Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Jul 11, 2025)
Date Submitted: Feb 19, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Perceptions on Telemedicine Adoption in Older Adults After Major Colorectal Surgery: A Qualitative Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
In-person physical consultations remain the norm during the surveillance phase in managing colorectal cancer (CRC) patients after surgery.
Objective:
With increasing advocacy of telemedicine worldwide, this study aimed to understand the perceptions of older CRC patients on the role of telemedicine for post-surgical management and surveillance of their disease.
Methods:
An exploratory qualitative design study involving 18 participants aged ≥65 years who had undergone prior CRC surgery were recruited between March and November 2022. Recruitment stopped when data saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model as a reference and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results:
Data from the interviews were summarized into four main themes corresponding to the four constructs of the UTAUT model: Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence and Facilitating Conditions. Specific subthemes were identified within each of the four main themes. Considerations raised about how telemedicine might compromise quality of care, challenges in communicating over a digital medium, and the individual’s digital competency and comfort in using technology were top concerns.
Conclusions:
This study identified numerous areas that represent opportunities and obstacles towards adoption of telemedicine in older adults after CRC surgery. Targeted interventions must be considered for older adults following cancer surgery to increase adoption of telemedicine and other new technology.
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