Samenvatting

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic created the need to use digital health resources (DR), as they
sometimes were the only option to receive healthcare or social interaction. The aim of this research
is to provide insight into the experiences during the lockdown of older people using DR for health
in general and the points of improvement they see. A qualitative study was carried out using semistructured interviews with older persons by telephone. A total of 10 older adults participated, with
a median age of 78 years, the majority having a chronic disease. The most important themes for
motivation to use health-related DR were ‘urgency’ and ‘usefulness’. Experiences with DR were
related to the themes ‘human contact’ and ‘communication’, which were experienced by respondents
as facilitated by DR, and ‘time and energy’, which was two-sided. Additionally, most older persons
worried about accessibility of DR by all older persons and the support needed. In conclusion,
older persons are convinced of the urgency and the usefulness of digital technology for health and
healthcare. Time and energy constraints can be alleviated by using DR on the one hand, but this
can also be challenging if older persons are less digitally skilled or lack digital literacy. Good and
sustained human support is therefore mandatory