Addressing the Digital Gap for the Older Persons and their caregivers in the State of Qatar: A Stakeholders' Perspective

Dena Al Thani, Asma Hassan, Hajer Chalghoumi, Achraf Othman, Suzanne Hammad

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The demographics in the Arab world are expected to go through a change in the coming decades. It is projected that the older population in Qatar will increase. Access to and use of information communication technology (ICT) by older persons and their caregivers has rarely been discussed. This study exposes the perspectives of the policy-level stakeholders and non-profit organizations working with older persons regarding the access and use of ICT. Through focus groups, the study investigates existing services and identifies the challenges encountered within the ICT Ecosystem. The study also attempts to explore their personal perspectives toward the access and use of older persons and their caregivers to ICT Thematic analysis was employed to capture the main themes emerging from exchanges with the stakeholders. Five themes emerged to stress the importance of existing efforts, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the extent of technology acceptance. The findings revealed the extent of partnership between the different institutes when providing the different services, conducting raising awareness activities, and training campaigns, and supporting the technology acceptance. The paper concludes by providing recommendations for stakeholders on ways to address the digital gap.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2021 8th International Conference on ICT and Accessibility, ICTA 2021
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781665466417
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Event8th International Conference on ICT and Accessibility, ICTA 2021 - Tunis, Tunisia
Duration: 8 Dec 202110 Dec 2021

Publication series

Name2021 8th International Conference on ICT and Accessibility, ICTA 2021

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on ICT and Accessibility, ICTA 2021
Country/TerritoryTunisia
CityTunis
Period8/12/2110/12/21

Keywords

  • Digital gap
  • ICT access
  • caregivers
  • older persons
  • stakeholders

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