Chapter 7. Frailty in the Elderly and Interventions Supported by Information and Communication Technologies: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Fragility affects the ability to recover from stress conditions as the use of information and communication technologies in health care grows. The objective of this chapter is to identify evidence on interventions using ICT technology to prevent or delay frailty. A systematic review of the literature was used. Search was performed in April 2019 through B-on and EBSCO host, in databases Academic Search Complet, with Full Test in MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus®, and MedicLatina. Boolean equation ((Telemedicine) OR (mobile health) OR (computer reality) OR (virtual reality)) AND (Frail Elderly) AND (randomized controlled trial), from 2013 to 2017. Articles followed PRISMA flowchart. Results show that 2946 articles were selected, and 17 met the criteria. The used ICT were virtual-augmented reality, multidisciplinary home-telehealth and telemonitoring, nurse home visits, Wii Fit, and other interactive video games. The chapter conclude that the implementation of ICT to manage self-care at home requires an interdisciplinary, collaborative, and user-centered approach to improve the viability, acceptability, and usability of innovations.