Use of artificial intelligence supported wearable devices forelderly care: a scoping review.

Abstract

Background: Wearable devices such as smart watches already collect and monitor our data on physical activity, sleep time, and even vital signs. One of the groups where this monitoring can be most useful are older people, firstly due to its growing weight in the population and secondly due to its greater fragility and vulnerability. Objective: The purpose of this review is to know the scope in the scientific literature in relation to the use and impact of portable devices with artificial intelligence support in the care of elderly people. Methods: A scoping review was conducted on PubMed, including English articles published between 2017 and 2023, following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and the Prisma ScR checklist. A narrative synthesis of the included articles was performed. Results: A total of 141 articles addressing the research topic were found, of which 25 met the inclusion criteria. The countries with the most publications are the United States (n=6) followed by Korea and Spain (n=4) each. The most investigated geriatric syndrome was falls (72%). None of the publications considered the ethical implications of using these devices. Only 2 papers were elaborated by nurses. Thirteen clinical trials reported high positive impacts, 10 studies reported minor positive impacts. Conclusions: Most studies demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology for monitoring and its usefulness in elderly care. Falls prevention and detection are the most researched areas, greater ethical analysis of the impact of these devices and nursing involving in research is necessary.