Age and the digital divide in the use of health technologies: a scoping review

The 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.

A 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.

Of 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.

This 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.