Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Using Technology to Enhance the Aging Experience: A Market Analysis of Existing Technologies

  • Published:
Ageing International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As the American population continues to age, there is an increased focus on person-centered care, which offers tremendous promise to improve both the quality and efficiency of care. The key feature is predicated on rethinking the medical model with the ultimate goal of supporting seniors to have more autonomy and control over their treatment and lifestyle as they age. Health information technology is a powerful tool that can support this transition by supporting care coordination, enhancing access, and empowering residents within the nursing home setting while also offering vehicles to provide needed services in home and community-based settings. Electronic health records can be used to increase efficiency, support care coordination, and provide caregivers timely access to information at any time or location. Telehealth includes an array of services that can increase quality and access in an inpatient setting and can also support individuals wishing to age in place. Technology can also be leveraged to increase physical, social, and cognitive stimulation. This paper provides details on a wide array of available health technologies, their benefits, and how these tools will transform the way people age during the next decade.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, G. A. (2009). Mobile IT Applications. Long-Term Living, pp. 22–25.

  • Alliance, C. H. (2010) Available via Continua Alliance. http://www.continuaalliance.org. Cited 10 May 2010.

  • Alwan, M., & Felder, R. (2008). Eldercare technology for clinical practitioners. New York City: Humana.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Alwan, M., Mack, D., Dalal, S., Kell, S., Turner, B., & Felder, R. (2006). Impact of passive in-health home status monitoring technology in home health: outcomes pilot. Arlington: First Distributed Diagnosis and Home Health Conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Academy of Pediatrics. (2010). National Center for Medical Homes. Available via National Center for Medical Home Implementation. http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org. Cited 10 May 2010.

  • American Telemedicine Association. (2010). Available via American Telemedicine Association. http://www.americantelemed.org. Cited 7 May 2010.

  • Anderson, J., Rietsma R., Liackman, B. (2009). Consumer Behavior Online: A 2009 Deep Dive. Forrester Research.

  • Association, N. G. (2009). Available via State Alliance for e-Health. http://www.nga.gov. Cited 10 May 2010.

  • Bashur, R. & Lovett, J. (2010). Assessment of Telemedicine: Results of the Initial Experience. Aviation and Space Environmental Medicine.

  • Brandon, B. & Flury, E. (2009). Aging with Choice: Coping with a changing marketplace. Long Term Living Magazine, p. 17.

  • Certification Commisison for Health Information Technology. (2010). Available via CCHIT. http://www.cchit.org. Cited on 10 May 2010.

  • Cusack, C. P. (2007). The Value of Provider to Provider Telehealth Technologies. Available via Center for Information Technology Leadership. http://www.citl.org/_pdf/CITL_Telehealth_Report.pdf. Cited 10 May 2010.

  • Darkins, A. (2009). Testimony Before US Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affairs. Feburary 2009.

  • Dolan, B. (2010). mHealth: Think of it as personal health reform. Mobile Health News.

  • Dolan, B. (2010). The world of health and medical apps. A Report for MobiHealth News.

  • Dr. William Russell, M. (2009). Health IT and Long-Term Care. (D. Y. Harris, Interviewer).

  • Faucunau, V. W. (2010). Cognitive intervention programmes on patients affected by mild cognitive impairment: a promising tool for MCI? Journal of Nutritional Health and Aging, 61(7), 456–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B. F. (2006). Patient record access—the time has come. Studies of Health Technology Information, 57(537), 507–510.

    Google Scholar 

  • Floh Club. (2010). Available via Floh Club. http://www.flohclub.com. Cited April 2010.

  • Foster, S. (2008). Move over bingo: Nursing home residents use Wii for therapy, fun. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Cited 17 June 2008.

  • Foundation, C. H. (2010). Consumers and Health Information Technology—A National Survey. Available via Publications. Cited 11 May 2010.

  • Friedland, R. S. (2005). Demography is not destiny, revisted. New York City: The Commonwealth Fund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, S. R. (2005). Home Health. In C. J. Evashwicck (Ed.), The continuum of long-term care (3rd ed., pp. 87–111). Clifon Park: Delmar Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Medicine. (1986). Improving the quality of care in nursing homes. Washington, DC: National Academies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivery, J. K.-A. (2010). NORC supportive services model implementation and community capacity. Journal of Gerentological Social Work, 53, 21–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser Foudnation. (2006). Medicaid and the Uninsured: Medicaid and Long-Term Care. Available via Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. http://www.kff.org/kcmu. Cited 11 May 2010.

