Evaluating eHealth Access Among Elderly Populations: A Multi-Method Analysis Using DGRA, TOPSIS, and Kruskal-Wallis Test

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify and rank barriers to obtaining eHealth services among Pakistan's elderly. Older people contributed primary data on technological, individual, relational, environmental, and organizational factors.

Design: Dynamic Grey Relational Analysis (DGRA) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were utilized on 450 elderly persons to examine and rank the most significant eHealth barriers.

Results: The most significant barrier was found as "aging limitation (reduction in hearing, sight, memory, and fine motor control)" using both the DGRA and TOPSIS techniques. The Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test was used to assess the significance of this barrier among three age groups of elderly persons. There were no significant differences when the age exceeded 60.

Originality: This study is the first to apply the DGRA, TOPSIS, and KW test to determine the barriers that older people in Pakistan's urban and rural areas face while trying to use eHealth services.