Effects of digital technologies on older people's access to health and social care

Researchers at the Older People and Frailty Policy Research Unit have authored the article "Effects of Digital Technologies on Older People's Access to Health and Social Care: Umbrella Review," which was published in November 2022 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic prompted the rapid implementation of new and existing digital technologies to facilitate access to health and care services during physical distancing. Older people may be disadvantaged in that regard if they are unable to use or have access to smartphones, tablets, computers, or other technologies.

The aim of the study was to synthesize evidence on the impact of digital technologies on older adults' access to health and social services.

The authors findings led them to recommend that further research is urgently needed in order to understand the positive and negative consequences of digital technologies on health care access and to identify the groups most vulnerable to exclusion.