By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Do Electronic Health Records Reduce Malpractice Claims?
    February 2, 2013
    A Humble Opinion: Book Review
    May 3, 2015
    medicaid
    Paul Krugman: Stop Being an Embarrassment to the Profession
    March 7, 2013
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Do “Old People” Want Digital Engagement?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > Do “Old People” Want Digital Engagement?
eHealthMobile Health

Do “Old People” Want Digital Engagement?

wellbeme
wellbeme
Share
3 Min Read
wellbe-seniors-whitepaper
SHARE

I know: the last thing seniors want is to be called “old people.” But as patients, do they want to be engaged using online and mobile technology?

wellbe-seniors-whitepaper

I know: the last thing seniors want is to be called “old people.” But as patients, do they want to be engaged using online and mobile technology?

wellbe-seniors-whitepaper

More Read

How to Use Instagram Video in Healthcare
It Takes More Than Technology to Change Health Behaviors
TalkItt: An App That Gives Voice to the Speech Impaired
Medical Futurist Dr. Bertalan Meskó [PODCAST]
5 Worst Cyber Attacks of 2017 So Far

Although the world’s online revolution has affected all aspects of consumer life, including banking, travel, shopping and media, the elderly population has often been left out or ignored, because of a widespread assumption that they don’t use online tools.  As a result, institutions often implement more costly and resource-intensive methods – like phone calls, home visits, and office encounters – to connect with and engage this demographic.

Pew Research says that 52% of those who are 65 or older use the internet (barely the majority). So maybe those healthcare providers who treat the elderly that are refusing to adopt online solutions have solid reasoning to stand on.

But not for long, because the “boomers” are coming… and Pew says of those between 50 and 64, 77 percent of them are using the internet. And it’s growing. Here are a couple more stats:

  • 42% of mobile phone owners 55 and older now have smartphones, according to Nielsen. They are quickly adopting tablets too.
     
  • Pew says seniors are the fastest social media adopters in the U.S. (jumping from 26% to 43% of those 65+ in the past 3 years)
     
  • Accenture recently found that 67% of seniors surveyed say that access to their health information is important, but only 28 percent currently have full access to their electronic health records.

Oftentimes, as patients age, a younger caregiver is responsible for managing their health, and with busy careers and families, would appreciate the use of online tools for their patient. After all, 43.5 million adult family caregivers care for someone 50+ years of age, says the Family Caregiver Alliance.

If you ignore patient demand for online tools only because “Medicare patients won’t use it,” you’re catering to the minority, not the majority. And just a few years down the road, your Medicare population may become the most active users of these tools, so it’s better to get in front of this trend now.

It’s no longer a question of “if,” but “when” providers will need to adopt online solutions to help all their patients. The last thing providers want is to be seen as behind the times or as “old people” themselves.

Read how Butler Health System engaged a senior audience (total joint replacements) using online engagement in Becker’s Hospital Review.

TAGGED:seniors
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Medical Records

Interactive: A Status Report on Health Information Technology in the States

December 14, 2011
eHealthHealth careTechnology

Have You Considered The Mobile Communication Concerns in Healthcare?

September 29, 2017

Healthcare Providers Stifle Online Free Speech

December 15, 2011

The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack

December 19, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?