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Combatting social isolation and increasing social participation of older adults through the use of technology: A systematic review of existing evidence
Author(s) -
Baker Steven,
Warburton Jeni,
Waycott Jenny,
Batchelor Frances,
Hoang Thuong,
Dow Briony,
Ozanne Elizabeth,
Vetere Frank
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12572
Subject(s) - social isolation , isolation (microbiology) , psychological intervention , scale (ratio) , inclusion (mineral) , psychology , social engagement , process (computing) , sociology , gerontology , medicine , social psychology , computer science , social science , geography , psychiatry , cartography , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , operating system
Objectives There are growing concerns that social isolation presents risks to older people's health and well‐being. Thus, the objective of the review was to explore how technology is currently being utilised to combat social isolation and increase social participation, hence improving social outcomes for older people. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted across the social science and human‐computer interaction databases. Results A total of 36 papers met the inclusion criteria and were analysed using a four‐step process. Findings were threefold, suggesting that: (i) technologies principally utilised social network services and touch‐screen technologies; (ii) social outcomes are often ill‐defined or not defined at all; and (iii) methodologies used to evaluate interventions were often limited and small‐scale. Conclusion Results suggest a need for studies that examine new and innovative forms of technology, evaluated with rigorous methodologies, and drawing on clear definitions about how these technologies address social isolation/participation.