ICT supporting healthcare for elderly in China : a systematic mapping study

Abstract

<div lang="en" class="abs"><p class="abs_header">Abstract</p><p>Ageing population is a global issue. The numbers of elderly people with health problems are increasing globally. This raises the demand for better quality and efficient healthcare services for elderly. Modern information and communication technology (ICT) offers numerous means to support people’s lives, and also create the convenience to receive and deliver quality and efficient healthcare services. ICT has become natural part of healthcare, and is entrusted with an important role to support healthcare for elderly in the world context. China, like other countries, also faces fast ageing population. How to better support Chinese elderlies’ lives and deliver quality and efficient healthcare becomes a great challenge. Through a systematic mapping study this study analysed how the means of ICT in healthcare for elderly in China are discussed in prior literature. The results showed that the existing studies addressing this issue are extremely scarce and relatively recent. The research field in China is still quite young and immature, and more studies focused on the Chinese context in this research field are urgently needed.</p></div>