Impact of an aging population on eHealth information delivery: An accessibility analysis

The impact of the aging population on the US health care system is an obstacle that will soon need to be overcome. As the Baby Boomers age, we expect to see an increase in the prevalence of chronic and degenerative diseases associated with aging such as arthritis, vision and hearing loss, cognitive impairment, etc.

This equates to higher health care utilization and cost. Consumer health plans have emerged as a form of cost containment. These plans have placed more responsibility for medical decision making on patients. Thus, the need for reliable health information for patients has produced a host of eHealth education and decision support websites driven by private industry, health insurers, government, and hospitals.

Accessibility to these health websites is essential for the aging population. Web use may be less common among the current senior population but, with the aging of the tech savvy Baby Boomers this will not remain true. eHealth companies must become more vigilant in developing websites that are accessible to individuals with age-related chronic health conditions.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and federal Section 508 standards have been established to ease the use of technology for individuals with a variety of disabilities, including those associated with aging. Currently, these standards are only required by sites operated by the federal government and some state agencies. However, among public and private websites, the guidelines are often neglected. Given the needs of the aging population and the responsibility that comes with offering consumer market health care, it is essential that the eHealth industry complies with web accessibility guidelines in the development of health websites.