The world is becoming increasingly remote and reliant on new technologies to accommodate the shift, so it’s more important than ever to have all demographics onboard with this evolution. While the elderly are becoming more comfortable with technology by the day, many still have a long way to go in order to gain the confidence to use software, devices, and apps in the same way their younger counterparts do.
According to a study in Healthcare exploring older adults’ perceptions of technology, “a lack of understanding of modern technologies and digital platforms was identified as a barrier resulting in underutilization of technology and dependence on others to operate basic features.”
So how do we help the elderly understand technology better and more fluidly utilize it? With telemedicine, digital check-ins, and online scheduling becoming the norm in medical practices, they need to become more fully acquainted with technology in order to receive the care they need.
Here are a few suggestions if you are a provider looking for better elderly patient adoption to technologies you use in your practice.
Minimize Clicks
When it comes to clicks, less is better for your patient. The more places an individual who isn’t computer-friendly has to click in order to complete a task, the more likely they’ll become frustrated, confused, or give up altogether. By having apps and software that don’t require logins or downloads, pre-visit patient adoption increases by over 50%. Use technologies for your practice that minimize the amount of user clicks, and chances are you’ll receive less complaints from your less tech-savvy patients.
Simplicity is Key
Clicks aside, the overall design of the software your patients use will also affect how naturally they adopt. A clean, simple interface will go a long way to inspiring confidence for older patients to use technologies in the way they were fully intended. When choosing solutions for your practice, look for ones with intuitive functionality and designs that promote clarity — both in the vocabulary used and the overall appearance of the screen.
Keep a Tablet at Your Office
Some older patients may not have the electronic devices needed to complete the tasks requested of them by their provider. If your practice exclusively uses digital check-in, consider keeping a tablet at your office for them to complete all screeners and intake forms. By doing this, you’ll prevent paper waste and ease them into a more digital workflow, which will help them in the future if they decide to own a computer or smartphone down the line.
Attitude Over Aptitude
Oftentimes, elderly patients don’t give themselves enough credit. Despite being able to easily learn how to adapt to certain technologies once they try them, many simply don’t believe that they can, rejecting them before they even give these patient-friendly solutions a chance. Circumvent this roadblock by creating materials that will nurture a more positive attitude to the software at your practice. Create educational brochures, videos, or emails showing how easy your technologies are, which will prevent troubleshooting phone calls and proactively improve your patients’ attitudes about your software.
The Most Elderly-friendly Solution
DocResponse offers an expansive list of solutions for most major medical specialties. They were designed to minimize clicks for adults of any age, with clean interfaces that are easy to understand. Here are a few examples of how DocResponse’s solutions will enhance your elderly patient’s experience:
- DocResponse’s login & app-free digital check-in solution results in an 80% pre-visit adoption rate.
- DocResponse’s download-free, single-click telemedicine solution is simple for anyone with an internet connection to utilize.
- Allow patients to easily book appointments online through the simple click of a button from your homepage with DocResponse’s online scheduling solution.
Every step of the elderly patient’s digital journey will be enhanced by DocResponse’s easy-to-use software. We regularly receive comments from our clients about how easily older patients have been able to adapt to our solutions. Here’s one satisfied athenaNet user’s review:
“We live in an area with a large elderly population and limited internet and cellular service. Despite this, we have a high percentage of people completing the check-in from home.”
Schedule a demo today to learn how DocResponse would benefit your practice!