Scott Beach
Abstract
Technology aimed at enhancing function and enabling independent living among older and disabled adults is a growing field of research. Privacy concerns are a potential barrier to adoption of such technology. Using data from a national Web survey (n=1,518), we focus on perceived acceptability of sharing information about toileting, taking medications, moving about the home, cognitive ability, driving behavior, and vital signs with five targets: family, healthcare providers, insurance companies, researchers, and government. We also examine acceptability of recording the behaviors using three methods: video with sound, video without sound, and sensors. Results show that sharing or recording information about toileting behavior; sharing information with the government and insurance companies; and recording the information using video were least acceptable. Respondents who reported current disability were significantly more accepting of sharing and recording of information than nondisabled adults, controlling for demographic variables, general technology attitudes, and assistive device use. Results for age were less consistent, although older respondents tended to be more accepting than younger respondents. The study provides empirical evidence from a large national sample of the implicit trade-offs between privacy and the potential for improved health among older and disabled adults in quality of life technology applications.
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Index Terms
- Disability, Age, and Informational Privacy Attitudes in Quality of Life Technology Applications: Results from a National Web Survey
Recommendations
Introduction to the Special Issue on Aging and Information Technology
This article provides an introduction to the Special Issue on Aging.
Data Privacy and Smart Home Technology Adoption: Older Adults’ Attitudes and Beliefs
Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population
Reviews
William Edward Mihalo
If you suffer from a debilitating health problem, how willing are you to give up a certain amount of privacy so that you can maintain your independence__?__ This is essentially the question that the authors ask in this interesting study. Beach et al. study three groups: the youngest, identified as baby boomers, are between the ages of 45 and 64; the second group consists of people between 65 and 74 years old; and the third group consists of people 75 and older. The authors find that an increase in disability leads to a respondent's willingness to surrender a certain amount of privacy, so that the person can continue to live independently. Respondents were recruited via the Internet. Implicitly, this group may have a higher socioeconomic standing and a better understanding of technology than people who do not own a computer. Also, the study focuses on attitudes, not behavior. People may be predisposed to say that they would be willing to allow technological monitoring of their daily activities if they were allowed to live independently, but this is different from the actual behavior, when people are living independently and are aware of the constant monitoring of their daily activities through sensors or cameras. The authors conclude: "Ultimately, such [monitoring] technology will need to be designed in ways that allow individual autonomy and control in deciding when, with whom, and how personal health information may be shared." Their results suggest the need for a larger study, with a more carefully drawn sample. Within these limitations, Beach et al. demonstrate small but statistically significant support for their hypothesis that an increase in disability can result in a willingness to allow an increase in monitoring of daily activities. Online Computing Reviews Service
Varadraj Prabhu Gurupur
One of the greatest challenges in geriatrics studies is collecting reliable information on elderly individuals [1]. Using technology for collecting such data can be useful in some ways. Beach et al. have performed an exceptional job of collecting data on the attitudes of elderly individuals in sharing information. The paper is full of tabular information on the survey conducted on elderly individuals. Table 2 clearly indicates that elderly individuals can be circumspect in using their debit or credit cards. It is a common occurrence that elderly individuals may lose trust in some of their family members. The survey also shows that elderly people may be more willing to share their problems with clinicians rather than members of their own family. The paper reports that the elderly may reveal more information if it is collected in an appropriate way. For instance, a good percentage of them may not like their conversations to be recorded on audio or visual devices. Overall, this is an excellent paper in terms of the data collected on the topic. I truly appreciate the effort that went into collecting the data in the surveys reflected in the paper. I would encourage the authors to write a book on the topic. Online Computing Reviews Service
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