Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support

Medicare is a federal health insurance program with important public health implications for the older U.S. population. Thus, it is critical to support older adults in making informed decisions about Medicare plan enrollment. We conducted a narrative review of the research literature on Medicare kno...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hye Soo Lee, Raksha A. Mudar, Wendy A. Rogers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Human Factors in Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772501425000156
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849724034817720320
author Hye Soo Lee
Raksha A. Mudar
Wendy A. Rogers
author_facet Hye Soo Lee
Raksha A. Mudar
Wendy A. Rogers
author_sort Hye Soo Lee
collection DOAJ
description Medicare is a federal health insurance program with important public health implications for the older U.S. population. Thus, it is critical to support older adults in making informed decisions about Medicare plan enrollment. We conducted a narrative review of the research literature on Medicare knowledge, decision-making, and technology utilization for healthcare decisions by older adults to identify their need for support. We found that older adults had varying degrees of Medicare knowledge, which was mostly obtained from other people (e.g., friends, insurance brokers). Although assistive technology tools such as the Medicare.gov website and Medicare Plan Finder are available, older adults considered these tools difficult to use. As cognitive abilities, strategies, and the amount of information presented are associated with decision-making qualities, we suggest offering training on decision-making and technology use and using more inclusive website designs. Also, older adults’ characteristics and preferences in decision-making, such as stress avoidance and the need for reassurance, should be carefully considered. We have provided implications for both research and policy that emerged.
format Article
id doaj-art-94d5793b045b4b498e3bca286e255d72
institution DOAJ
issn 2772-5014
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Human Factors in Healthcare
spelling doaj-art-94d5793b045b4b498e3bca286e255d722025-08-20T03:10:52ZengElsevierHuman Factors in Healthcare2772-50142025-06-01710010410.1016/j.hfh.2025.100104Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology supportHye Soo Lee0Raksha A. Mudar1Wendy A. Rogers2Corresponding author at: Department of Health & Kinesiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. 4th St., Champaign, IL 61820, United States.; College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, United StatesCollege of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, United StatesCollege of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, United StatesMedicare is a federal health insurance program with important public health implications for the older U.S. population. Thus, it is critical to support older adults in making informed decisions about Medicare plan enrollment. We conducted a narrative review of the research literature on Medicare knowledge, decision-making, and technology utilization for healthcare decisions by older adults to identify their need for support. We found that older adults had varying degrees of Medicare knowledge, which was mostly obtained from other people (e.g., friends, insurance brokers). Although assistive technology tools such as the Medicare.gov website and Medicare Plan Finder are available, older adults considered these tools difficult to use. As cognitive abilities, strategies, and the amount of information presented are associated with decision-making qualities, we suggest offering training on decision-making and technology use and using more inclusive website designs. Also, older adults’ characteristics and preferences in decision-making, such as stress avoidance and the need for reassurance, should be carefully considered. We have provided implications for both research and policy that emerged.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772501425000156MedicareDecision-makingOlder adultsTechnologyPolicy
spellingShingle Hye Soo Lee
Raksha A. Mudar
Wendy A. Rogers
Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support
Human Factors in Healthcare
Medicare
Decision-making
Older adults
Technology
Policy
title Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support
title_full Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support
title_fullStr Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support
title_full_unstemmed Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support
title_short Understanding Medicare-related decision-making by older adults: Role of technology support
title_sort understanding medicare related decision making by older adults role of technology support
topic Medicare
Decision-making
Older adults
Technology
Policy
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772501425000156
work_keys_str_mv AT hyesoolee understandingmedicarerelateddecisionmakingbyolderadultsroleoftechnologysupport
AT rakshaamudar understandingmedicarerelateddecisionmakingbyolderadultsroleoftechnologysupport
AT wendyarogers understandingmedicarerelateddecisionmakingbyolderadultsroleoftechnologysupport