The impact of emerging technologies on healthcare needs of older people

Background: The global elderly population is rapidly increasing resulting in a higher burden on healthcare systems. Emerging technologies may contribute to counteracting the shortage of healthcare workers and to assist the elderly in both healthcare settings and the community. Objective: The study aimed to identify emerging technologies that may have a significant impact on the healthcare and social needs of the elderly, to assess their time to market, and to recommend policy measures intended to overcome entry barriers. Methods: A foresight study was conducted, including horizon scanning, interviews, and a survey of 76 participants who were experts from the fields of health and technology in Europe and Israel. Results: Thirteen emerging technologies were identified and five main areas of needs for the elderly were recognized: mobility, cognition, self-care, social life, and access to healthcare. All the emerging technologies were shown to have a high impact on healthcare needs for the elderly. The most influencing technologies were wearables, artificial intelligence apps and fall prevention devices. The most influential area of need was self-care, while the lowest area was social life. The forecast was that most technologies will reach the market as early as 2024 and will continue to evolve and impact healthcare. The significant barriers were forecasted to be high cost, lack of ease of use, and training. Conclusions: The important policy measures are to increase usability and the availability of solutions, public funding, and training.