The Sustainable Consumption of Wearable Healthcare Technology for Senior Citizens

Abstract

The 21st century has witnessed a marked surge in the ageing population, intensifying the need for robust and sustainable healthcare solutions. While the integration of digital healthcare services is increasingly acknowledged as a visual solution (Bokolo, 2021); its success hinges on the long-term adoption of continuous health information and monitoring technologies, notably Wearable Healthcare Technologies (WHTs) (Sneha and Varshney, 2009). However, the sustainable consumption of WHTs among senior citizens remains suboptimal, highlighting the imperative to discern the pivotal drivers that can foster sustained usage. The purpose of this study is to investigate, identify and measure the determinants in design leadership, technology leadership, brand leadership and customer experience aspects that would lead to the sustainable consumption of WHT among senior citizens. The adoption of WHTs for senior citizens investigations in extant literature concentrates on the intention to accept WHT (L. Li et al., 2019; Wulfovich et al., 2019; Talukder et al., 2020; Jaschinski et al., 2021). There is limited research on the sustainable consumption of WHTs for senior citizens. While some studies have probed the positive correlation between customer experience and sustainable consumption, empirical explorations specific to the WHT domain are scant. Moreover, despite the burgeoning presence of enterprises in the WHT market, the critical roles of design leadership, technology leadership, brand leadership facets in shaping customer experience and sustainable WHT consumption have been largely overshadowed. To fill this gap, a mixed-methods research study was conducted among senior citizens in China to explore determinants related to design leadership, technology leadership, and brand leadership influencing WHT user experience and its subsequent bearing on sustainable consumption. Semi- structured interviews with 20 senior citizens underwent thematic analysis to unearth salient design leadership, technology leadership and brand leadership attributes. This qualitative phase was complemented by a quantitative survey of 647 respondents to gauge the influence of these attributes on WHT user experience and sustainable consumption. The study also rigorously examined potential moderating variables bridging user experience and sustainable WHT adoption. The research outcomes underscored the importance of an outstanding WHT user experience in championing its sustainable consumption among senior citizens. Design leadership, technology leadership, and brand leadership emerged as instrumental factors in enhancing this user experience. By formulating an innovative framework synthesising design leadership, technology leadership and brand leadership, user experience, and sustainable consumption perspectives about WHT, this study offers invaluable insights for stakeholders in the WHT ecosystem. Ultimately, the research aims to guide the establishment of sustainable and productive healthcare practices, thereby elevating the quality of life for senior citizens and addressing the challenges posed by an ageing population crisis.