Cultural adaptation of digital healthcare tools: a cross-sectional survey of caregivers and patients

Background Optimizing the cultural accessibility of digital healthcare tools requires understanding user perspectives on usability features and cultural appropriateness. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 3,030 caregivers (mean age 44.0, 52.9% female) and 2,108 inpatients (mean age 49.7, 54.0% female) at a Guangxi medical center (July–October 2024) assessed experiences with digital tools, support needs, and preferences for culturally adaptive features. Results Caregivers reported a higher adoption of digital tools than patients (caregivers: 87.1% vs. patients: 62.0%, P -value < .001), yet 81.1% of caregivers reported unmet needs. Both groups (caregivers: 67.0%; patients: 64.0%) prioritized integrating traditional medicine over other cultural factors (language diversity, traditional medicine, folk customs, and medical resource availability). Caregivers valued interactive health management tools (73.3% vs. 66.7% among patients, P -value < .001) and user feedback mechanisms (61.2% vs. 55.0% among patients, P -value < .001) more than patients. Conclusions Despite high adoption, caregivers report significant gaps in culturally relevant support. Digital health interventions should prioritize user-centered designs, incorporating traditional medicine and addressing the divergent preferences of caregivers and patients.