Self-efficacy and Use of Digital Health Care and Social Welfare Services Among Incarcerated People: Cross-sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The digitization of health care and social welfare services creates many opportunities for the rehabilitation of incarcerated people and their preparation for release from prison. A range of digital platforms and technology solutions have been developed that offer multiple opportunities to handle private matters either by video conference, email, or some other digital format during imprisonment. However, incarcerated people have limited access to digital health care and social welfare services, and face challenges related to shortcomings in their digital skills and self-efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This article assessed the significance of incarcerated people's self-efficacy in terms of their sense of control over the use of digital health care and social welfare services. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire. Research data were collected from 11 prisons in different parts of Finland, and a total of 225 incarcerated people responded to the survey. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, 2-tailed t test, linear regression analysis, and Hayes bootstrapping method. RESULTS: The results showed the significance of both general and internet-specific self-efficacy, which appear to be more important for the use of digital health care and social welfare services than factors related to a person's socioeconomic background or sentence. Age was negatively correlated with perceived control over the use of digital health care and social welfare services. Furthermore, the study emphasized the importance of support from family and friends, as well as prison employees. CONCLUSIONS: The digitalization of prisons offers many opportunities, but special consideration should be given to how the digitization of health care and social welfare services responds to the needs of incarcerated people in terms of their integration into society and the prevention of recidivism. During imprisonment, attention should be paid to strengthening the digital skills of incarcerated people, with support provided by prison employees. In addition to providing guidance on the use of individual digital services, the study recommends strengthening the general digital skills of incarcerated people, as well as developing their life management skills.

The introduction of care robots as a leadership challenge in home care facilities in Finland.

AIMS: This paper analyses the factors that influence home care employees' intention to introduce robots. BACKGROUND: The introduction of different kinds of care robots is a topical issue in elderly care now and in the near future. METHODS: Cross-sectional research conducted through a questionnaire. The survey data (N = 162) were collected in five locations around Finland in 2019. The analysis was carried out by regression analysis, Sobel test and by Hayes' bootstrapping method. RESULTS: The results show that self-efficacy is pivotal in the willingness to introduce care robots. Employees' age increases the enthusiasm to introduce robots but reduces self-efficacy. Work engagement does not correlate with self-efficacy or behavioural intention related to the introduction of care robots. CONCLUSIONS: The present paper reveals the significance of attitudes, cognitive factors and age in the adoption of care robots in home care facilities. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: It is important to pay attention to supporting the employees' sense of technology management and the construction of a robot-positive atmosphere when introducing care robots, and the development of skills of older employees and employees with a lower educational level should be supported.

The Associations Between Mental Health Problems and Attitudes Toward Web-Based Health and Social Care Services: Evidence From a Finnish Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: The significance of web-based health and social care services has been highlighted in recent years. There is a risk that the digitalization of public services will reinforce the digital and social exclusion of vulnerable groups, such as individuals with mental health problems. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the associations between mental health problems and attitudes toward web-based health and social care services in the general population. The attitudes measured include lack of interest, perceived need for face-to-face encounters, and concern for safety. The study also evaluates whether sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, education level, and poverty) modify these associations. METHODS: Cross-sectional population-based data were collected from 4495 Finnish adults in 2017. Linear regression was used to examine the main effects and interactions of poor mental health and sociodemographic characteristics on attitudes toward web-based health and social care services. RESULTS: The results show that mental health was associated with attitudes toward web-based health and social care services. Individuals with mental health problems were especially concerned about the safety of web-based services. Poor mental health was independently associated with negative attitudes toward web-based services over the effects of sociodemographic factors. Some of the associations between poor mental health and negative attitudes toward web-based services were stronger among older people and men. With regard to sociodemographic characteristics, particularly higher age, low education, and poverty were associated with negative attitudes toward web-based health and social care services. CONCLUSIONS: Poor mental health is associated with negative attitudes toward web-based health and social care services and thus indirectly with exclusion. It seems that being older and being male both reinforce the link between poor mental health and exclusion. In supporting the digital inclusion of people with mental health problems, attention should be paid to guidance and counseling, reliability, and the user-friendliness of web-based services as well as to the prevention of poverty. In addition, it is essential to see web-based services as complementary to, and not a substitute for, face-to-face services.

