Development Trends and Prospects of Technology-Based Solutions for Health Challenges in Aging over the Past 25 Years: Bibliometric Analysis
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Abstract
Background: As the global population ages, we witness a broad scientific and technological revolution tailored to meet the health challenges of older adults. Over the past 25 years, technological innovations, ranging from advanced medical devices to user-friendly mobile apps, are transforming the way we address these challenges, offering new avenues to enhance the quality of life and well-being of the aging demographic. Objective: This study aimed to systematically review the development trends in technology for managing and caring for the health of older adults over the past 25 years and to project future development prospects. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of literatures related to technology-based solutions for health challenges in aging, published up to March 18, 2024. The search was performed using the Web of Science Core Collection, covering a span from 1999 to 2024. Our search strategy was designed to capture a broad spectrum of terms associated with aging, health challenges specific to older adults, and technological interventions. Results: A total of 1133 publications were found in the Web of Science Core Collection. The publication trend over these 25 years showed a gradual but fluctuating increase. The United States was the most productive country and participated in international collaboration most frequently. The predominant keywords identified through this analysis included “dementia,” “telemedicine,” “older-adults,” “telehealth,” and “care.” The keywords with citation bursts included “telemedicine” and “digital health.” Conclusions: The scientific and technological revolution has significantly improved older adult health management, particularly in chronic disease monitoring, mobility, and social connectivity. The momentum for innovation continues to build, with future research likely to focus on predictive analytics and personalized health care solutions, further enhancing older adults’ independence and quality of life.
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The United States leads in the number of articles on technology for aging.
“Based on a bibliometric analysis concerning technology for aging, the USA leads in the number of articles, demonstrating its role as a forerunner in technological innovation for older adults [41].”
From Smart Speakers for Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Review (2025) · cites this paper as [41]
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- Authors
- Liu, L., Wang, X.-L., Cheng, N., Yu, F.-M., Li, H.-J., Mu, Y., Yuan, Y., Dong, J.-X., Wu, Y.-D., Gong, D.-X., Wang, S., & Zhang, G.-W.
- Affiliations
- First Hospital of China Medical University (CN)
- Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences (CN)
- Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute (CN)
- China Medical University (CN)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Medical Internet Research
- Publisher
- JMIR Publications Inc.
- Published
- 2024-09-20
- Volume
- 26
- Pages
- e63367
- ISSN
- 1438-8871 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11452759
- OpenAlex
- W4402317996
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 7
- FWCI
- 11.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Journal of Medical Internet Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Department of Science and Technology of Liaoning Province (2023JH2)
- National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFC2006401, 2020YFC2006406)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues
- Keywords
- aging, older adults, telemedicine, digital health, dementia, chronic disease monitoring, mobility, social connectedness, quality of life, research trends, citation bursts
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aging, Humans, Quality of Life, Bibliometrics, Telemedicine
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