Do websites contain factors to aid older adults’ adoption of health-related information and communication technology?

Background: This study assessed how and to what extent the current health-related information and communication technology (ICT) sites have provided factors that increase older adults’ intention to use them. Methods: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used as a theoretical framework. Results: Based on the systematic analysis of 120 sites targeting older adults, we found that about half the sites (49.2%) did not provide any key factors on either the first-level page or the second level. Although about 16% of sites contained perceived usefulness (PU), few sites provided perceived ease of use (PEOU). The results also revealed differences in the types of organizations, showing that more government-owned sites provided TAM-related factors and social media links than did non-profit sites or privately owned sites. Conclusion: We found that health-related ICT sites for older adults have not contained TAM-related components to encourage older adults to use ICT sites.