Page 111 - Petelin, Ana, and Šarabon, Nejc. 2018. Eds. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Znanstvena monografija / Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 111
also prepared by the ICT task leaders. Editorials, letters, interviews, post- tackling frailty with the help of information-communication technology 111
ers and papers without an access to full text were excluded from the research.
Results and discussion
We conducted a comprehensive literature review on the management of frail-
ty with the help of ICT. Overall number of research results after applying all
the combinations of keywords was 124,634. After taking into account the inclu-
sion and exclusion criteria and exclusion of the duplicates, 33 papers/sources re-
mained for the analysis.
One of the main goals of ICT usage in frail elderly is to improve the qual-
ity of their lives. ICTs can make life of the elderly and (potentially) frail el-
derly easier and improve their productivity. Lifestyle improvement ICTs can
play an important role and have a positive impact on the quality of life of the
frail elderly by promoting social interaction, communication, physical activi-
ty and exercise, nutrition, and support other day-to-day activities. Beside that,
ICTs can improve their accessibility to services and consequently improve in-
dependence and self-care help, as well as lower frailty rates.
Since frailty often results from reduced physical capacity and decreased
regular physical activity (Rogers et al., 2017), ICTs that promote physical ac-
tivity and exercise can also play an important role in its management, which
can improve body performance and consequently reduce frailty (Binder et al.,
2003; Cadore et al., 2014). ICTs are used both to set up training programs as
well as to implement them, and can play an important role with maintaining
adherence to the program and correct execution of the training. Exercise ad-
herence could thus be improved by introducing ICT to promote group exercise,
social networking, regular contact with caregivers, involvement of relatives
and caregivers, etc. And possibly as well through gaming principles (Barelle
et al.,2014). Although frequency of ICT use seems to be related to clinical out-
comes (Vollenbroek-Hutten et al., 2017), there is no evidence on the ICT based
exercise programmes for frail elderly in the reviewed literature.
Supportive technologies usually include assistive technologies (e.g. for
disabilities, home care, etc.) and monitoring of different data and activities
(e.g. fall detection, kinematics, position, physiological data, etc.). The latter has
proved to be effective in a positive attitude to health, health literacy, increased
confidence in technology (Ogonowski et al., 2016). Supportive ICTs can reduce
the burden of formal and informal caregivers taking care of an elderly person's
safety living alone and can help to provide home care (Lexis et al., 2013). Com-
plex smart home solution that includes monitoring of activities in home en-
vironment (e.g. movement detection, usage of devices, etc.) can significantly
contribute to the self-management empowerment for independent living of the
elderly (Tomita et al., 2010). The smart home solutions can also include ICTs
for fall detection and prevention (the latter can also act as a stand-alone appli-
cations), which play an important role, especially among the frail elderly (Pie-
ers and papers without an access to full text were excluded from the research.
Results and discussion
We conducted a comprehensive literature review on the management of frail-
ty with the help of ICT. Overall number of research results after applying all
the combinations of keywords was 124,634. After taking into account the inclu-
sion and exclusion criteria and exclusion of the duplicates, 33 papers/sources re-
mained for the analysis.
One of the main goals of ICT usage in frail elderly is to improve the qual-
ity of their lives. ICTs can make life of the elderly and (potentially) frail el-
derly easier and improve their productivity. Lifestyle improvement ICTs can
play an important role and have a positive impact on the quality of life of the
frail elderly by promoting social interaction, communication, physical activi-
ty and exercise, nutrition, and support other day-to-day activities. Beside that,
ICTs can improve their accessibility to services and consequently improve in-
dependence and self-care help, as well as lower frailty rates.
Since frailty often results from reduced physical capacity and decreased
regular physical activity (Rogers et al., 2017), ICTs that promote physical ac-
tivity and exercise can also play an important role in its management, which
can improve body performance and consequently reduce frailty (Binder et al.,
2003; Cadore et al., 2014). ICTs are used both to set up training programs as
well as to implement them, and can play an important role with maintaining
adherence to the program and correct execution of the training. Exercise ad-
herence could thus be improved by introducing ICT to promote group exercise,
social networking, regular contact with caregivers, involvement of relatives
and caregivers, etc. And possibly as well through gaming principles (Barelle
et al.,2014). Although frequency of ICT use seems to be related to clinical out-
comes (Vollenbroek-Hutten et al., 2017), there is no evidence on the ICT based
exercise programmes for frail elderly in the reviewed literature.
Supportive technologies usually include assistive technologies (e.g. for
disabilities, home care, etc.) and monitoring of different data and activities
(e.g. fall detection, kinematics, position, physiological data, etc.). The latter has
proved to be effective in a positive attitude to health, health literacy, increased
confidence in technology (Ogonowski et al., 2016). Supportive ICTs can reduce
the burden of formal and informal caregivers taking care of an elderly person's
safety living alone and can help to provide home care (Lexis et al., 2013). Com-
plex smart home solution that includes monitoring of activities in home en-
vironment (e.g. movement detection, usage of devices, etc.) can significantly
contribute to the self-management empowerment for independent living of the
elderly (Tomita et al., 2010). The smart home solutions can also include ICTs
for fall detection and prevention (the latter can also act as a stand-alone appli-
cations), which play an important role, especially among the frail elderly (Pie-