Prisoners as Users of Digital Health Care and Social Welfare Services: A Finnish Attitude Survey.

Prisoners are a group of people with many health and social problems. However, in prisons the use of the Internet is controlled. Thus, prisoners' access to digital health care and social welfare services is limited. In addition, there are many cognitive and attitudinal barriers to the use of digital health care and social welfare services for prisoners. Cross-sectional survey data (N = 225) were collected from eleven prisons in different parts of Finland and analysed using linear regression analysis. The results are consistent with Ajzen's theory and previous studies on the acceptance of information systems in health care. Prisoners' behavioural intentions related to the use of digital health care and social welfare services are influenced by their perceptions of their capacity to use digital services, the expectations of their close people and their attitudes, as well as by trust in the Internet and services. In contrast, the age of prisoners' indirectly affects their willingness to use digital services. The study recommends that prisoners are supported in the use of digital health care and social welfare services by prison staff and other people. Digital skills training is also needed in order to support digital inclusion, especially for older and long-term prisoners.

Impacts of a Care Robotics Project on Finnish Home Care Workers' Attitudes towards Robots.

Technological advances in elderly care have been rapid, and the introduction of robots in care will be a topical issue in the near future. There has been little research into the possibility of influencing care workers' attitudes towards robots by project activities, and how to make the change easier for work communities. This study focuses on a robotics project that took place in elderly and home care services in one municipality in Finland (total of 45 care workers). During the project, four robotics workshops and one extended pilot session were implemented. The study follows quasi-experimental settings, and it included two measurements (before and after project activities) and a control group, but no randomization. The data were collected by questionnaires and were analyzed statistically. The project under study brought about minor positive changes in home care workers' attitudes towards the usefulness of care robots. In the final measurement, the difference between the test group and the control group was significant in the two dimensions of positive attitudes. The research supports the hypothesis that project activities can be used to influence home care workers' attitudes towards robots. This can also facilitate the introduction of care robots in home care services. However, the construction of a technology-positive care culture is a long-term process, which requires training and development, technological development and strong strategic management at various levels.

Care Personnel's Attitudes and Fears Toward Care Robots in Elderly Care: A Comparison of Data from the Care Personnel in Finland and Japan.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to analyze and compare elderly care personnel attitudes toward care robots in Finland and Japan. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey in Finland and Japan. METHODS: The Finnish sample was collected from care personnel in home care facilities in five municipalities in 2016. The Japanese sample was collected from personnel in two rehabilitative day centers and three residential care homes for the elderly in the north of Honshu Island in 2017. The data were analyzed using basic statistical methods and calculated descriptive statistics (frequencies). Differences between the Finnish and Japanese data have been analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. FINDINGS: Overall, Japanese care personnel assessed the usefulness of robots more positively than did their Finnish counterparts. The data showed substantial national differences in the perceived importance of various potential tasks for care robots. The findings show that there are also certain fears related to the introduction of care robots, in particular among the Finnish care personnel. DISCUSSION: The data from the Japanese care personnel bring new perspectives to the concept of a close human-robot relationship. The differences seen in the results between Finland and Japan can be partly explained by cultural dissimilarity, but it is also known that Japan is a more developed country with regard to the use of robotics in nursing care. The research highlights the importance of cultural factors when examining the issue of care robotics. The factors affecting fear are a concern that care robots would be used to replace people, the dehumanization of treatment, and an increased loneliness in the elderly. Thus, further research is required to demonstrate the relationship between different cultural factors, and attitudes and conceptions toward care robots. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Management plays a key role when implementing robotics. It is important to help care personnel accept care robots, and to diminish any fears that their introduction would make the treatment of elderly people inhumane or in some way add to their loneliness. As such, education is crucial in changing attitudes and making care personnel understand that care robots can perform routine tasks, allowing care personnel to focus on providing improved care and nursing.

