Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40929718›Full record

ReviewJMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies2025

Utilizing Smart Televisions as Assistive Technology to Enhance Communication and Social Lives of Older Adults: Systematic Review.

Jayde Langdon, Cristina Tugahan Cabansag, Alexis Grigoris, Way Kiat Bong

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jayde LangdonFaculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2743-0960
Cristina Tugahan CabansagFaculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0079-4824
Alexis GrigorisDepartment of Computer Science, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9668-2310
Way Kiat BongDepartment of Computer Science, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3714-123X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOver the past decade, the proportion of the world's population aged ≥65 years has grown exponentially, presenting significant challenges, such as social isolation and loneliness among this population. Assistive technologies have shown potential in enhancing the quality of life for older adults by improving their physical, cognitive, and communication abilities. Research has shown that smart televisions are user-friendly and commonly used among older adults. However, smart televisions have been underutilized as assistive technologies.

objectiveThis study aimed to explore the state of the art in using smart televisions as assistive technologies to enhance communication and social interactions among older adults.

methodsThe search was conducted following the guidelines for performing a systematic literature review, which included 6 databases, that are, the IEEE, ACM, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Engineering Village, and Springer. A range of keywords were used in different combinations, including "smart TV," "older adults," "elderly," "communication," "messaging," "video call," and "application." A set of inclusion and exclusion criteria was defined before the search, and the screening was performed by 3 researchers. We analyzed the selected articles in accordance with the review's aim and the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. None of the articles were subjected to quantitative synthesis because of the significant variations in the data measured.

resultsAfter screening 2671 records from the abstract level to full text, 30 articles were identified as relevant studies, demonstrating both direct and indirect impacts on the social lives of older adults through the use of smart televisions as assistive technology. Some articles were part of the same or larger studies, which makes the number of actual projects even smaller. This indicates that smart televisions have been underutilized as assistive technologies for enhancing older adults' communication and social lives. More than half of the articles proposed their own prototype, and these prototypes were primarily targeted for use at home, while some were targeted for use at geriatric care units or nursing homes. User involvement among older adults was high among the included articles, and some also included other users, such as health care personnel, administrative staff, and engineers. The included studies were mostly from Europe.

conclusionsThis review highlights the potential of smart televisions as assistive technologies to enhance social connectivity among older adults, and identifies several research gaps. Most studies focus on short-term usability and are geographically limited to Europe. Future research should include longitudinal studies, explore diverse cultural attitudes, and focus on adaptive solutions for various health conditions. We hope this review will inspire research on smart televisions as assistive technologies, enhancing social interactions and quality of life for older adults.

Indexed as

assistive technologycommunicationselderly peopleolder adultssmart televisionsocial contactsocial lives

Identifiers

PMID40929718
PMCPMC12461164

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.