Trust in digital health among older adults in remote areas of Italy: a latent class analysis

Background Digital health technologies have developed and significantly diffused during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as a solution to reach patients with chronic conditions. Trust in these technologies is a principal component of the interaction and essential for its effectiveness. For this reason, the study analyzes trust in digital health technologies among older people living in remote areas in Italy to promote access to remote care. Method The study is based on a multiple-choice paper-based survey (n = 2073) on the propensity to use digital technologies distributed to the over-65s in remote areas of four regions of Italy in 2022. We evaluated, through a latent class model and a latent class regression model for polytomous outcomes, the probability that they trust health technology tools, inferred from specific behavior and attitude. Results Two latent classes were identified, interpreted as higher and lower levels of trust in digital health. The majority of respondents in our sample were classified in the higher-trust group, indicating a generally favorable orientation toward digital health technologies, despite relatively low levels of actual use. Conclusion This evidence may inform healthcare policies for older adults living in remote areas, for whom digital health technologies have the potential to support more personalized and accessible care.