P-60 Eldres erfaringer med bruk av digital teknologi for å opprettholde sosial kontakt: en systematisk oversikt og metasyntese.

The use of digital technology can help maintain social contact for some older adults, but need to be adapted to individual needs.

Background: Loneliness and social isolation are emerging public health concerns in our ageing society. Older adults are at risk of becoming lonely and socially isolated due to a reduction in social relationships in old age, which may affect their physical and mental health and put them at risk of early death. The development of digital technology (DT) has facilitated new ways of communicating and maintaining social relationships. The use of DT enables people to have social contact when barriers pre- vent face-to-face contact, which can promote social inclusion and reduce loneliness among older adults. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive overview of older adults’ experiences with using DT to have social contact, which is needed to give an indication on how to use and adapt DT to promote and support social inclusion among older adults. Hence, the purpose of this study was to get an overall overview of older adults’ experiences of using DT to maintain social contact.

Methods: A systematic review and a metasynthesis was conducted, following Sandelowski and Barroso’s (2007) guidelines for synthesising qualitative research. Literature searches were conducted in Scopus, Cinahl, Medline, Embase and APA-PsycInfo databases, covering January 2015 to December 2020. The inclusion criteria are listed as follows: published in English language, primary study of older adults’ experience with DT to maintain social con- tact, and a minimum age of participants is 65 years and older. Of the 6510 records that were screened, 22 studies were included. The studies were appraised as suitable for inclusion using a published appraising tool. Data were analysed into meta-summaries and a meta-synthesis according to established guidelines.

Results: Preliminary findings reveal that older adults experience the use of DT to maintain social contact with a feeling of ambiguity, further they experience that DT both promotes and inhibits social contact. Older adults use different types of technologies and apply the technology to different types of social activities. Many experiences an enriched life using DT. However, some also find DT pestering and discouraging, due to a lack of knowledge about the use of DT and conditions with the technology itself.

Conclusions: The feelings of ambiguity expressed by the older adults are based on the notion that although older adults have positive experiences with DT for social contact, some have negative emotions about using DT to communicate. This research can have an impact on the development of measures to prevent loneliness and social isolation among older adults.