Promoting informed and shared decisions about eHealth solutions for older adults and their informal caregivers (Bilaterale samenwerking met Québec) (FWOAL896)

Information and communication technologies are increasingly present in the daily life and change the way we interact with our environment. Contrary to the general belief, older people are particularly interested in those technologies and are willing to use them. Many technologies are being developed to help elderly with cognitive problems and their caregivers. Often these technologies are not adapted to their needs and preferences. This project aims to support elderly with mild cognitive problems as well as those with more severe cognitive problems and their caregivers, making choices about the use of information and communication technologies to improve their health and wellbeing. It will contribute to increase knowledge about technologies among older people and their caregivers and provide reliable, adapted and relevant information about the risks and benefits of the technologies and the implications on daily life. The project will develop a novel electronic decision support tool that considers the perspectives of older adults at risk for or living with cognitive problems, informal caregivers and health and social care providers in decision making about the use of the technologies. This tool is likely to improve satisfaction and outcomes. Consulting potential users at each step of technological development is likely to improve the relevance and the potential impact of these technologies to improve life and wellbeing of people with cognitive problems and their caregivers.

Keywords:eHealth, solutions, older adults

Disciplines:Social medical sciences not elsewhere classified