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Journals / Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences / 2026 / Volume: 10 Issue: 3

Evaluation of Older Adults' Access to Healthcare Services: Is There a Digital Divide?

Demet Yalçın Kehribar(DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE)0000-0002-1852-7981
Ahmet Faruk Koşar(SAMSUN UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY PR.)0000-0002-5052-0739
Lale Saka Baraz(MANISA CITY HOSPITAL, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE)0000-0003-4387-6929
Enis Akca(SAMSUN CITY HOSPITAL, DEPARTMAN OF INTERNAL MEDICINE)0009-0001-1969-6912
Onur Bodur(YAGLIDERE STATE HOSPITAL, GIRESUN, TURKIYE)0009-0008-7504-9008
Salim Can Aydoğdu(DERECIK STATE HOSPITAL, HAKKARI, TURKIYE)0000-0003-0216-4239
Metin Özgen(IZMIR EKONOMI UNIVERSITY, MEDICAL POINT HOSPITAL, DEPARTMENT OF RHEUMATOLOGY, IZMIR, TURKIYE)0000-0002-6842-2918
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Results: The key findings indicated that older adult participants reported lower income levels, limited smartphone and computer usage, and higher dependency on family members for scheduling appointments compared to younger participants.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Purpose: This study investigates the impact of digital transformation on healthcare accessibility among older adults in Turkey, with a focus on the digital divide.
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Key Findings & Data:Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 191 participants, categorized into two groups: older adults aged 65 and above, and younger adults aged 18 to 64.
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Conclusion & Impact:Results: The key findings indicated that older adult participants reported lower income levels, limited smartphone and computer usage, and higher dependency on family members for scheduling appointments compared to younger participants.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Geriatric health care · access to health services · online systems

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of digital transformation on healthcare accessibility among older adults in Turkey, with a focus on the digital divide. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 191 participants, categorized into two groups: older adults aged 65 and above, and younger adults aged 18 to 64. Data were collected through structured questionnaires addressing socioeconomic factors, technological usage, healthcare access, and dependency on caregivers for managing online appointment systems. Results: The key findings indicated that older adult participants reported lower income levels, limited smartphone and computer usage, and higher dependency on family members for scheduling appointments compared to younger participants. Even among highly educated older adults, digital engagement was significantly lower, highlighting the role of digital literacy over formal education in reducing technological barriers. Additionally, older adults with chronic conditions face compounded challenges in accessing healthcare services due to their increased dependency on caregivers. Conclusions: To address these challenges, recommendations include implementing digital literacy programs tailored to older adult populations, designing simplified user interfaces for online systems, and adopting hybrid models that integrate traditional and digital healthcare access methods. Policymakers are urged to prioritize digital inclusion initiatives to ensure equitable healthcare access across all age groups.

Özet

Amaç: Bu çalışma, dijital uçuruma odaklanarak, Türkiye'deki yaşlı bireyler arasında dijital dönüşümün sağlık hizmetlerine erişilebilirlik üzerindeki etkisini araştırmaktadır. Yöntem: Kesitsel tipteki bu çalışma, 65 yaş ve üzeri yaşlı bireyler ve 18-64 yaş arası daha genç yetişkinler olmak üzere iki gruba ayrılan 191 katılımcı ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler; sosyoekonomik faktörler, teknoloji kullanımı, sağlık hizmetlerine erişim ve çevrimiçi randevu sistemlerinin yönetiminde bakım verenlere/yakınlara bağımlılık konularını ele alan yapılandırılmış anketler aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Temel bulgular, genç katılımcılara kıyasla yaşlı katılımcıların daha düşük gelir düzeylerine, sınırlı akıllı telefon ve bilgisayar kullanımına ve randevu almak için aile üyelerine daha yüksek oranda bağımlılığa sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Yüksek eğitimli yaşlı bireyler arasında dahi dijital katılımın anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük olması, teknolojik engellerin azaltılmasında dijital okuryazarlığın örgün eğitimden daha önemli bir rol oynadığını vurgulamaktadır. Ayrıca, kronik hastalıkları olan yaşlı bireyler, bakım verenlere olan artan bağımlılıkları nedeniyle sağlık hizmetlerine erişimde katlanarak artan zorluklarla karşılaşmaktadır. Sonuç: Bu zorlukların üstesinden gelmek için sunulan öneriler arasında; yaşlı popülasyonlara özel dijital okuryazarlık programlarının uygulanması, çevrimiçi sistemler için basitleştirilmiş kullanıcı arayüzlerinin tasarlanması ve geleneksel ile dijital sağlık erişim yöntemlerini entegre eden hibrit modellerin benimsenmesi yer almaktadır. Politika yapıcılar, tüm yaş gruplarında adil sağlık hizmeti erişimini güvence altına almak için dijital kapsayıcılık girişimlerine öncelik vermeye davet edilmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Kehribar, D. Y., Koşar, A. F., Baraz, L. S., Akca, E., Bodur, O., Aydoğdu, S. C., Özgen, M. (2026). Evaluation of Older Adults' Access to Healthcare Services: Is There a Digital Divide?. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences, Volume: 10 Issue: 3. https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1924079

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