Recent Advances and Innovation in Telehealth Use Among Older Adults

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 783

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. College of Nursing, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
2. Research Development and Innovation Center, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City 1440, Philippines
3. Phi Gamma Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society in Nursing, Indianapolis, IN 46220, USA
Interests: educational gerontology; gerotechnology; research ethics; telehealth; mobile health; telerehabilitation; healthcare robots, human–computer interaction; artificial intelligence; reality–virtuality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global demographic shift toward an aging population presents unprecedented challenges for healthcare delivery systems. With older adults representing the fastest-growing demographic, healthcare sectors are facing mounting pressure to develop innovative, accessible care models for this population. Telehealth has emerged as a transformative solution, bridging geographical barriers, reducing costs, and improving access for those with mobility limitations or residing in underserved areas.

Recent technological advances in artificial intelligence, wearable devices, reality–virtuality, remote monitoring, and user-friendly interfaces create new possibilities for remote healthcare delivery. These innovations address critical aspects of aging: chronic disease management, medication adherence, fall prevention, cognitive monitoring, and mitigation of social isolation. The importance of research in this area is underscored by the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults, shortages of geriatric specialists, rising healthcare costs, and the demonstrated potential of telehealth to improve outcomes while enhancing quality of life. Studies have shown that properly implemented telehealth interventions can significantly improve multidimensional health outcomes, operational efficiency, leadership effectiveness, and overall quality of life. 

Despite promising developments, research gaps persist regarding optimal implementation strategies, long-term effectiveness, digital equity, and age-friendly solutions that accommodate diverse technological literacy levels. This Special Issue showcases cutting-edge research and evidence-based telehealth practices among older adults. I invite researchers, clinicians, technologists, and policy experts to submit original articles, reviews, case studies, and perspectives that address the multifaceted landscape of telehealth for older adults.

Prof. Dr. Michael Joseph Dino
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • telehealth
  • telemedicine
  • ehealth
  • digital health
  • older adults
  • aging
  • remote monitoring
  • geriatric care
  • healthcare innovation
  • digital divide
  • chronic disease management
  • health technology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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19 pages, 3401 KB  
Systematic Review
Remote Virtual Interactive Agents for Older Adults: Exploring Its Science via Network Analysis and Systematic Review
by Michael Joseph Dino, Chloe Margalaux Villafuerte, Veronica A. Decker, Janet Lopez, Luis Ezra D. Cruz, Gerald C. Dino, Jenica Ana Rivero, Patrick Tracy Balbin, Eloisa Mallo, Cheryl Briggs, Ladda Thiamwong and Mona Shattell
Healthcare 2025, 13(17), 2253; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172253 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 397
Abstract
Background: The global rise in the aging population presents significant challenges to healthcare systems, especially with increasing rates of chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and functional decline among older adults. In response, holistic and tech-driven approaches, such as telehealth and remote virtual interactive [...] Read more.
Background: The global rise in the aging population presents significant challenges to healthcare systems, especially with increasing rates of chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and functional decline among older adults. In response, holistic and tech-driven approaches, such as telehealth and remote virtual interactive agents (VIAs), are potential emerging solutions to support the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of older adults. VIAs are multimodal digital tools that provide interactive and immersive experiences to users. Despite its promise, gaps still exist in the insights that explore ways of delivering geriatric healthcare remotely. Objective: This systematic review examines the existing literature on remote virtual interventions for older adults, focusing on bibliometrics, study purposes, outcomes, and network analysis of studies extracted from major databases using selected keywords and managed using the Covidence application. Methods and Results: Following five stages, namely, problem identification, a literature search, data evaluation, data analysis, and presentation, the review found that the studies on remote VIAs for older adults (2013–2025) were mostly from a positivist perspective, multi-authored, and U.S.-led, mainly showing positive outcomes for most studies (n = 13/15) conducted in home settings with healthy older participants. The dominance of positivist, US-led studies reflect an epistemological stance that emphasizes objectivity, quantification, and generalizability. VIAs, often pre-programmed and internet-based, supported health promotion and utilized visual humanoid avatars on personal devices. Keyword and network analysis additionally revealed four themes resulting from the review: Health and Clinical, Holistic and Cognitive, Home and Caring, and Hybrid and Connection. Conclusions: The review provides innovative insights and illustrations that may serve as a foundation for future research on VIAs and remote healthcare delivery for older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Innovation in Telehealth Use Among Older Adults)
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