How Does e-Health Improve Chronic Disease Self-Management In Older Adults? - A Systematic Review of the New Research on Aging and Technology

Health Interactive Communicative Technology (health ICT), commonly known as e-Health, has been systematically reviewed in the literature review as a moderator for outpatient health outcomes, health literacy and in-home care for patients with chronic diseases. However, only a few studies have evaluated e-Health as moderator for self-efficacy with socioeconomic (SES) disparities, namely low education or income, among older adults (≥45 years) and seniors (≥65 years) with multiple chronic disease (MCD) conditions. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review using defined search criteria for e-Health interventions among high impact journals (published between June 2010 and June 2017). Efficacy of specific e-Health were determined based on frequency of use by patients and its strength in determining health outcomes for each of twenty-five journal articles investigated in this study. Strength of e-Health self-efficacy for different MCD conditions was ranked in frequency (p 0.0001 – p 0.01 = high; p 0.02 – p 0.05 = moderate; p 0.05 = low). While limited significant results in MCD self-efficacy were found, statistical and clinical evidence proved for cost-effective and acceptable uses among aging adults. Keywords: e-Health, home health care, patient outcomes, telemonitoring, telehealth, m-Health, chronic disease management, self-efficacy