  • Kaiser Foundation. (2009). Medicare: Medicare Spending and Financing Fact Sheet. (2009, May). Available via Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. http://www.kff.org. Cited 11 May 2010.

  • Kaushal, M. (2010, April). Testimony before Senate Special Committee on Aging.

  • Koren, M. (2010). Person-Centered Care for Nursing Home Residents. Health Affairs Web First, 312–316.

  • Kramer, A. B. (2004). Case studies of electronic health records in long-term and post-acute care. Washington, DC: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation—Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, A. M. (2009). Health IT in Nusing Homes and Home Health Agencies: Benefits and Costs. US Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Linder, J. J. (2007). Electronic health record use and the quality of ambulatory care in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167(13), 1400–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Litan, R. (2008). Vital Signs via Broadband: Remote Health Monitoring Transmits Savings, Enhances Lives. Available via Better Health Care Together. http://www.betterhealthcaretogether.org/www/docs/broadband.pdf. Cited 11 May 2010.

  • Marshall, M. (2010). Monitoring long-term conditions with Telehealth. British Journal of Community Nursing, 14(6), 246–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R. B. (2007). Essential but not sufficient: Information technology in long-term care as an enabler of consumer independence and quality improvement. Washington, DC: National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, R. (2009). Prevention priorities for telehealth in health system reform. CARING. March 2009.

  • Morris, J. M. (2010). Tomorrow’s elders with disabilities: what the wireless industry needs to know. Journal of Engineering Design, 21(2–3), 131–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mountain, G. W. (2010). Developing and testing a telerehabilitation system for people following stroke: issues of usability. Journal of Engineering Design, 21(2–3), 223–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Neil, C. H. (2003). Quality of care in nursing homes: an analysis of relationships among profit, quality and ownership. Medical Care, 41(12), 1318–1330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pande, A. L. (2006). Comparison of health status between the elderly and disabled in the South Carolina elderly and disabled waiver program. South Carolina: Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pande, A. L. (2007). Aging in place? Evidence that a state medicaid waiver program helps frail older persons avoid institutionalization. Home Health Care Services Quartely, 26(3), 39–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, L. (2009). Babyboomers and the Internet. Consumer Electronics Show. Pew Internet.

  • Scritchfield, R. (2007). A new age network: the future of communication in long-term care. Nursing Homes: Long-Term Care Management, 104(12), 32–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subramanian, S. H. (2007). Computerized physician order entry with clinical decision support in long-term care facilities: costs and benefits to stakeholders. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55(9), 1451–1457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Survey, Pew Internet. (2009). Survery of Wireless Internet Use. Available via Pew. http://www.pew.com/ Cited on 12 May 2010.

  • Tomzak, M. (2006). Facing the IT future: you are not alone. Nursing Homes Magazin,, pp. 60–62.

  • Topol, E. (2010). Transforming medicine via digital innovation. Science and Translational Medicine, 2(16), 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Congress. (2008). American recovery and reinvestment act. Washington, DC: Washington Publishing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). Trends in nursing home deficiencies and complaints. Washington, DC: Office of the Inspector General.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Health and Human Services. (2010a). Evaluation and research studies for ORDI system of record. Washington, DC: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Health and Human Services. (2010b). Glossary of terms. Washington, DC: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Health and Human Services. (2010c). Medicare benefit policy manual. Washington, DC: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Veterans Affairs. (2010). VA’s Telehealth: Wherever You Are, You’re Not Far. Available via Department of Veteran’s Affairs. http;//www.va.gov/helath/NewsFeatures/20100129b.asp. Cited 11 May 2010.

  • Verghese, J. L. (2003). Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. New England Journal of Medicine, 348(25), 2508–2516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vladek, B. (2003). Unloving care revisited: the persistance of culture. In A. R. Weiner (Ed.), Culture-change in long-term care. Binghamton: Hayworth.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest in the writing of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NORC at the University of Chicago, 4350 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA

    Jason Goldwater

  2. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA

    Yael Harris

Authors
  1. Jason Goldwater
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yael Harris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason Goldwater.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goldwater, J., Harris, Y. Using Technology to Enhance the Aging Experience: A Market Analysis of Existing Technologies. Ageing Int 36, 5–28 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-010-9071-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-010-9071-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation