OTSLPSystematic ReviewJMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies2025

Utilizing Smart Televisions as Assistive Technology to Enhance Communication and Social Lives of Older Adults: Systematic Review.

Jayde Langdon, Cristina Tugahan Cabansag, Alexis Grigoris and 1 others

PMID 40929718

WHAT IT FOUND

Only 30 small, varied studies examined smart TVs as familiar communication aids for older adults, mostly prototypes or usability tests; little long-term evidence of improved social well-being.

Key findings

01The review included 30 studies, and none were combined statistically because the measured outcomes varied too much.

02Almost all included studies involved users during design or evaluation.

03More than half of the studies focused on designing or evaluating attitudes toward technology and assistive technologies, while the remainder proposed concepts or frameworks.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs

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What it does not show

Only studies published in English were included. Articles published more than 10 to 12 years ago were excluded. Only peer-reviewed literature was included, so non-academic sources such as patents, white papers, ongoing research, and dissertations were missed. No review protocol was registered. The included studies were very varied, so the authors did not combine them statistically. Sample sizes were often small and varied from 5 to more than 200 participants. Several studies came from the same or related projects, including 6 from the FoSIBLE project. Not all studies reported participant details. Most studies were conducted in Europe, with no studies from North America or Africa. Most studies focused on short-term usability or initial experience, not long-term social well-being.

Declared interests

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not conclude that smart TVs reduce social isolation or improve communication. The review found only 30 small, varied studies, mostly prototypes or short-term usability tests, and little long-term evidence of improved social well-being.

Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →