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The role of digital devices in chronic disease management during the Covid-19 pandemic—a study of senior citizens in Wuhan

ABSTRACT During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, telemedicine has provided people with a technical solution to alleviate chronic disease management without the fear of cross-contamination of Covid-19. This research adopted semi-structured interviews to understand Wuhan senior citizens’ intentions to use digital devices for chronic disease management during and after the lockdown. The research illustrated how citizens in Wuhan managed their medical requirements by the ‘grid-managed’ online community. This paper also revealed different emphases on telemedicine between middle-aged and senior citizens. In addition, the findings suggested that cultural background, medical literacy, and socio-economic infrastructures play a pivotal role in influencing senior citizens’ perceptions and use of telemedicine and telecare services. The findings also identified the key role of social networks which we term as a new form of acquaintance society.