Digital transformation of home care: Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

At the time of demographic changes, the development of integrated care, technology and various digital solutions in the context of long-term care, is increasingly gaining ground as one of the ways of enabling independent and safe living in the home environment as also prevention in the field of health of older adults. But despite of the rapid technological development, digitization is still not fully utilized by older adults, questions arise as to whether such solutions are really effective, to what extent and in what manner, and what are the obstacles we face in the implementation. Literature review in the Web of Science database initially found 670 papers. The paper analysis benefits of such solutions and compares the results with the solutions that are currently available in Slovenia. Findings show that remote monitoring of health and general psychophysical condition can greatly improve the quality of life in old age, enable independent living in the home environment, prevent falls in the home environment, and enables faster interventions and reduces health and social care costs. Despite large number of research papers, the mentioned area is still poorly implemented, which leaves room for further research.