Page 149 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2021. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo / Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 149
erly’s attitude towards information communication technology tehnološke in ostale ikt rešitve | technological an ict solutions
Jasna Špehar, Dajana Glavan, Dijana Došen, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Science, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Information and communication technology (ICT) is advancing ex-
tremely fast and is present at all stages of life. The need for the inclusion of ICT
has also appeared in the everyday life of the elderly, which enables them eas-
ier access to new information and resources. Most older people were not di-
rectly involved in the new age of the Internet or the ICT, as they did not use
computers or the Internet often in their educational, work and / or person-
al lives. Despite the fear of how the elderly will accept this, desires for knowl-
edge and use have also started to come from their side, as they are interested
in the benefits of ICT.
Methods. A descriptive method with a systematic literature review was per-
formed. The units for analysis took place with the help of DiKUL in the inter-
national databases Medline, ScienceDirect, CINAHL with full text and Google
Scholar. We also searched using the COBIB.SI database. The keywords “elder-
ly”, “information and communication technology” and “health” with Boolean
operators “AND” and “OR” were used in Slovene and in English. The inclusion
criterion was also the content relevance. 19 articles were reviewed and after
the content analysis, we ranked 10 articles. Subsequently, we excluded those
articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria.
Results. The use of ICT benefits the elderly, improves and facilitates daily activ-
ities. When problems arise in the use of ICT, they want the support and help
of relatives. The elderly expressed fear of invasion of privacy and related secu-
rity in the use of ICT. In the case of technology upgrades, they are concerned
about whether they will be able to keep up with progress. The latter may be
particularly exposed, as they also fear discrimination from society, which makes
it easier to follow the progress of ICT development. In promoting the use of
ICT in the elderly, the design of the devices must be taken into account, but al-
so their social context.
Discussion and conclusion. The number of elderly ICT users has been increas-
ing. Studies suggest positive effects of using ICT, especially to reduce feelings of
loneliness. Restrictions on the cognitive and physical limitations of the elderly
need to be taken into account when designing ICTs for the elderly. Older peo-
ple may face special barriers to learning about ICT, the Internet and comput-
ers due to age-related sensory, physical and cognitive changes. Elderly people
are often concerned about privacy when using ICT, but using it could partial-
ly relieve the health care system and help to detect health complications earli-
er and consequently reduce costs in the health care system. The attitude of the
elderly towards ICT has important implications for the design and implemen-
tation of adapted forms of ICT related to health. New technology can to some
extent replace the person caring for the elderly and give them a greater sense
of independence and security.
Keywords: elderly, information communication technology, health, safety
147
Jasna Špehar, Dajana Glavan, Dijana Došen, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Science, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Information and communication technology (ICT) is advancing ex-
tremely fast and is present at all stages of life. The need for the inclusion of ICT
has also appeared in the everyday life of the elderly, which enables them eas-
ier access to new information and resources. Most older people were not di-
rectly involved in the new age of the Internet or the ICT, as they did not use
computers or the Internet often in their educational, work and / or person-
al lives. Despite the fear of how the elderly will accept this, desires for knowl-
edge and use have also started to come from their side, as they are interested
in the benefits of ICT.
Methods. A descriptive method with a systematic literature review was per-
formed. The units for analysis took place with the help of DiKUL in the inter-
national databases Medline, ScienceDirect, CINAHL with full text and Google
Scholar. We also searched using the COBIB.SI database. The keywords “elder-
ly”, “information and communication technology” and “health” with Boolean
operators “AND” and “OR” were used in Slovene and in English. The inclusion
criterion was also the content relevance. 19 articles were reviewed and after
the content analysis, we ranked 10 articles. Subsequently, we excluded those
articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria.
Results. The use of ICT benefits the elderly, improves and facilitates daily activ-
ities. When problems arise in the use of ICT, they want the support and help
of relatives. The elderly expressed fear of invasion of privacy and related secu-
rity in the use of ICT. In the case of technology upgrades, they are concerned
about whether they will be able to keep up with progress. The latter may be
particularly exposed, as they also fear discrimination from society, which makes
it easier to follow the progress of ICT development. In promoting the use of
ICT in the elderly, the design of the devices must be taken into account, but al-
so their social context.
Discussion and conclusion. The number of elderly ICT users has been increas-
ing. Studies suggest positive effects of using ICT, especially to reduce feelings of
loneliness. Restrictions on the cognitive and physical limitations of the elderly
need to be taken into account when designing ICTs for the elderly. Older peo-
ple may face special barriers to learning about ICT, the Internet and comput-
ers due to age-related sensory, physical and cognitive changes. Elderly people
are often concerned about privacy when using ICT, but using it could partial-
ly relieve the health care system and help to detect health complications earli-
er and consequently reduce costs in the health care system. The attitude of the
elderly towards ICT has important implications for the design and implemen-
tation of adapted forms of ICT related to health. New technology can to some
extent replace the person caring for the elderly and give them a greater sense
of independence and security.
Keywords: elderly, information communication technology, health, safety
147
