The mobile phone is an integral part of the life of modern youth, which is confirmed by the fact that 97% of Europeans aged 16-29 use the Internet every day.¹ However fastest growing population of new technology users aged 60+⁶, at the same time constituting a very large group of patients.⁹ In the age of an ageing society, telemedicine is playing an increasingly important role in increasing the efficiency of healthcare. And here we pose the question - how seniors find themselves in the world of new medical technologies?

A significant proportion of seniors struggle with at least one chronic condition such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.² The main goal of therapy is not to cure the disease, but to slow its progression and maintain the quality of life of the sick person. This process requires constant drug therapy, regular examinations and follow-up visits, not infrequently lifestyle changes.⁷ 

Telemedicine has the potential to increase the efficiency and efficiency of care for the elderlyand at the same time facilitate their access to specialists.³ Currently, it has a wide range of modern solutions, such as medical instant messaging, telemonitoring, or online educational platforms. However, many doctors are hesitant about whether it is right to offer them to older patients? Will they cope with the operation of the application, will they follow the recommendations? In this article, you will learn how telemedicine can support senior therapy and how you can help them use new technologies.

What are the effects of telemedicine in elderly patients?

In control and retrospective studies carried out in different countries, it has been shown thatThe use of telemedicine technologies in elderly patients brings equal, and sometimes even better, results than in-patient visits. An example is the use of instant messengers and the home connected to them Peripheral devices in the therapy of patients suffering from heart failure or arrhythmia. In addition to the wide diagnostic possibilities of telemonitoring and the potential to reduce the number of rehospitalizations for cardiovascular reasons in the elderly⁴ - it can further reduce mortality from the disease over a period of more than a year.

Positive effects of the use of e-health technology have also been obtained in the treatment of type 2 diabetes⁸. In one of the controlled studies, an application was used, thanks to which patients (age >65 years) could send blood glucose meter data to their doctors, use chat and monitor the calorie content of their meals. After 6 months, a decrease in HbA1c% and blood glucose levels were observed, which were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Moreover, patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the technology-assisted treatment process.

How can you help older patients take advantage of telemedicine opportunities?

One of the most commonly reported concerns about using telemedicine solutions by patients is difficulty in using the application. It has been proven that Spending a few minutes during an in-patient visit to discuss with the patient the operation of the selected application or device is usually sufficient. Moreover, it increases the motivation to use new technologies related to health care.

Key actions you can take to support your patients in using new medical technologies include:

• brief application instruction at the time of the inpatient visit - you will acquaint the patient with the basic functions of the selected program and show that you use it together;
• highlighting the resource that is the younger family of the patient - at the beginning of the implementation of new solutions, her help may be necessary, and the support of people familiar to the patient will increase his comfort of using previously unknown technologies;
• Responding to Patients' Questions and Concerns - one of the concerns of patients is the quality of the examination in the form of teleconsultation or video consultation. It is valuable for the patient to ensure that many of the elements of the examination can be performed during the e-visit. At this link you will find a table, which summarizes how you can assess the patient's condition at the time of remote consultation.⁴;
• education of the patient regarding his illness and the course of the treatment process - in one study it was proven that patients with better knowledge of their diseases are more willing and committed to using different telemedicine solutions⁵;
• Introduce new solutions in small steps - elderly patients express the greatest desire to use telemedicine in the form of short advice on the state of health, as part of a telephone conversation or a message.³ This is a convenient solution that you can apply, for example, with the Doctor.One application.

In the course of a short visit, it can be difficult to complete all these steps. However, it is worth remembering that The time spent in an in-patient consultation is an investment in more efficient and effective patient care in the future.

Although information and communication technologies are still more widespread among patients of the younger generation - it is patients 60+ who remain a significant user group. Many applications of new technologies in medicine are addressed to them. It is worth remembering this and engaging this segment of patients, keeping in mind their state of health and cognitive abilities. A significant group of seniors are positive about contacting their doctors online, or receiving test results and medication reminders on their phone or email³. Therefore, we encourage you to include them in the group of patients with whom you keep in contact online.

1. Individuals - frequency of internet use [isoc_ci_ifp_fu__custom_11247891]  
2. Narodowy Test Zdrowia Polaków 2023
3. Bujnowska-Fedak MM, Pirogowicz I. Support for e-health services among elderly primary care patients. Telemed J E Health. 2014 Aug;20(8):696-704. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2013.0318. Epub 2013 Dec 20. PMID: 24359252; PMCID: PMC4106384.
4. Dewar S, Lee PG, Suh TT, Min L. Uptake of Virtual Visits in A Geriatric Primary Care Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jul;68(7):1392-1394. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16534. Epub 2020 May 15. PMID: 32383773; PMCID: PMC7267610.
5. Jamal NE, Abi-Saleh B, Isma'eel H. Advances in telemedicine for the management of the elderly cardiac patient. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2021 Sep 28;18(9):759-767. doi: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2021.09.004. PMID: 34659382; PMCID: PMC8501381.
6. Batsis, John A., et al. “Effectiveness of ambulatory telemedicine care in older adults: A systematic review.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 67, no. 8, 8 May 2019, pp. 1737–1749, https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15959. 
7. Duplaga M. The acceptance of e-health solutions among patients with chronic respiratory conditions. Telemed J E Health. 2013 Sep;19(9):683-91. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2012.0306. Epub 2013 Jun 4. PMID: 23734700; PMCID: PMC3757530.
8. Sun C, Sun L, Xi S, Zhang H, Wang H, Feng Y, Deng Y, Wang H, Xiao X, Wang G, Gao Y, Wang G Mobile Phone–Based Telemedicine Practice in Older Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Randomized Controlled Trial; JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019;7(1):e10664; DOI: 10.2196/10664
9. https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/zdrowie/zdrowie/ambulatoryjna-opieka-zdrowotna-w-2023-roku,13,8.html