Fostering digital literacy in the elderly as a means to secure their health needs and human rights in the reality of the twenty-first century

Susło, Robert; Paplicki, Mateusz; Dopierała, Karol; Drobnik, Jarosław

doi:10.5114/fmpcr.2018.78273

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…The problem of the digital divide among the elderly is not new and has been a point of increasing scrutiny as technology has become a larger part of day-to-day life. However, while some studies and programs have attempted to explore possible solutions, little headway has been made on a large scale (73)(74)(75). Many studies on the topic of technology usage in the elderly focus on the design of technology and software which the elderly are more easily able to use, which has resulted in a variety of hardware and software design suggestions to tailor technology to the needs of elderly users (76)(77)(78).…”

Section: The Digital Dividementioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of COVID-19 Among the Elderly Population: A Case for Closing the Digital Divide

2020

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had huge effects on the daily lives of most individuals in the first half of 2020. Widespread lockdown and preventative measures have isolated individuals, affected the world economy, and limited access to physical and mental healthcare. While these measures may be necessary to minimize the spread of the virus, the negative physical, psychological, and social effects are evident. In response, technology has been adapted to try and mitigate these effects, offering individuals digital alternatives to many of the day-to-day activities which can no longer be completed normally. However, the elderly population, which has been worst affected by both the virus, and the lockdown measures, has seen the least benefits from these digital solutions. The age based digital divide describes a longstanding inequality in the access to, and skills to make use of, new technology. While this problem is not new, during the COVID-19 pandemic it has created a large portion of the population suffering from the negative effects of the crisis, and unable to make use of many of the digital measures put in place to help. This paper aims to explore the increased negative effects the digital divide is having in the elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to highlight the need for increased attention and resources to go toward improving digital literacy in the elderly, and the need to put in place measures to offer immediate solutions during the COVID-19 crisis, and solutions to close the digital divide for good in the long-term.

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Section: The Digital Dividementioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of COVID-19 Among the Elderly Population: A Case for Closing the Digital Divide

2020

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“…Moreover, ICT use also has a positive impact on health and well-being by contributing to fewer depressive symptoms and higher self-rated health and subjective well-being in older adults [5,6], with these relationships mediated by reduced loneliness [7]. Conversely, the lack of digital literacy can affect older adults' ability to access health resources and is associated with social isolation and poorer health outcomes [8][9][10][11]. At the same time, results from some studies imply that ICT use might not always be related to improved mood, quality of social relationships, and well-being [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Digital Literacy in Older Adults of Low Socioeconomic Status in Singapore (Project Wire Up): Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

Ngiam¹,

Yee²,

Teo³

et al. 2022

J Med Internet Res

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Background In a rapidly digitalizing world, the inability of older adults to leverage digital technology has been associated with weaker social connections and poorer health outcomes. Despite the widespread digital adoption in Singapore, older adults, especially those of lower socioeconomic status (SES), still face difficulties in adopting information and communications technology and are typically digitally excluded. Objective We aimed to examine the impact of the volunteer-led, one-on-one, and home-based digital literacy program on digital literacy and health-related outcomes such as self-reported loneliness, social connectedness, quality of life, and well-being for older adults of low SES. Methods A nonrandomized controlled study was carried out in Singapore between July 2020 and November 2021 involving 138 digitally excluded community-dwelling older adults aged ≥55 years and of lower SES. Older adults awaiting participation in the program served as controls. Older adults under the intervention were equipped with a smartphone and cellular data, underwent fortnightly to monthly digital literacy training with volunteers to learn digital skills, and digitally connected to their existing social networks. Primary outcome was the improvement in self-reported digital literacy. Secondary outcomes included improvements in University of California, Los Angeles 3-item loneliness scale, Lubben Social Network Scale-6, EQ-5D-3L and EQ visual analogue scale scores, and Personal Wellbeing Score. Results There were significant improvements in digital literacy scores in the intervention group as compared to controls (mean difference 2.28, 95% CI 1.37-3.20; P<.001). Through multiple linear regression analyses, this difference in digital literacy scores remained independently associated with group membership after adjusting for differences in baseline scores, age, gender, education, living arrangement, housing type, and baseline social connectivity and loneliness status. There was no statistically significant difference in University of California, Los Angeles 3-item loneliness scale, Lubben Social Network Scale-6, Personal Wellbeing Score, or EQ-5D Utility and visual analogue scale score. Conclusions This study adds to the growing research on digital inclusion by showing that a volunteer-led, one-on-one, and home-based digital literacy program contributed to increase digital literacy in older adults of low SES. Future studies should look into developing more older adult–friendly digital spaces and technology design to encourage continued digital adoption in older adults and, eventually, impact health-related outcomes.

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“…Older adults are a highly heterogenous group with differing needs and they require specific technological and telehealth solutions [ 7 ]. Societal digital demands see learning to use new technologies as a means of securing older people`s health needs and human rights [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telehealth and digital developments in society that persons 75 years and older in European countries have been part of: a scoping review

Raja

Bjerkan

Kymre

et al. 2021

BMC Health Serv Res

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Background Demographic changes are leading to an ageing population in Europe. People are becoming more dependent on digital technologies and health ministries invest increasingly in digitalisation. Societal digital demands impact older people and learning to use new telehealth systems and digital devices are seen as a means of securing their needs. Methods The present study undertakes a scoping review in order to map relevant evidence about telehealth and digital developments in society involving citizens aged 75 and over in European countries. It focuses on their experiences and the main barriers to, and facilitators of, societal digital demands. A framework proposed by Arksey and O`Malley was used to guide the scoping review process. The studies included in the review covered telehealth, digital technology and digital devices, and the context covered participants` own home or surroundings. A comprehensive search on PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase and Open Grey was undertaken. Results Out of 727 identified citations, 13 sources which met the inclusion criteria (9 original study articles, 2 theses, 1 letter about a product and 1 project report). Few of the studies identified have investigated European citizens 75 years and older separately. The studies included varied in their design, location and focus. Older people have experienced both telehealth and digital devices making life easier and the opposite. The outstanding facilitator found was that technology should be easy to use, and difficulty in remembering the instructions was seen as an important barrier. Interestingly, both social support and lack of social support were found as facilitators of using new devices. Conclusions Telehealth may give a sense of security but learning to use a new device often takes extra effort. Older people were more open to new devices if the possible advantages of the new technology outweighed the effort that would be involved in adopting a new strategy. As technology develops rapidly, and life expectancy in Europe is anticipated to rise continually, there is a need for new and additional research among older European citizens. Future research should cover the technical solutions most relevant to older people today, social support and participants` access to the devices.

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Fostering digital literacy in the elderly as a means to secure their health needs and human rights in the reality of the twenty-first century

Cited by 19 publications

References 34 publications

The Effects of COVID-19 Among the Elderly Population: A Case for Closing the Digital Divide

The Effects of COVID-19 Among the Elderly Population: A Case for Closing the Digital Divide

Building Digital Literacy in Older Adults of Low Socioeconomic Status in Singapore (Project Wire Up): Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

Telehealth and digital developments in society that persons 75 years and older in European countries have been part of: a scoping review

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