Effective Use of Virtual Communities for Health-Purposes in the Elderly

2018 ◽  
pp. 127-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Beaunoyer ◽  
Matthieu J. Guitton
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Effective Use

New strategies must be developed to adequately answer the growing health needs of the elderly. Virtual communities targeted to older adults may represent interesting tools, ranging from providing health-related information to operating preventive programs, or simply reducing social isolation and thus increasing the quality of life of the elderly. Besides generic issues shared with any eHealth virtual community (e.g., user engagement, participation, acceptance), the use of virtual communities by the elderly also bears some specific challenges, including limitations related to access to care or the presence of individuals with (age-related) disability. This Chapter describes some of the factors which should be taken into consideration when designing eHealth strategies aiming at developing or supporting virtual communities targeted to elderly population, and emphases the importance of integrating health-oriented senior-targeted virtual communities into holistic approach to allow for the communities to optimally develop and consolidate, and reach its goal in terms of health benefits.

Quality of Health Information on the Internet

2009 ◽  
pp. 443-455
Author(s):  
Kleopatra Alamantariotou
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Effective Use

Recent statistics show that the World Wide Web has now grown to over 100 million sites: a phenomenal expansion in only 15 years (Mulligan 2007). It has been estimated that there are 100,000 sites offering health related information (Wilson 2002). As the amount of health information increases, the public find it increasingly difficult to decide what to accept and what to reject (Burgess 2007). Searching for information on the internet is both deceptively easy and the same time frustratingly difficult (Kiley 2002). The challenge for consumers is to find high quality, relevant information as quickly as possible. There has been ongoing debate about the quality of information aimed at patients and the general public and opinions differ on how it can be improved (Stepperd 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the different perspectives on information quality and to review the main criteria for assessing the quality of health information on the internet. Pointers are provided to enable both clinicians and patients find high quality information sources. An understanding of these issues should help health professionals and patients to make effective use of the internet.

Quality of Health Information on the Internet

2011 ◽  
pp. 204-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kleopatra Alamantariotou
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Effective Use

Recent statistics show that the World Wide Web has now grown to over 100 million sites: a phenomenal expansion in only 15 years (Mulligan 2007). It has been estimated that there are 100,000 sites offering health related information (Wilson 2002). As the amount of health information increases, the public find it increasingly difficult to decide what to accept and what to reject (Burgess 2007). Searching for information on the internet is both deceptively easy and the same time frustratingly difficult (Kiley 2002). The challenge for consumers is to find high quality, relevant information as quickly as possible. There has been ongoing debate about the quality of information aimed at patients and the general public and opinions differ on how it can be improved (Stepperd 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the different perspectives on information quality and to review the main criteria for assessing the quality of health information on the internet. Pointers are provided to enable both clinicians and patients find high quality information sources. An understanding of these issues should help health professionals and patients to make effective use of the internet.

scholarly journals Virtual Communities for Diabetes Chronic Disease Healthcare

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Chorbev ◽  
Marija Sotirovska ◽  
Dragan Mihajlov
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Virtual Self ◽  
Serious Disease ◽  
Self Help Groups

Diabetes is classified as the world's fastest-growing chronic illness that affects millions of people. It is a very serious disease, but the bright side is that it is treatable and can be managed. Proper education in this view is necessary to achieve essential control and prevent the aggregation of this chronic sickness. We have developed a healthcare social network that provides methods for distance learning; opportunities for creation of virtual self-help groups where patients can get information and establish interactions among each other in order to exchange important healthcare-related information; discussion forums; patient-to-healthcare specialist communication. The mission of our virtual community is to increase the independence of people with diabetes, self-management, empower them to take care of themselves, make their everyday activities easier, enrich their medical knowledge, and improve their health condition, make them more productive, and improve their communication with other patients with similar diagnoses. The ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of their life.

DIFFERENCES OF THE HEALTH- RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE SENIOR CITIZENS

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-193
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Błachnio
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Old Age ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Polish Adaptation ◽  
High Level

The aim of the study was to examine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the elderly in Poland. Researcher investigated if differences between gender groups were influenced by other variables such as period of ageing („young-old” vr „old-old”) and place of residence (big city, small town, village). The study sample comprised 2565 elderly who were at least 60 years of age. The average age for men was 72,76 and for women 72,39. The health-related quality of life was evaluated using the Polish adaptation WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Respondents rated both quality of life and general health well. Nevertheless the health-related quality of life domains’ rating decreases with age. Women are commonly less satisfied with the WHOQOL-BREF domains. Men living in little towns declared not only a high level of quality of life, but their estimates in the early and late old age are similar. The diversity of health-related quality of life needs further investigation along with a number of more subjective indicators of individual experiencing one’s old age (e.g. sense of one’s time of life or the awareness of age-related changes).

