NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENGAGING OLDER PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND CAREGIVERS IN HEALTHCARE

New communication technologies—such as the Internet, social media applications, mobile and “smart” phones—can facilitate patients, families and caregivers’ access and use of health information and navigation through the healthcare system. This scoping review mapped the literature on new communication technologies to engage older adults, their caregivers, and families in the healthcare system. The review identified types of technologies, how they are used, outcomes, strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. Peer-reviewed and grey literature was searched for empirical studies published between January 2002 and December 2014. Three reviewers reviewed the abstracts for inclusion. Articles were included if they focused on older adults (55+ years of age) and involved a “new” communication technology that facilitated an engagement with the healthcare system. 69 articles were identified as appropriate for inclusion. Overall findings indicate that various new communication technologies (i.e. e-health records, email and smartphone apps) can be used to improve engagement with the healthcare system, even amongst frail older adults. Users’ concerns with using new communication technologies included design, usability, and lack of experience. There is a gap in the literature concerning social media applications and how technology might influence and/or improve the caregiving experience. These findings suggest that training is an important component for introducing technology use in older patients, caregivers and families. While new communication technologies are a viable option for improving engagement with healthcare systems, older adults’ particular health needs must be considered for effective uptake and usage of these technologies.