Abstract

Introduction: The demographic changes that have been characterising European demography in recent years unavoidably require to carefully consider the possible effects on European welfare systems. In fact, European society is ageing: by 2060, 29% of European population will be over 65 (Eurostat, 2017), a 10% increase with respect to the 2016 level. Italy is among the most affected European countries from the ageing population phenomenon: demographic projections forecast that by 2045, over 33% of the population will be over 65 (Istat, 2017).

The rise in the share of elderly population will be accompanied by a reduction in the number of carers or health workers, hence, causing a rise in unmet needs (Urzi Brancati, C. et al., 2017). In such context, ICT-related technologies have been proposed as possible resources that might improve older adults’ quality of life (Billipp, 2001; Cheek et al., 2005), since they can boost the matching process between service supply and demand by better targeting and identifying beneficiaries and their specific needs.

For social care providers, technology can help deliver safer, more efficient and cost-effective care. The need to adopt technology to help meet these challenges seems obvious, but welfare services continue to lag behind other industries (Taylor, K, 2015). Despite the potential technology seems to have for care providers, literature on features encouraging or discouraging the adoption of technology in care structures is scarce (see Callari, T. C. et al., 2012).

Objectives: The aim of this work is to investigate the drivers that enable the adoption of technological innovation, or that, conversely, obstruct it. What are the factors that enable or prevent the adoption of technological innovations in the social and healthcare sector?

Methods and expected results:To answer this question, we will perform of a comprehensive literature review over “gerontechnology” and we will develop a survey to be submitted to a set of Italian socio-sanitary services providers. The survey will provide us with data over the state of the art of ICT-related technology diffusion in Italian care structures and the reasons underlying different degrees of adoption.

In the paper that will be presented, features connected to ICT-related technology adoption will be deeply analysed so as to trigger a discussion about technology adoption in social and healthcare sector.