How Seniors Got Lost In The Digital Health Revolution

COVID-19 forced seniors to start looking for technology-based solutions more than ever before. According to reports, they are more connected to the Internet than ever before, as loneliness and isolation forced them to use their devices extensively. A survey in the U.S. found that the overall use of telemedicine services among seniors increased 300% during the pandemic.  Acquiring digital skills became a must, but, due to the lockdowns and worrying for their health, most of them have lost their support network in tech – children, grandchildren and other more computer literate family members. Learning how to use these tools, however, contributes to the everyday lives and wellbeing of seniors – and this is a gap technology companies in healthcare must overcome. Being left out Until the past decade, the older generations have been a bit ignored of technological developments and are all aimed at the young and technology-savvy. Luckily, this trend is changing for the better – not least due to the fact that the number of older persons is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050. Take a look at the most obvious technology at hand we all use: a smartphone. It took the industry quite a long time to get there, but today there are multiple smartphones designed specifically for the needs of seniors. These have big screens, larger, easy-to-read fonts and simpler user panels. The phones aren’t necessarily too smart – but at least they exist. Experts say the...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Covid-19 Digital Health Research E-Patients Future of Medicine Health Sensors & Trackers Portable Medical Diagnostics Robotics Telemedicine & Smartphones ces technology seniors elderly gamification rehabilitation tech giants Source Type: blogs