Understanding Barriers to Wider Telehealth Adoption in the Home Environment of Older People: An Exploratory Study in the Irish Context

Abstract—Emerging evidence has demonstrated the potential for Telehealth systems to reduce unnecessary hospital admission and lower costs of care by assisting patients and healthcare professionals to manage chronic conditions more efficiently. Nonetheless, due to a complex interplay of different barriers, Telehealth has not yet been widely adopted in any country. Understanding barriers to wider Telehealth adoption is vital to enable its embracement by many older people who could greatly benefit from the technology. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify barriers to wider Telehealth adoption in the homes of older people, in the Republic of Ireland. Objectives included identifying barriers from the perspective of five groups of stakeholders, determining the most pressing barriers and suggesting possible approaches to addressing such issues. Fifteen semi-structured interviews wer