E-health and the API elderly: The need for an innovative policy framework

Background:  According to World Health Organization, e-health access is important for public health.  In the case of API elderly, e-health could support such public health goals as prevention, surveillance and efficient and effective care.  To achieve these goals, an innovative policy framework in the Affordable Act is badly needed for API elderly’s access to e-health. 

The objectives of this study are to: 1. describe the access status, needs, and benefits for e-health among the API elderly; 2.  analyze the individual and systemic barriers in e-health access for API elderly; 3. and propose a policy framework in the context of Affordable Care Act.

Method:  This project uses a combination of a quality survey and ethnographic studies to examine the access to e-Health among API elderly. The sample was generated from a public elderly housing facility in a city on the East coast of the US.  The foci of study: I. the status, purpose, needs and benefits in the use of e-health for API elderly; II, the barriers in e-health access; III. and the need for policy support.  

Results

1. 1.                The API elderly access e-health for a wide range of purposes and from a wide range of devices, e.g., information (checking symptoms, prescriptions, credentials of health care providers), emergent communication, fitness routines, self-help, community support, etc.  The devices used are: smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, computers, et. 2.   E-health access is affected by individual and systemic barriers.  3.  A policy framework is badly needed to address these barriers. 

 

Conclusion:  E-health access could generate public health benefits for API elderly but a policy framework is badly needed to address the individual and systemic barriers.  An innovative policy framework for the API elderly should support capacity building, coverage, disease surveillance, prevention, and intervention in the Affordable Care Act.