The role of assistive technology in addressing social isolation, loneliness and health inequities among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose Assistive technology (AT) is an effective tool to promote social connectedness among older adults affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, its role in reducing loneliness and health inequities is not well understood. The goal of this scoping review was to construct a model for how technologies may be deployed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation, loneliness and health inequities for older adults. Methods PubMed, SCOPUS and PsychINFO were searched from 2010 to 2020 for the following keywords: social isolation, loneliness, social support, resilience, technology, pandemic and health inequit*. Articles selected for full analysis attempted to understand how technology alleviates social isolation and/or loneliness among older adults. Results Eighteen articles met the criteria for selection and data extraction. Six were review-type studies, seven were observational, three were randomized control trials, one opinion piece and one case study. ATs have been shown to reduce loneliness and social isolation, strengthen social support, and promote resilience among older adults. AT reduces loneliness both directly and indirectly, by affecting social isolation. There is insufficient evidence to determine technology's relationship to health inequities experienced by older adults. Conclusions The model we have proposed should help advance research on the relationship between ATs and health inequities among older adults that may be aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesize that AT interventions for social support and functional competence should be sequenced to reduce health disparities.

Automated summary

This scoping review aims to explore how technologies can mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on social isolation, loneliness, and health inequities among older adults. Findings suggest that AT can decrease loneliness and strengthen social support for older adults, but its relationship to health inequities requires further investigation.