The cell phone is an integral part of the lives of today's youth, as evidenced by the fact that 97% of the European population aged 16-29 use the Internet daily^.1 However, the fastest growing population of new technology users is those aged⁶⁰⁺⁶, at the same time representing a very large group of patients^.9 In the era of an aging population, telemedicine is playing an increasingly important role in enhancing the efficiency of health care. And here we pose the question - how do seniors find their way in the world of new medical technologies?

A significant proportion of seniors struggle with at least one chronic disease, such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes^.2 The main goal of therapy is not to cure the disease, but to slow its progression and maintain the patient's quality of life. This process requires ongoing pharmacotherapy, regular examinations and follow-up visits, and often lifestyle changes^.7

Telemedicine has the potential to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of care for the elderly, while also making it easier for them to access specialists^.3 Today, it has a wide range of modern solutions, such as medical messaging, telemonitoring, and online education platforms. However, many doctors hesitate, is it right to offer them to elderly patients? Can they handle the applications, will they follow the recommendations? From this article, you will learn how telemedicine can support therapy for seniors and how you can help them take advantage of new technologies.

What effects does telemedicine have in older patients?

Follow-up and retrospective studies conducted in various countries have proven thatthe use of telemedicine technologies in elderly patients yields equal and sometimes even better results than inpatient visits. An example is the use of communicators and connected home peripherals in the treatment of patients suffering from heart failure or arrhythmias. In addition to telemonitoring's broad diagnostic capabilities and potential to reduce rehospitalizations for cardiovascular causes in seniors4^- it can further reduce mortality from disease over a year.

Positive effects of e-health technology have also been obtained in the treatment of type²⁸diabetes. One case-control study used an application that allowed patients (age >65) to send their doctors glucometer data, use chat and monitor caloric intake. After 6 months, a decrease in HbA1c% and blood glucose values was observed, which were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Moreover, patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the technology-assisted treatment process.

How can you help older patients take advantage of telemedicine opportunities?

One of the most common concerns raised by patients about using telemedicine solutions is the difficulty of using the app. It has been proven that spending a few minutes during an inpatient visit to discuss with the patient how the chosen app or device works is usually sufficient. Moreover, it increases motivation to use new healthcare-related technologies.

The basic steps you can take to support your patients in using new medical technologies are:

short instruction of the application during the inpatient visit - you will familiarize the patient with the basic functions of the selected program and show that you use it together;
emphasize the resource of the patient's younger family - at the beginning of the implementation of new solutions, their help may be necessary, and the support of people familiar to the patient will increase his comfort with previously unfamiliar technologies;
Responding to patients' questions and concerns - one of the concerns of patients is the quality of the examination in the form of a teleportation or video consultation. It is valuable for the patient to be assured that many of the elements of the examination can be performed during the e-visit. At this link you will find a table summarizing how a patient^'s condition can be assessed during a remote consultation^.4;
educating the patient about their disease and the treatment process - in one study, it was proven that patients with better knowledge about their diseases are more willing and engaged in using various telemedicine ^solutions5;
Introduce new solutions in small steps - Older patients express the greatest desire to use telemedicine in the form of brief advice on a medical condition, via a phone call or message^.3 This is a convenient solution that you can implement with the Doctor.One app, for example.

It can be difficult to complete all these steps during a short visit. However, it is worth remembering that the time spent during an inpatient consultation is an investment in more efficient and effective patient care in the future.

Although ICT is still more prevalent among patients of the younger generation - patients 60+ remain an important user group. Many applications of new technologies in medicine are aimed at them. It is worth keeping this in mind and engaging this segment of patients, bearing in mind their health and cognitive abilities. A significant group of seniors are positive about online contact with their doctors, or receiving test results and medication reminders on their phone or^email3. Therefore, we encourage you to include them among the patients you keep in touch with online.