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Age and the digital divide in the use of health technologies: a scoping review
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DOI：10.3389/fdgth.2026.1786370.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
IntroductionThe present study undertakes a scoping review of research on the intersection of age; health technologies; and the digital divide; with a specific focus on identifying facilitators and barriers to adoption; and strategies for inclusive implementation.MethodsA scoping review of literature from ten databases was used to identify papers published 2010–2024; from which we selected 45 publications that focused on older adults; technology; and health care. Technologies included synchronous video; asynchronous telehealth; wearable sensors; mobile health devices; and other health technologies across four areas of impact: individual; clinic; hospital; and system or organizational levels. Qualitative content; framework analyses; and subject matter expert discussion were used to analyze data and identify best practices in implementation.ResultsOf the 4; 368 potential literature references; 264 were duplicates; and our review of the title and abstracts of 4; 104 (93.9%) found that 3; 692 (90.0%) were irrelevant. A full-text review of 412 studies revealed that 83 (20.1%) studies met all the criteria related to technology and health care; and 38 (45.7%) were removed (17 search terms were mentioned yet not a focus of the research; 12 included methods not sufficiently geared to assess outcomes; 5 were non-peer reviewed literature and 4 had the wrong publication type (e.g.; commentary; editorial)). This resulted in 45 articles from seven countries and one global/multinational study ranging from 2017 to 2024. All studies addressed the individual level (n = 45; 100.0%). Focus areas of articles were individual (n = 45; 100%); unit/team level (n = 8; 17.8%); site/facility level (n = 5; 11.1%); and system level (n = 8; 17.8%); with studies increasing focus on multiple areas over time.ConclusionsThis scoping review highlights a growing body of literature exploring the intersection of aging; healthcare; and digital technology; but also reveals gaps in addressing multi-level implementation challenges.
Keywords:
scoping review
older adult
digital health (DH)
digital divide—ageing—peer training—aged care—digital inclusion
telehealth (TH)
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