Aging & Social Change: Ninth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Estonians are known for their innovative e-solutions and digital access to all public services. E-health is a prime example of such state-of-the-art programmes set out to improve public health by offering new preventive measures and increasing the awareness of patients. The people who need health-related information the most are the elderly. But do they have access to the internet and can they find relevant information and cope with e-health solutions? Acquiring a computer or subscribing to internet service could present a major financial challenge for them. My research focuses on the ability of senior citizens in Estonia to benefit from the highly acclaimed national e-health system. A pilot study, which is the initial step to more comprehensive research, based on a focus group interview and in-depth interviews with seniors revealed they often lack the skills and experience necessary to search for online health information as well as cope with e-health solutions. Thus, the wholesome public image of Estonia’s e-success does not always correspond to reality. This paper puts the much-appreciated IT solution into a broader perspective and, instead of the lavishly praised e-health applications, focuses on outlining the serious drawbacks of the digital divide and exclusion of seniors from the digital services market.