Older Adults' Satisfaction with Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT

Aims: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the satisfaction of older adults with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, assess preferences to telemedicine or in-person visits, and identify factors of influence on the satisfaction with telemedicine. Methods: The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Statement. A search through key electronic databases identified 228 citations. After duplicate record removal, and title and abstract screening, 43 articles were eligible for full-text review. Of these, 10 studies meeting the inclusion criteria of the review were finally included. Results: Older adults were satisfied with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients were in favor of telemedicine compared to in-person visits, but the evidence support for this preference was limited. Factors influencing satisfaction were identified and categorized under four main categories system-related factors, patient-related factors, socioeconomic factors, and factors related to the nature of the medical intervention. Conclusions: Older adults were satisfied with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. A positive trend of preference toward telemedicine was observed, but not well established due to the lack of an objective measure of assessment. Technical issues related to the telemedicine delivery system were the main challenges. The socioeconomic status and level of education of older adults can relatively influence the level of satisfaction with telemedicine. The experience of older adults with telemedicine is still evolving and advanced technologies specifically designed to address their needs must be explored to increase the telemedicine uptake among the older adult population during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.