A health-equity framework for tailoring digital non-pharmacological interventions in aging

doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00347-6

. 2024 Nov;2(11):1277-1284.

doi: 10.1038/s44220-024-00347-6. Epub 2024 Nov 1.

A health-equity framework for tailoring digital non-pharmacological interventions in aging

Adam Turnbull¹, Michelle C Odden^{2

3}, Christine E Gould^{1

3}, Ehsan Adeli¹, Robert M Kaplan⁴, Feng Vankee Lin¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
² Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
³ Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
⁴ Clinical Excellence Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.

PMID: 39867489
PMCID: PMC11756576 (available on 2025-11-01)
DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00347-6

A health-equity framework for tailoring digital non-pharmacological interventions in aging

Adam Turnbull et al. Nat Ment Health. 2024 Nov.

. 2024 Nov;2(11):1277-1284.

doi: 10.1038/s44220-024-00347-6. Epub 2024 Nov 1.

Authors

Adam Turnbull¹, Michelle C Odden^{2

3}, Christine E Gould^{1

3}, Ehsan Adeli¹, Robert M Kaplan⁴, Feng Vankee Lin¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
² Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
³ Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
⁴ Clinical Excellence Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.

PMID: 39867489
PMCID: PMC11756576 (available on 2025-11-01)
DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00347-6

Abstract

If designed with health equity in mind, digital non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) represent a cost-effective, scalable means of reducing health disparities associated with age-related mental health disorders in older adults in the USA. However, disparities in technological access, literacy and effectiveness can limit the impact of these interventions in older adults from disadvantaged groups. We present a health-equity-promoting framework for the development of digital NPIs for age-related mental health disorders and provide an example from the literature that highlights how interventions can be targeted at specific groups to increase technological access, literacy and effectiveness to ensure that these interventions can meet their potential of reducing health disparities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

References

1. Hill CV, Pérez-Stable EJ, Anderson NA & Bernard MA The National Institute on Aging Health Disparities Research Framework. Ethn. Dis 25, 245–254 (2015). - PMC - PubMed
1. Danese A & McEwen BS Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiol. Behav 106, 29–39 (2012). - PubMed
1. McEwen BS in Stress and the Brain: The Science of Mental Health (ed. Hyman SE) 2–18 (2013).
1. Hill-Briggs F et al. Social determinants of health and diabetes: a scientific review. Diabetes Care 44, 258–279 (2021). - PMC - PubMed
1. Gurewich D, Garg A & Kressin NR Addressing social determinants of health within healthcare delivery systems: a framework to ground and inform health outcomes. J. Gen. Intern. Med 35, 1571–1575 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

Grants and funding

[1] Hill CV, Pérez-Stable EJ, Anderson NA & Bernard MA The National Institute on Aging Health Disparities Research Framework. Ethn. Dis 25, 245–254 (2015). - PMC - PubMed

[2] Hill CV, Pérez-Stable EJ, Anderson NA & Bernard MA The National Institute on Aging Health Disparities Research Framework. Ethn. Dis 25, 245–254 (2015). - PMC - PubMed

[3] Danese A & McEwen BS Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiol. Behav 106, 29–39 (2012). - PubMed

[4] Danese A & McEwen BS Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiol. Behav 106, 29–39 (2012). - PubMed

[5] McEwen BS in Stress and the Brain: The Science of Mental Health (ed. Hyman SE) 2–18 (2013).

[6] McEwen BS in Stress and the Brain: The Science of Mental Health (ed. Hyman SE) 2–18 (2013).

[7] Hill-Briggs F et al. Social determinants of health and diabetes: a scientific review. Diabetes Care 44, 258–279 (2021). - PMC - PubMed

[8] Hill-Briggs F et al. Social determinants of health and diabetes: a scientific review. Diabetes Care 44, 258–279 (2021). - PMC - PubMed

[9] Gurewich D, Garg A & Kressin NR Addressing social determinants of health within healthcare delivery systems: a framework to ground and inform health outcomes. J. Gen. Intern. Med 35, 1571–1575 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

[10] Gurewich D, Garg A & Kressin NR Addressing social determinants of health within healthcare delivery systems: a framework to ground and inform health outcomes. J. Gen. Intern. Med 35, 1571–1575 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

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A health-equity framework for tailoring digital non-pharmacological interventions in aging

Affiliations

A health-equity framework for tailoring digital non-pharmacological interventions in aging

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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