Background

There is a growing role for digital technologies in society, but concerns that older adults are being disadvantaged and excluded with the growth of use of these technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic led the UK government to mandate lockdowns and social restrictions. This was accompanied by rapid implementation of many digital services both in the UK and internationally.

Aims and objectives

To advance our understanding of how health and care services have been digitalised during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to learn what has worked well and what has not, with a specific lens on the digital divide and health inequalities.

A mapping review was produced, to identify what types of evidence are currently available on the digitalisation of health and care services for older adults since the pandemic (March 2022).

Based on the findings of the mapping review, further work was undertaken to:

• Explore the views and experiences of older adults from South Asian and Black African or Caribbean descent on the digitalisation of services (November 2023);
• Analyse data to understand access to GP services during the pandemic (July 24).

Resources and further information

• Journal article: Disparities in the use of remote general practice consultations: learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, an analysis of 19 million electronic health records using OpenSAFELY (BMC Medicine)
• Briefing Summary: Impact of Digitalisation on Access to Primary Care
• Executive Summary: Impact of Digitalisation on Access to Primary Care
• Full Report: Impact of Digitalisation on Access to Primary Care

• Summary Briefing of Scoping Review: Digitalisation of health and care services for older adults; what can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2023) (PDF).
• Executive Summary of Scoping Review: Digitalisation of health and care services for older adults; what can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2023) (PDF).
• Full Report of Scoping Review: Digitalisation of health and care services for older adults; what can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2023) (PDF).

• Journal article: Experiences and views of older adults of South Asian, Black African, and Caribbean backgrounds about the digitalisation of primary care services since the Covid-19 pandemic (JMIR Formative Research)
• Executive Summary: Experiences and views of older adults of South Asian background and Black African or Caribbean background about digitalisation of primary care services since the COVID-19 pandemic 

• Webinar recording: Digitalisation of Health and Social Care Services for Older Adults (YouTube).
• Webinar recording: Inequalities in Later Life (YouTube)

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