BACKGROUND
Background: The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has subsequently catalysed the advent of wearable technology. Given the inevitability of ageing worldwide, wearable technology should evolve in terms of feasibility within the ageing population. However, there is limited systematic review on wearable technology in aging population.
OBJECTIVE
Objective: This systematic review aims to offer comprehensive current state and information on wearable technology research among older adults.
METHODS
Methods: This review implements Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines. 38 of the 618 publications were screened based on titles and abstracts following the inclusion and exclusion criteria through seven databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science Citation Database, Cochrane, IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Scopus, and WOS) and two search engines (Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic).
RESULTS
Results: Most of the studies included in the analyses are efficacy and feasibility (5/16), followed by randomised pilot trial and quasi-interventional studies (3/16) respectively with most of the devices are wristband or smart watch. Only two studies focus on early detection or monitoring of cognitive impairment and fall. The significant restriction observed in all of the studies examined is the small sample size employed, with six of them having a sample size of less than 30 people, which is the lowest criteria for conducting a first-in-human trial for parameter estimation.
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions: This study indicates scarce of study have been performed which limited to certain countries and population. However, further research in the future is essential for wearable technology in this population to globally optimise life qualities and reduce financial burdens due to the emerging of IoT and growth of these population worldwide which could adversely impact the public healthcare system.