Using active information and communication technology for elderly homecare services: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Technology
• Gerontology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Rising life expectancy presents challenges in managing chronic diseases.
• Home care services (HCS) are increasingly vital for elder care.
• Information and communication technology (ICT) offers potential solutions for enhancing HCS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and classify the challenges associated with utilizing active ICT in elderly HCS.
• To analyze the managerial and supervisory roles of ICT within HCS.
• To provide a structured understanding of ICT implementation barriers in home care.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review using keywords, synonyms, and combinations in title, keywords, and abstract.
• Collection and screening of over 300 resources, with 33 articles deemed eligible.
• Expert review and individual opinion collection to refine challenge classification.

Main Results:

• Challenges in implementing ICT for elderly HCS were identified and categorized.
• The expert team classified the challenges into three primary domains: technology, human factors, and management.
• A comprehensive list of barriers to active ICT adoption in HCS was compiled.

Conclusions:

• Understanding these categorized challenges is crucial for effective ICT integration in elderly HCS.
• Addressing technology, human factors, and management issues will facilitate the successful deployment of ICT in home care.
• This research provides a foundation for developing strategies to overcome ICT adoption barriers in HCS.