Facing the digital divide into a dementia clinic during COVID-19 pandemic: caregiver age matters

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically stressed the health care system and has provoked changes in population use of digital technologies. Digital divide is any uneven distribution in Information and Communications Technologies between people. Aims The purpose of this work was to describe the digital divide of a population of patients with dementia contacted by telemedicine during Italian lockdown for COVID-19 pandemic. Method One hundred eight patients with cognitive impairment were contacted by video call to perform a telemedicine neurological evaluation. Information on patients and caregivers attending the televisit were recorded. Results Seventy-four patients connected with neurologist (successful televisit, 68.5%) and 34 patients were not able to perform televisit and were contacted by phone (failed televisit, 31.5%). No significant differences were observed among the two groups concerning age, gender, and education, but the prevalence of successful televisit was higher in the presence of younger caregivers: televisits performed in the presence of subjects of younger generation (sons and grandsons) had a successful rate higher (86% successful, 14% failed) than the group without younger generation caregiver (49% successful, 51% failed). This difference is mainly due to the ability of technological use among younger people. Discussion The most impacting factors on digital divide in our population are the social support networks and the experience with the technology: the presence of a digital native caregiver. The COVID-19 pandemic is unmasking an emerging form of technology-related social inequalities: political and community interventions are needed to support the most socially vulnerable population and prevent social health inequalities.

@article{arighi2021-33459891,
  author  = {Arighi, A. and Fumagalli, G. G. and Carandini, T. and Pietroboni, A. M. and De Riz, M. A. and Galimberti, D. and Scarpini, E.},
  title   = {{Facing the digital divide into a dementia clinic during COVID-19 pandemic: caregiver age matters}},
  journal = {Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology},
  year    = {2021},
  doi     = {10.1007/s10072-020-05009-w},
  pmid    = {33459891},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-05009-w}
}

Key findings

• Results Seventy-four patients connected with neurologist (successful televisit, 68.5%) and 34 patients were not able to perform televisit and were contacted by phone (failed televisit, 31.5%).
• No significant differences were observed among the two groups concerning age, gender, and education, but the prevalence of successful televisit was higher in the presence of younger caregivers: televisits performed in the presence of subjects of younger generation (sons and grandsons) had a successful rate higher (86% successful, 14% failed) than the group without younger generation caregiver (49% successful, 51% failed).

Why it matters

During the COVID-19 lockdown, 74 of 108 patients with cognitive impairment completed a video televisit while 34 could not, and success was higher when a younger caregiver was present. This concerns access to remote care, not treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

• Participants34
• Effect size68.5%; 31.5%
• Evidence strengthLow

Read the original

• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-05009-w
• PubMed: 33459891
• Original source →
• Free full text: Neurological Sciences →

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

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