Telemedicine interventions for older adults: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction Telemedicine may help improve older adults' access, health outcomes, and quality of life indicators. This review aims to provide current evidence on the effectiveness of telemedicine in the aged population. Method A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science electronic databases between January 2015 and September 2021 using the keywords “telemedicine” or “telehealth” and “older people” or “geriatrics” or “elderly.” The articles were classified under three headings according to the purposes: feasibility, diagnosis and management of chronic diseases, and patient satisfaction. Results A total of 22 articles were included. Across most disciplines, evidence has shown that telemedicine is as effective as usual care, if not more so, in the feasibility, chronic disease management, and patient satisfaction of the elderly. However, a few studies reported challenges such as difficulty with technology, hearing problems, and the inability to perform hands-on examinations for physicians. Conclusion Findings from this review support the view that health care providers can use telemedicine to manage elderly individuals in conjunction with usual health care. However, future research is needed to eliminate barriers to increasing telemedicine use among older adults.