Between 2015 and 2050, the World Health Organisation predicts that the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years old will nearly double from just 12 per cent to 25 per cent.
The pace of population ageing is accelerating at a much quicker pace, and healthcare providers and professionals now face a challenge to ensure they’re ready to cope with this shift.
Agetech World reports on the role digital health can play in addressing this challenge.
Unfortunately, as Sinead MacManus, senior programme manager at Nesta’s Health Lab, explains, while we may be living longer, we’re not living healthier – which is when the ageing population begins to become a burden on the NHS and other healthcare providers.
According to research from The Kings Fund, around 15 million people in England are living with a long-term condition, with diabetes, chronic pain and arthritis among the most common.
And as you might expect, these illnesses are much more prevalent in older people; 58 per cent of people over 60 live with a long-term illness, compared to just 14 per cent under 40.
With over 50 per cent of doctor’s appointments and 70 per cent of in-patient bed days in hospital due to long-term conditions, it’s crucial we find a solution to support the ageing population to ease the strain on healthcare services and professionals.
Digital health – defined by the FDA as the use of computing platforms, connectivity, software and sensors for health care and related uses – could be the answer.
In a report for the British Council, Sinead explains that big data – huge data sets that are analysed to identify patterns and trends – and artificial intelligence (AI) may have the ability to lead us into a new era for personalised medical treatments, which can be customised for individual patients.
Sinead says: “By bringing together biological, clinical and lifestyle information, we can paint a unique picture of each patient and target therapies to achieve the best outcomes in the prevention or management of a patient’s disease.”
It is hoped that by diagnosing and treating patients earlier with the help of AI and big data, it will limit the number of older adults who are left battling long-term conditions and requiring regular hospital treatment.
But digital health isn’t just about using data and tools such as AI and VR to monitor patients – it can also nip issues that may lead to long-term conditions in the bud.
Take loneliness and social isolation for example; research shows that loneliness can have as great an impact on someone’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and this has only been exacerbated by the restrictions placed upon us during the pandemic.
By facilitating social experiences and encouraging regular human contact, health technology may be able to reduce both these feelings of isolation and, in the long run, the impact this is having on our minds and bodies.
Similarly, in China, measures are in place to embed monitoring and alert systems for older people living alone, meaning that accidents and falls can be reported quickly and, ultimately, reducing the severity of the incident. These systems are just one of many ways the country is harnessing technology to become more age-friendly and improve care for the ageing population.
Devices such as biometric trackers and AI-aided hearing aids can also protect the elderly against hazards and allow them to monitor their own health.
This technology can also ease the burden on carers and make it easier to offer remote support for the elderly. Wearable devices can track and alert the wearer – and their carer and emergency services – of heart rate, arrhythmias and event lack of exercise.
It is worth noting that one of the main issues healthcare providers and professionals now face is the uptake and willingness to embrace such technologies amongst the older generation.
However, research from Ienca, Schneble, Kressig and Wangmo found an overall positive response to digital health.
The aim of the study was to explore views and perceptions of older adults regarding the use of digital health for healthy ageing, and it was conducted through in-depth interviews with participants with a median age of 79.6 years.
The team state that: “Our study reveals a generally positive attitude towards digital health technologies as participants believed digital tools could positively contribute to improving their overall wellbeing, especially if designed in a patient-centred manner.”
The interviews did find, however, that participants did have some concerns around safety and ethical issues relating to privacy, empowerment and lack of human contact.
These worries were echoed in a study by the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), which contradicted Ienca et al’s research and found that there was low acceptance of digital health services among the elderly.
Supported by the National Medical Research Council, the SERI found that 98.1 per cent of participants has not used digital health services prior to the pandemic. And while 52.2 per cent felt these services could help to reduce non-essential contact – the study primarily evaluated the acceptance of these services during the pandemic – 78.8 per cent of participant were uncomfortable with artificial intelligence software interpreting their medical results and providing automatic advice.
Unfortunately, with over half of the participants of the study being unreceptive towards digital healthcare, this study in particular has highlighted that there may need to be a shift in attitude and improvement in acceptance and adoption before technology can truly benefit the ageing population.