[Reblog] Internet Use Associated with Better Decision Making in Older Adults

From the 25 November 2013 posting at HealthCetera – CHMP’s Blog
[Center for Health Media & Policy at Hunter College (CHMP): advancing public conversations about health & health policy]

Older adults face many important decisions about their health and financial well-being. Whether it’s making retirement savings last longer or authorizing a health proxy, the ability to make good choices has consequences for a senior’s quality of life, aging in place, and end of life care. According to a new study from Rush University, presented yesterday at the Gerontological Society of America Conference in New Orleans, Internet use is associated with better health and financial decision-making among older adults.

“The Internet has become the primary corridor for finding information and assisting in decision-making on finances and healthcare,” said Bryan James, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago and lead author of the study. “The Internet is becoming what we call ‘proto-normative,’ meaning you have to have some ability or savvy to function online these days.”

Recent research from Pew’s Internet and American Life Project show that slightly more than half (53%) of all seniors are now online. However, James said there remains a significant portion of older adults who use the Internet infrequently, or not at all. This may have important implications for quality of life and independence, including the ability to age at home.

James pointed to the digital divide between older and younger people. In addition to the general anxiety expressed by older adults express about computers and the Internet,  there are also certain parts of the aging process that may may pose obstacles to Internet use, such as cognitive decline, as well as decline in hearing, vision, and motor skills.

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Related Resources

Evaluating Health Information (from Health Resources for All, edited  by Janice Flahiff)

Anyone can publish information on the Internet. So it is up to the searcher to decide if the information found through search engines (as Google) is reliable or not. Search engines find Web sites but do not evaluate them for content. Sponsored links may or may not contain good information. A few universities and government agencies have published great guides on evaluating information. Here are a few The Penn State Medical Center Library has a great guide to evaluate health information on the Internet.The tips include Remember, anyone can publish information on the internet! If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If the Web site is primarily about selling a product, the information may be worth checking from another source. Look for who is publishing the information and their education, credentials, and if they are connected with a trusted coporation, university or agency. Check to see how current the information is. Check for accuracy. Does the Web site refer to specific studies or organizations? The Family Caregiver Alliance has a Web page entitled Evaluating Medical Research Findings and Clinical Trials Topics include General Guidelines for Evaluating Medical Research Getting Information from the Web Talking with your Health Care Provider Additional Resources Consumer’s Guide to Taking Charge of Health Information (Harvard Center for Risk Analysis) How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet (US National Cancer Institute)9iiu9 Quackwatch (a private corporation operated by Stephen Barrett, MD)   …And a Rumor Control site of Note (in addition to Quackwatch)   National Council Against Health Fraud National Council Against Health Fraud is a nonprofit health agency focusing on health misinformation, fraud, and quackery as public health problems. Links to publications, position papers and more.