2 - Challenges associated with online health information seeking among older adults

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Abstract

Information and communication technologies, such as Internet-connected computers and smartphones, provide new means to search for health information (including, but not limited to, information on illnesses, diseases, medications, and healthcare providers) and provide unprecedented potential for older adults to assume a more pronounced role in managing their own health and healthcare decision-making. Yet, while more older adults are turning to the Internet to search for health information, there remain significant barriers and challenges to conducting searches that prevent older adults from successfully interpreting and using the information found. This chapter discusses such challenges, including physical health limitations, cognitive limitations, literacy (i.e., health literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy), and negative attitudes toward technology. This chapter also discusses ways in which technology designers and training interventionists may help older adults overcome these challenges.

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