A qualitative exploration of older adults’ experiences with digital health services in Türkiye

This study aimed to explore older adults’ lived experiences with digital health services in Türkiye and to examine how these services are used and interpreted in everyday life. A qualitative phenomenological design was adopted. The study was conducted with 15 adults aged 65 years and older who had used at least one digital health service within the past 12 months. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews and analyzed using MAXQDA. The findings revealed three interrelated themes. Theme 1 showed that older adults’ engagement with digital health services was organized through assisted use practices and fragile digital and health literacy, indicating that access alone was insufficient for confident and sustained use. Theme 2 highlighted the psychosocial meanings attributed to digital health services, including emotional ambivalence, changing relationships with healthcare institutions, and conditional acceptance over time. Theme 3 reflected participants’ expectations and recommendations, emphasizing age-sensitive system design, clear and understandable language, continuous institutional support, and equity-oriented public responsibility. Based on the findings, it can be recommended that digital health services for older adults be developed using inclusive and age-sensitive approaches that go beyond access alone in order to promote sustained engagement and reduce the risk of digital exclusion.