged 60 and above. The discrete choice experiment (DCE) included six key attributes: service location, service function, technology difficulty, technology security, out-of-pocket payments and quality of life. Conditional logit and mixed logit models were used.
RESULTS: A total of 235 older adults completed the DCE survey. All six attributes had a significant impact on older people’s preferences, with technology security, quality of life and service location identified as the most important attributes. Participants preferred assistive technologies that could be used at home (vs. nursing institutions, β=-0.454, p<0.01), focused on daily living assistance (vs. psychiatric care, β=-0.262, p<0.05), featured low technology difficulty (vs. high difficulty, β=0.327, p<0.01), ensured high security (vs. low security, β=0.736, p<0.01), improved quality of life (good vs. poor quality of life, β=0.497, p<0.01), and incurred lower out-of-pocket payments (β=-0.002, p<0.01), with the maximum WTP of $129.747 per month. The predicted uptake rate for the optimal assistive technology services scenario (home-based, providing health management, low technology difficulty, high technology security, good quality of life and a monthly cost of $14.40) was 66.6%. Notable preference heterogeneity was observed, with females placing greater value on security, rural residents showing stronger preferences for home-based care, and individuals with chronic diseases prioritizing quality-of-life improvements.
CONCLUSIONS: Chinese older adults prioritized assistive technology with high technology security, better quality of life, home-based, low technology difficulty, lower out-of-pocket costs and offering daily living assistance services.The observed preference heterogeneity across sex, urban-rural residence, and health conditions revealed the necessity for tailored policy interventions to encourage technology adoption among diverse groups.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
MT22
Topic
Medical Technologies
Topic Subcategory
Digital Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Geriatrics