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

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Author(s): Elisabeth Beaunoyer (Laval University, Canada)and Matthieu J. Guitton (Centre de Recherche Université Laval Robert-Giffard (CRULRG), Canada & Laval University, Canada)
Copyright: 2018
Pages: 20
Source title: Novel Applications of Virtual Communities in Healthcare Settings
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Christo El Morr (York University, Canada)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-2958-3.ch005

Keywords: Media & Communications / Medical Information Science Reference / Medical Technologies / Virtual Communities & Virtual Reality

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Abstract

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.

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

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