The doctoral dissertation in the field of Health and Human Services Informatics will be examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at Kuopio Campus. The public examination will be streamed online.
What is the topic of your doctoral research? Why is it important to study the topic?
My doctoral research aimed to develop an understanding of health technology readiness as a multidimensional construct describing how ready users of health and social services are to use digital health and social services. I examined health technology readiness among young adults and people with epilepsy or multiple sclerosis using data from two survey studies. I also examined the relationship between health technology readiness and health-related quality of life.
As digital health and social services become increasingly common, it is important to understand how well people are prepared to use these services and what strengths and weaknesses they may have in different areas of health technology readiness. This matters because we need a better understanding of how digital health and social services can support people’s health, health promotion, and health-related quality of life.
What are the key findings or observations of your doctoral research?
The findings of my doctoral research show that young adults and people with epilepsy or multiple sclerosis actively use digital health and social services, and that health technology readiness is generally good in both groups. However, the study also identified differences in strengths and weaknesses across dimensions of health technology readiness, including digital health literacy, self-management, and health-related social support.
The findings suggest that examining health technology readiness provides a more comprehensive understanding of people’s readiness to use digital health and social services than focusing solely on socioeconomic factors or digital health literacy. The study also found that, among the dimensions of health technology readiness, self-management was directly associated with health-related quality of life. In contrast, digital health literacy and health-related social support appeared to be indirectly associated with health-related quality of life through self-efficacy. These findings support the view that health technology readiness is a multidimensional construct that provides a more comprehensive picture of people’s readiness to use digital services to promote their own health and health-related quality of life.
How can the results of your doctoral research be utilised in practice?
The findings can be used in the development and implementation of digital health and social services as part of integrated health and social services. Identifying subgroups of service users with different strengths and weaknesses in their readiness to use digital services can help to develop and target digital services for different user groups. The findings can also support the comprehensive planning of health and social services by providing information on the types of support users may need when using digital services. A comprehensive understanding of health technology readiness can therefore inform the implementation of digital services in ways that support users in promoting their own health and strengthening their health-related quality of life.
What are the key research methods and materials used in your doctoral research?
The data for the first sub-study were collected from young adults. The study compared young adults who were not in employment, education, or training – the so-called NEET group – with the comparison group. The data for the second sub-study were collected from people with epilepsy or multiple sclerosis. The study compared those who used digital services to manage their chronic condition with those who did not. In addition, cluster analysis was used to identify four subgroups based on health technology readiness. The third sub-study used data from the second sub-study. Regression and mediation analyses were used to examine the associations between health technology readiness, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life.
The research was conducted as part of the Reliable Knowledge for Health Care: Process and Practice of Shared Decision Making (PROSHADE) project. The surveys used the Finnish version of the multidimensional Readiness and Enablement Index for Health Technology (READHY-FIN), translated and culturally validated within the project.
The doctoral dissertation of Anna Vahteristo, M.H.Sc., M.Soc.Sc., entitled Digital health and health technology readiness among users of health and social services will be examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The opponent will be Assistant Professor Linda Dusseljee-Peute (Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam), and the custos will be Professor Hanna Kuusisto, University of Eastern Finland. Language of the public defence is English.
For further information, please contact:
Anna Vahteristo, avahteri(at)uef.fi, 050 412 6568
