TY - JOUR
AU - A. Azizan
A1 - 
AB - The adoption of digital therapeutics among older adults presents both opportunities and challenges in modern healthcare. While these technologies enhance disease management, autonomy, and quality of life, engagement remains hindered by cognitive, emotional, systemic, and sociocultural barriers. This narrative review synthesizes findings from 76 peer-reviewed studies identified through Scopus and Web of Science (2010-2024) to examine key factors influencing geriatric engagement with digital therapeutics. FINDINGS: indicate that technological illiteracy, privacy concerns, usability challenges, and mistrust in digital platforms significantly limit adoption. Additionally, cultural attitudes, generational skepticism, and infrastructural limitations exacerbate digital disparities. Conversely, personalized health benefits, caregiver and peer support, and intuitive design features serve as key motivators for adoption and sustained engagement. To enhance digital inclusion, this review highlights the need for user-centered design principles, tailored digital literacy programs, and systemic policy interventions, such as broadband expansion and privacy safeguards. Future research should explore longitudinal engagement patterns, culturally adaptive digital interventions, and the integration of behavioral and technological frameworks to optimize geriatric digital health solutions. Addressing these factors will be essential to ensuring equitable, inclusive, and effective digital therapeutics for aging populations worldwide.
AD - Centre of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Selangor 42300, Malaysia. Electronic address: azliyana9338@uitm.edu.my.
AN - 41318100
BT - Ageing Res Rev
C5 - HIT & Telehealth
DA - Jan
DO - 10.1016/j.arr.2025.102963
DP - NLM
ET - 20251127
JF - Ageing Res Rev
LA - eng
N2 - The adoption of digital therapeutics among older adults presents both opportunities and challenges in modern healthcare. While these technologies enhance disease management, autonomy, and quality of life, engagement remains hindered by cognitive, emotional, systemic, and sociocultural barriers. This narrative review synthesizes findings from 76 peer-reviewed studies identified through Scopus and Web of Science (2010-2024) to examine key factors influencing geriatric engagement with digital therapeutics. FINDINGS: indicate that technological illiteracy, privacy concerns, usability challenges, and mistrust in digital platforms significantly limit adoption. Additionally, cultural attitudes, generational skepticism, and infrastructural limitations exacerbate digital disparities. Conversely, personalized health benefits, caregiver and peer support, and intuitive design features serve as key motivators for adoption and sustained engagement. To enhance digital inclusion, this review highlights the need for user-centered design principles, tailored digital literacy programs, and systemic policy interventions, such as broadband expansion and privacy safeguards. Future research should explore longitudinal engagement patterns, culturally adaptive digital interventions, and the integration of behavioral and technological frameworks to optimize geriatric digital health solutions. Addressing these factors will be essential to ensuring equitable, inclusive, and effective digital therapeutics for aging populations worldwide.
PY - 2026
SN - 1568-1637
SP - 102963
ST - Barriers and motivators of geriatric engagement in digital therapeutics: A narrative review
T1 - Barriers and motivators of geriatric engagement in digital therapeutics: A narrative review
T2 - Ageing Res Rev
TI - Barriers and motivators of geriatric engagement in digital therapeutics: A narrative review
U1 - HIT & Telehealth
U3 - 10.1016/j.arr.2025.102963
VL - 114
VO - 1568-1637
Y1 - 2026
ER -