Hospitals and the Digital Divide: Senior-Friendly Communication in the Age of Social Media and the Internet

Abstract

This study examines the digital and social media practices of seniors and hospital communicators in southwestern Ontario – the region in the province with the largest concentration of older adults – to understand the impact these efforts have on communication and engagement. Results are drawn from focus groups with seniors, a survey of hospital public relations professionals and in-depth interviews with experienced professionals in senior-friendly communications. A thorough literature review was completed as part of this study. Despite an increase in the number of seniors using the World Wide Web, Facebook and other social media networks, the findings reveal that seniors are not using these channels to communicate with hospitals. This study confirmed the existence of a digital divide between seniors who do not use digital and social media channels for healthcare information and hospitals that do not actively use traditional communication approaches. As part of this study, recommendations are provided to help hospitals improve their communication and engagement efforts to effectively meet the needs of older adults. A checklist created from the recommendations can be used to guide hospital public relations professionals in their efforts to become more senior friendly.