Wind of change? Attitudes towards aging and use of medical technology

Shifts in demographic developments have led to changed needs and requirements in healthcare. Rising life expectancy and improved medical healthcare enable a more independent and healthier lifestyle of (older) persons, but also changes expectations and perceptions of aging, and health-supporting technologies. Knowledge about attitudes towards aging, medical assistive technologies, and impacting user factors (especially age and health status) is limited with regard to a broad sample of participants. In the present study (N=585), we therefore examined in an online-survey current attitudes towards aging and quality of life in older age, as well as perceptions and acceptance of health-supporting technologies, taking age and health status as user factors into account. Results revealed significant effects of age and health condition on the perception of life quality in older age. In addition, positive perceptions of aging, technology acceptance, as well as benefits and barriers were signific antly influenced by the respondents’ age. In contrast, health status significantly affected the negative perceptions of aging. Under impacts of age and health condition as user factors, results of the study allow a deeper understanding of changing patterns of perceived aging and prevailing opinions regarding acceptance of medical technology.