JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The growing aging population has led to increased demand for chronic disease care. Over the past two decades, there has been a proliferation of information and communication technology designed to support patients in following recommended chronic disease self-management behaviors (i.e., medication behavior, physical activity, dietary behavior, and attending follow-up appointments).. Relative few studies have focused on generating and synthesizing explicit knowledge on existing technologies used to support self-management among adults aged 65 and older.

Objective:

This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature on technologies developed to support adults aged 65 and older in engaging in chronic disease self-management behaviors. It seeks to identify which aspects of self-management, such as medication adherence, physical activity, diet, and follow-up care, have received the most technological support. Additionally, the study explores the extent to which older adults have been involved in the design and development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) intended to aid their self-management practices.

Methods:

We followed an a priori protocol using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-Equity 2020 Extension guidelines for systematic reviews focusing on health equity. Themes of interest included the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We identified seven electronic databases, created search strings, and conducted the searches. We initially screened results based on titles and abstracts and then performed full-text screening. We then resolved conflicts and extracted relevant data from the included articles.

Results:

In total, there were nineteen included articles. All studies included older adult patients, which we define as 65 or older. All studies focused on technologies that support chronic disease self-management for older adults, such as medication behavior, dietary behavior, physical activity, and attending follow-up appointments. Medical specialties ranged from physical rehabilitation to computer engineering to internet research, etc. Very few studies have addressed the design process of these technologies, and among them, only a limited number involved older adults and their caregivers in the development process.

Conclusions:

Despite the extensive body of literature on technology use in chronic disease management, fewer studies have explicitly focused on the role of information and communication technologies in supporting self-management behaviors among adults aged 65 and older. Future studies should intentionally involve older adults and their caregivers in the design process of health technologies to ensure that their diverse needs, preferences, and challenges are adequately addressed.