The elderly liver transplant recipients: anxiety, depression, fatigue and life satisfaction

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (06) ◽  
pp. 557-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Krenzien ◽  
Nicco Krezdorn ◽  
Mehmet Morgül ◽  
Georg Wiltberger ◽  
Georgi Atanasov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Abstract Introduction Older patients are neglected in clinical trials and are likely to be excluded from liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to assess fatigue, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly LT recipients. Methods Questionnaires were mailed to patients who underwent LT between 1993 and 2013. Three groups were created: patients ≥ 70, 60 – 69, and < 60 years old. Mental-health status, life satisfaction, and fatigue were assessed using, respectively, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Questions on Life Satisfaction (FLZ-M), and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20). Results In total, 276 eligible questionnaires (40.1 %) were received out of 689 patients with a history of LT. No age-related differences were found with regard to anxiety or depression in the study sample. Patients ≥ 70 years old had significantly better life satisfaction in regards to income (p = 0.003) and work (p = 0.005) compared to patients < 60 years. The overall fatigue scores were the highest in patients < 60 years (52.7, SD = 15.8) and ≥ 70 years (52.7, SD = 17.7) compared to patients 60 – 69 years old (48.2, SD = 17.3, p = 0.037). Discussion Advanced age alone should not be considered a contraindication for LT due to potentially poor quality of life outcomes.

scholarly journals Response Behavior and Quality of Survey Data: Comparing Elderly Respondents in Institutions and Private Households

2021 ◽  
pp. 004912412199553
Author(s):  
Jan-Lucas Schanze
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Response Behavior ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Social Surveys ◽  
Private Households ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Survey Interviews

An increasing age of respondents and cognitive impairment are usual suspects for increasing difficulties in survey interviews and a decreasing data quality. This is why survey researchers tend to label residents in retirement and nursing homes as hard-to-interview and exclude them from most social surveys. In this article, I examine to what extent this label is justified and whether quality of data collected among residents in institutions for the elderly really differs from data collected within private households. For this purpose, I analyze the response behavior and quality indicators in three waves of Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. To control for confounding variables, I use propensity score matching to identify respondents in private households who share similar characteristics with institutionalized residents. My results confirm that most indicators of response behavior and data quality are worse in institutions compared to private households. However, when controlling for sociodemographic and health-related variables, differences get very small. These results suggest the importance of health for the data quality irrespective of the housing situation.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life of Elderly Women with Fall Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7804
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Song ◽  
Eunwon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Basic Data ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to describe the health-related quality of life of elderly women with experience in fall treatment as well as to prepare basic data for the development of interventions to improve the quality of life for this group. The study was based on raw data from the 2019 Korea Community Health Survey. Using the SPSS program, the characteristics of the subjects were tested by frequency, percentage, and chi-square test. To establish the impact of fall experience on the health-related quality of life of elderly women, the OR and 95% CI were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Of the 4260 people surveyed, 44.7% of the elderly women said they had a high quality of life, whereas 55.3% of the elderly women said they had a low quality of life. A younger age was associated with a better-rated health-related quality of life. Those who lived in a city and had a high level of education tended to describe a high quality of life. The quality of life was considered high by those who exercised, but low by those who were obese or diabetic. The results of this study can lead to a better understanding of the experiences of elderly women who have experienced falls, and they can be used as basic data for the development of related health programs.

scholarly journals Monitoring Health Parameters of Elders to Support Independent Living and Improve Their Quality of Life

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 517
Author(s):  
Ilia Adami ◽  
Michalis Foukarakis ◽  
Stavroula Ntoa ◽  
Nikolaos Partarakis ◽  
Nikolaos Stefanakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Health And Well Being

Improving the well-being and quality of life of the elderly population is closely related to assisting them to effectively manage age-related conditions such as chronic illnesses and anxiety, and to maintain their independence and self-sufficiency as much as possible. This paper presents the design, architecture and implementation structure of an adaptive system for monitoring the health and well-being of the elderly. The system was designed following best practices of the Human-Centred Design approach involving representative end-users from the early stages.

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