He H, Abdul-Rashid SH, Raja Ghazilla RA. Research Trends and Hot Spots in Telemedicine for the Elderly: A Scientometric Analysis.
Healthcare (Basel) 2024;
12:1853. [PMID:
39337194 PMCID:
PMC11430860 DOI:
10.3390/healthcare12181853]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
As the elderly population rapidly grows, age-related health issues are increasing. Telemedicine helps older adults adapt by providing efficient and accessible health management and medical services.
OBJECTIVES
This study employs bibliometric analysis to examine research focus areas, emerging trends, and collaboration networks in telemedicine for older adults over the past three decades.
METHODS
The Web of Science Core Collection served as the primary data source for the publications on telemedicine and the elderly since the database's inception through June 2024. Using CiteSpace.6.2.R4 software, keyword and collaboration network visualizations were generated, including clusters, co-authors, and co-citations.
RESULTS
This study analyzed 586 papers from 252 countries or regions, which were published across 246 journals and written by 2750 authors.
CONCLUSIONS
The analysis revealed three primary research directions encompassing 42 clusters: (1) health literacy and technology adaptation; (2) telemedicine technology and health management; and (3) social interaction and economic impact. Research hotspots include elderly fitness, mobile health, technology acceptance, telemedicine, elderly care, and health literacy. Despite the potential benefit of telemedicine, challenges persist in areas such as technology acceptance, usability, effectiveness, service quality, and privacy concerns. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current research on telemedicine for the elderly and highlights emerging trends in the field.
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