Bridging the digital divide: examining the use and access to e-health based technologies by millennials and older adults in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

The digital divide is the gap between demographics and regions that have access to information communication technologies and those who do not. The older adult generation may not be familiar with e-Health usage, compared to generations such as millennials. A convenience non-random descriptive comparative study was conducted; Information was collected based on demographics; health information collection, usage and distribution; E-health and e-health technology usage; and digital literacy levels. Millennials (n=31) were undergraduate students recruited at Ontario Tech University; Older adults (n=28) were recruited from senior centres in the Durham region. Data was examined using sex and age cohort, to identify any statistically significant differences. Results showed that older adults had a decreased understanding of E-health based technologies, digital literacy, and accessed the internet less. These preliminary findings suggest that there are noted challenges facing older Canadians in terms of utilization of e-health technologies, in comparison to younger Canadians in Ontario.