The adoption of care robots in home care-A survey on the attitudes of Finnish home care personnel.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This article examines the attitudes of Finnish home care registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and other health and social care personnel towards the introduction and use of care robots in home care. BACKGROUND: The significance of care robotics has been highlighted in recent years. However, personnel-related social psychological barriers to the introduction of care robots have been given very little study. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study conducted by questionnaire. The theoretical framework of the study is based on Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour and the research discussion about attitudes towards robots. METHODS: The research data were collected in five municipalities in different parts of Finland in 2016, and the questionnaire was answered by a total of 200 home care workers. The research data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation, one-way analysis of variance and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The results are consistent with Ajzen's theory and previous studies on the acceptance of information systems in health care. Personnel behavioural intentions related to the introduction of robot applications in home care are influenced by their personal appreciation of the usefulness of robots, the expectations of their colleagues and supervisors, as well as by their own perceptions of their capacity to learn to use care robots. In particular, personnel emphasised the value of care robots in providing reminders and guidance, as well as promoting the safety of the older people. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that an intimate human-robot relationship can pose a challenge from the perspective of the acceptance of care robots. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: From the perspective of the introduction of care robots in home care, personnel training and the construction of a positive working atmosphere play a key role. In addition, the introduction of robots requires further consideration of a number of ethical issues.

Attitudes towards care robots among Finnish home care personnel - a comparison of two approaches.

STUDY'S RATIONALE: The significance of care robotics has been highlighted in recent years. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The article examines the adoption of care robots in home care settings, and in particular Finnish home care personnel's attitudes towards robots. The study compares the importance of the Negative Attitudes towards Robots Scale advanced by Nomura and specific positive attitudes related to the usefulness of care robots for different tasks in the home care. METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN: A cross-sectional study conducted by questionnaire. The research data were gathered from a survey of Finnish home care personnel (n = 200). RESEARCH METHODS: Exploratory factor analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis. MEASURES: The Negative Attitudes towards Robots Scale (NARS), by Nomura, with a specific behavioural intention scale based on Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour, and a measure of positive attitudes towards the usefulness of care robots for different tasks in home care and the promotion of independent living of older persons. RESULTS: The study shows that NARS helps to explain psychological resistance related to the introduction of care robots, although the scale is susceptible to cultural differences. Care personnel's behavioural intentions related to the introduction of robot applications are influenced also by the perception of the usefulness of care robots. STUDY LIMITATIONS: The study is based only on a Finnish sample, and the response rate of the study was relatively small (18.2%), which limits the generalisability of the results. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that the examination of home care personnel's attitudes towards robots is not justified to focus only on one aspect, but a better explanation is achieved by combining the perspectives of societal attitudes, attitudes related to psychological reactions and the practical care and promotion of the independent living of older people.

Employees' attitudes towards welfare technology in substance abuse treatment in Finland.

AIM: The significance of welfare and health technology has been highlighted in recent years. However, employees' attitudes towards welfare technology in substance abuse treatment have received little attention. This article examines employees' readiness to introduce welfare technology in substance abuse treatment and their attitudes towards its use. DESIGN: The theoretical framework of this study is based on Ajzen's (1991, 2001) theory of planned behaviour, and the ongoing discussion about the adoption of new technology in healthcare. The research data (N = 129) were collected in the form of an electronic questionnaire in Finland in 2015. RESULTS: The results are consistent with the theory of planned behaviour and previous studies on the acceptance of information systems in healthcare. Employees' readiness to introduce new welfare technology applications and devices in substance abuse treatment is influenced by their personal appreciation of welfare technology, the expectations of their colleagues and supervisors, as well as their own perceptions of their capacity to learn to use the applications. CONCLUSIONS: The study found some links between demographic factors and cognitions related to welfare technology. In particular, employees with a healthcare background are more inclined to adopt the technology than other employees in substance abuse treatment. In addition, a person's age has a negative relationship with their perceived technology management. However, age has no significant connection with attitudes and no direct independent effect on the readiness to introduce a new welfare technology. Lastly, the results show that previous positive experiences of welfare technology make it easier to introduce new technologies.