Unveiling the digital horizon: Perspectives and progress in digital adoption among German geriatric care facilities
B. Kebir & K. Barczik
Full text PDF 
( Download count: 73)
AbstractThe emergence of digital transformation in the care sector signifies a noteworthy and crucial change in how we approach the requirements and difficulties faced by an aging demographic. Amidst global challenges posed by aging populations and rising healthcare needs, the use of digital technologies presents novel approaches to improve and reshape the standard of the healthcare system and promote sustainability during times of crisis like the corona pandemic. Fundamentally, digital transformation in the healthcare field refers to the use of diverse technology instruments and platforms to optimize patient outcomes, simplify healthcare delivery, and empower both seniors and caregivers, as they, alongside family caregivers, have the primary responsibility for caring for these people. These technologies are categorized as gerontechnologies and include telemedicine, remote monitoring and security systems, documentation systems, as well as care and service robots for outpatient, inpatient, and home care. However, the adoption and utilization of assistive technological solutions and services in the care sector is often hindered by inadequate access or insufficient information base or knowledge regarding procurement and deployment options, which is why uptake of gerontechnologies in the healthcare sector is taking longer than in other sectors (Lee, 2022). The primary goal of our study is to (a) assess the degree of dissemination, meaning the extent to which digital technologies are used in care facilities. To this end, (b) the perspectives of nursing staff were analyzed with regard to their attitudes towards digital and supporting technologies, and possible opportunities and risks were identified. In addition, (c) significant factors that influence the digital transformation in nursing care were to be determined.Keywords: digital transformation, technology, healthcare, caregiver, aging
B. Kebir & K. Barczik (2024). Unveiling the digital horizon: Perspectives and progress in digital adoption among German geriatric care facilities. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.859.opp