Barriers and facilitators to older adults’ acceptance of camera-based active and assisted living technologies: A scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Background and objectives Camera-based active and assisted living (AAL) technologies are an eminent solution to population ageing but are frequently rejected by older adults. The factors that influence older adults’ acceptance of these technologies remain poorly understood, which may account for their lagging diffusion. This scoping review aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators to older adults’ acceptance of camera-based AAL technologies, with a view to facilitating their development and widespread dissemination. Research Design and Methods MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, and grey literature databases were searched from inception to June 2024. Publications that reported data on barriers and facilitators to the acceptance of camera-based AAL technologies among community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and above were eligible. Barriers and facilitators were extracted and mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework, thematically clustered, and narratively summarised. Results A total of 28 barriers and 19 facilitators were identified across 50 included studies. Dominant barriers concerned the technology’s privacy-invasive, obtrusive, and stigmatising qualities. Salient facilitators included the perceived usefulness of, and older adults’ perceived need for, the technology. Discussion and Implications Results inform practitioners’ selection of strategies to promote older adults’ acceptance of camera-based AAL technologies. These efforts should transcend the conventional focus on pragmatics and give credence to psychological, social, and environmental influences on technology acceptance.