Digital Health: Study of the Social Risks for the Elderly Associated with Introduction of Electronic Services

The digitalization of the healthcare system in Russia has been actively pursued through interconnected federal and regional initiatives since the early 2000s. The elderly have long recognized customs and routines and generally opt for conventional means for accessing information and services, including telephone and face-to-face meetings, and are apprehensive about electronic services due to their reluctance to technology. The vulnerability of the elderly was further heightened during the COVID-19 disaster and subsequent free mobility restrictions, which increased the demand for many services provided through remote-controlled operations. Pilot studies were conducted in two medical institutions of St. Petersburg, and the article describes the results. Utilizing the state information system of St. Petersburg’s unique objective data, the study examined the dynamics of changes in the indicators of the usage of different channels of access to the doctor’s appointment service by the St. Petersburg population using different channels for different categories of appointment scheduling. It was in this way that the research was conducted on the study of the impact of digital health services on the elderly social well-being in Russia, while identifying specific steps that digital health services can influence in order to improve the elderly social well-being.