title: Older adults are mobile too!Identifying the barriers and facilitators to older adults' use of mHealth for pain management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile health (mHealth) is a rapidly emerging field with the potential to assist older adults in the management of chronic pain (CP) through enhanced communication with providers, monitoring treatment-related side effects and pain levels, and increased access to pain care resources. Little is currently known, however, about older adults' attitudes and perceptions of mHealth or perceived barriers and facilitators to using mHealth tools to improve pain management.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted six focus groups comprised of 41 diverse older adults (≥60 years of age) with CP. Participants were recruited from one primary care practice and two multiservice senior community day-visit centers located in New York City that serve older adults in their surrounding neighborhoods. Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed, and transcriptions were analyzed using direct content analysis to identify and quantify themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Focus group discussions generated 38 individual themes pertaining to the use of mHealth to help manage pain and pain medications. Participants had low prior use of mHealth (5% of participants), but the vast majority (85%) were highly willing to try the devices. Participants reported that mHealth devices might help them reach their healthcare provider more expeditiously (27%), as well as help to monitor for falls and other adverse events in the home (15%). Barriers to device use included concerns about the cost (42%) and a lack of familiarity with the technology (32%). Facilitators to device use included training prior to device use (61%) and tailoring devices to the functional needs of older adults (34%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that older adults with CP are interested and willing to use mHealth to assist in the management of pain. Participants in our study reported important barriers that medical professionals, researchers, and mHealth developers should address to help facilitate the development and evaluation of age-appropriate, and function-appropriate, mHealth devices for older persons with CP.
authors: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Samantha J
authors: SJ
authors: Parker
authors: Sonal
authors: S
authors: Jessel
authors: Joshua E
authors: JE
authors: Richardson
authors: M Cary
authors: MC
authors: Reid
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D064407:Senior Centers / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
references: Semin Clin Neuropsychiatry. 1999 Jul;4(3):221-7
references: 10498789
references: Qual Health Res. 2005 Nov;15(9):1277-88
references: 16204405
references: Hum Factors. 1996 Sep;38(3):425-33
references: 8865767
references: J Pain. 2010 Dec;11(12):1410-9
references: 20620119
references: Clin Geriatr Med. 2001 Aug;17(3):417-31, v
references: 11459713
references: Arch Intern Med. 2010 Dec 13;170(22):1968-76
references: 21149752
references: Ann Acad Med Singap. 1994 Mar;23(2):129-38
references: 8080219
references: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Aug;57(8):1331-46
references: 19573219
references: Prev Chronic Dis. 2012;9:E67
references: 22405474
references: Pain Pract. 2012 Sep;12(7):570-7
references: 22303839
references: J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2008 Dec;23(4):319-37
references: 18841454
references: Telemed J E Health. 2002 Winter;8(4):361-8
references: 12626105
references: Pain Med. 2010 Jul;11(7):1063-71
references: 20642732
references: J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008 Dec;18(6):908-19
references: 19004646
references: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2005 Dec;60(12):1569-75
references: 16424290
references: Med Inform Internet Med. 2004 Jun;29(2):87-94
references: 15370989
references: IEEE Trans Inf Technol Biomed. 2005 Sep;9(3):447-58
references: 16167699
references: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002 Apr;50(4):671-8
references: 11982667
references: Physiother Res Int. 2010 Sep;15(3):167-75
references: 20812313
references: Pain Med. 2011 Sep;12(9):1336-57
references: 21834914
references: J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2005;28(3):67-73
references: 16386168
references: Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1998 Sep 15;23(18):2003-13
references: 9779535
references: JAMA. 2003 Nov 12;290(18):2435-42
references: 14612480
references: Pain. 2010 Oct;151(1):18-21
references: 20674174
references: J Pain Symptom Manage. 2002 Jul;24(1 Suppl):S38-47
references: 12204486
references: Comput Inform Nurs. 2010 Mar-Apr;28(2):88-94
references: 20182159
references: Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Apr 15;55(2):272-8
references: 16583418
references: Pain. 1998 Apr;75(2-3):229-35
references: 9583758
references: J Gen Intern Med. 2002 Oct;17(10):766-73
references: 12390552