eHealth for Ageing in Place and Autonomous Living in Older Adults

Populations are ageing rapidly, and most older adults wish to remain independent and continue living in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. eHealth interventions—including remote monitoring, wearable and ambient sensors, telehealth consultations, mobile health applications, assistive digital technologies, and digitally supported rehabilitation—may contribute to this goal through earlier detection of health decline, timely intervention, self-management, maintenance of functioning and mobility, and improved coordination of care. Nursing-led and multidisciplinary models are also increasingly important in delivering and sustaining digital support for older adults and their caregivers. However, the evidence base remains fragmented, with many interventions assessed in small, short-term pilot studies and limited evidence concerning long-term effectiveness, safety, cost, functioning, functional independence, mobility, participation, falls, quality of life, and caregiver outcomes. Digital literacy, accessibility, usability, trust, and unequal access may further reinforce health disparities. Important gaps therefore remain in understanding how promising interventions can be adapted, implemented, evaluated, scaled, and integrated into routine health and social care.This Research Topic aims to advance evidence-based, person-centred, and equitable approaches to using eHealth to promote ageing in place, autonomous living, and healthy ageing. It will examine the clinical, functional, behavioural, organizational, and economic effects of digital interventions, as well as the experiences of older adults, informal caregivers, nurses, rehabilitation professionals, and other care providers. Contributions may address how technologies can be designed with and for older people, how digital interventions can support functioning, mobility, participation, rehabilitation, and prevention of functional decline, which factors influence adoption and sustained use, and how feasibility, acceptability, scalability, sustainability, interoperability, and implementation strategies shape their integration into practice. The Research Topic also seeks to clarify whether, how, and under what conditions digital interventions improve autonomy, functioning, independence, participation, dignity, quality of life, and caregiver outcomes. Studies focused solely on technical development without a clear connection to clinical care, functioning, rehabilitation, implementation, or patient-relevant outcomes are outside its scope.To gather further insights into eHealth interventions supporting ageing in place and autonomous living, this Research Topic welcomes research addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• eHealth and digital health interventions supporting health, autonomy, functioning, and self-management in older adults;• Telecare, telehealth, and remote monitoring for independent living, autonomous living, and ageing in place;• Wearable, ambient, and assistive technologies linked to clinical, functional, and patient-relevant outcomes;• Digital interventions supporting functioning, rehabilitation, mobility, participation, physical activity, and prevention of functional decline in older adults;• Digital literacy, digital inclusion, accessibility, usability, and equitable access to health technologies;• Person-centred, co-designed, usable, accessible, and age-appropriate digital interventions;• Nursing-led, rehabilitation-oriented, and multidisciplinary models of digital care delivery and coordination;• Implementation strategies, feasibility, acceptability, scalability, sustainability, interoperability, and cost-effectiveness of eHealth interventions;• Barriers and facilitators to adoption, engagement, and sustained use among older adults, caregivers, nurses, rehabilitation professionals, and other care providers;• Effects of eHealth interventions on informal caregivers, including caregiver burden, preparedness, communication, and care coordination;• Integration of eHealth into routine health and social care systems and pathways;• Data privacy, safety, trust, ethics, governance, and responsible use of digitally enabled care. Topic editors: Polina Mihova, Ralf Seepold, Mircea Adrian Focsa, Panagiotis D Bamidis Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86622/ehealth-for-ageing-in-place-and-autonomous-living-in-older-adults