Customized Information and Communication Technology for Reducing Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Adults: Scoping Review

Abstract

Background Advancements in science and various technologies have resulted in people having access to better health care, a good quality of life, and better economic situations, enabling humans to live longer than ever before. Research shows that the problems of loneliness and social isolation are common among older adults, affecting psychological and physical health. Information and communication technology (ICT) plays an important role in alleviating social isolation and loneliness. Objective The aim of this review is to explore ICT solutions for reducing social isolation or loneliness among older adults, the purpose of ICT solutions, and the evaluation focus of these solutions. This study particularly focuses on customized ICT solutions that either are designed from scratch or are modifications of existing off-the-shelf products that cater to the needs of older adults. Methods A scoping literature review was conducted. A search across 7 databases, including ScienceDirect, Association for Computing Machinery, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science, was performed, targeting ICT solutions for reducing and managing social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Articles published in English from 2010 to 2020 were extracted and analyzed. Results From the review of 39 articles, we identified 5 different purposes of customized ICT solutions focusing on reducing social isolation and loneliness. These were social communication, social participation, a sense of belonging, companionship, and feelings of being seen. The mapping of purposes of ICT solutions with problems found among older adults indicates that increasing social communication and social participation can help reduce social isolation problems, whereas fulfilling emotional relationships and feeling valued can reduce feelings of loneliness. In terms of customized ICT solution types, we found the following seven different categories: social network, messaging services, video chat, virtual spaces or classrooms with messaging capabilities, robotics, games, and content creation and management. Most of the included studies (30/39, 77%) evaluated the usability and acceptance aspects, and few studies (11/39, 28%) focused on loneliness or social isolation outcomes. Conclusions This review highlights the importance of discussing and managing social isolation and loneliness as different but related concepts and emphasizes the need for future research to use suitable outcome measures for evaluating ICT solutions based on the problem. Even though a wide range of customized ICT solutions have been developed, future studies need to explore the recent emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things and augmented or virtual reality, to tackle social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Furthermore, future studies should consider evaluating social isolation or loneliness while developing customized ICT solutions to provide more robust data on the effectiveness of the solutions.

Effectiveness of Technology Interventions in Addressing Social Isolation, Connectedness, and Loneliness in Older Adults: Systematic Umbrella Review

“…These low ratings were attributed to the poor overall quality of evidence, study design, and outcomes. However, our umbrella review showed that despite the heterogeneous quality and diverse scope of existing reviews, which prohibit the drawing of generalizable conclusions, technology can effectively target social disconnectedness in older adults [ 61 , 62 ].…”

Adapting and Implementing Apps for Mental Healthcare

“…For older adults, there are many customized (adapted) internet-based solutions to reduce social isolation (reviewed by Thangavel and coworkers [39]). A special group among older adults is the group of people with dementia.…”

Barriers and facilitators of digital interventions use to reduce loneliness among older adults: a protocol for a qualitative systematic review

“…31 35 36 39 40 45 47-49 52 53 The scoping reviews also focused on the classification and mechanisms of action of digital interventions. [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Although most reviews found the effectiveness of digital interventions, most digital intervention techniques are not tailored for older adults. 40 55 56 The 'heterogeneity' of older adults, such as declining cognitive and sensory abilities, can make them face barriers that do not easily allow them to use digital technologies.…”