The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Older Adults’ Decision-Making Related to Health, and Health and Social Care Services in Daily Life—A Scoping Review

Susanna Nordin, Jodi Sturge, Maria Ayoub, Allyson Jones, Kevin McKee, Lena Dahlberg, Louise Meijering and Marie Elf
Additional contact information
Susanna Nordin: School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden
Jodi Sturge: Population Research Center, Urban and Regional Studies Institute, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Maria Ayoub: School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden
Allyson Jones: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G4, Canada
Kevin McKee: School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden
Lena Dahlberg: School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden
Louise Meijering: Population Research Center, Urban and Regional Studies Institute, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Marie Elf: School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) can potentially support older adults in making decisions and increase their involvement in decision-making processes. Although the range of technical products has expanded in various areas of society, knowledge is lacking on the influence that ICT has on older adults’ decision-making in everyday situations. Based on the literature, we aimed to provide an overview of the role of ICT in home-dwelling older adults’ decision-making in relation to health, and health and social care services. A scoping review of articles published between 2010 and 2020 was undertaken by searching five electronic databases. Finally, 12 articles using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method designs were included. The articles were published in journals representing biology and medicine, nursing, informatics, and computer science. A majority of the articles were published in the last five years, and most articles came from European countries. The results are presented in three categories: (i) form and function of ICT for decision-making, (ii) perceived value and effect of ICT for decision-making, and (iii) factors influencing ICT use for decision-making. According to our findings, ICT for decision-making in relation to health, and health and social care services was more implicitly described than explicitly described, and we conclude that more research on this topic is needed. Future research should engage older adults and health professionals in developing technology based on their needs. Further, factors that influence older adults’ use of ICT should be evaluated to ensure that it is successfully integrated into their daily lives.

Keywords: autonomy; decision-making; health and social care services; older adults; participation; scoping review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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