Shahabeddin Abhari, Tithi Joshi, Ruah Al-Saghier, Gaya Bin Noon, Patricia Debergue, Heather McNeil, Josephine McMurray, Plinio Pelegrini Morita
Although AgeTech standardization is advancing, critical gaps remain. Limited attention to safety, security, privacy, and digital economy and community inclusion raises concerns for trust, equity, and sustainable adoption. Addressing these gaps through targeted and coordinated standardization efforts is essential to support inclusive, trustworthy, and scalable AgeTech solutions in the context of rapid global population aging.
BACKGROUND: AgeTech is increasingly promoted to support aging populations, yet it's safe, effective, and scalable adoption depends on clear standards and guidelines. Although previous research has examined AgeTech design in academic literature, the landscape of formal standards and guidelines has not been systematically mapped. This study aimed to identify and characterize standards and guidelines relevant to AgeTech through a structured gray literature review.
METHODS: Searches were conducted on May 10, 2024, across the online catalogs and search platforms of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission, ASTM International, IEEE, and CSA Group; the websites of the World Health Organization, World Bank, and AGE-WELL; and Google. No publication date restrictions were applied. In total, 3198 records were identified and screened using predefined eligibility criteria. Extracted data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.
RESULTS: Twenty-two eligible standards and guidelines published between 2008 and 2024 were included. The largest number of documents was published in 2022 and 2024, with four documents in each year (18.2% each). Most documents were developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO; 55%, 12/22). The leading thematic goals were health and assistive technologies (54%, 12/22) and accessibility and usability (23%, 5/22), whereas safety, security, and privacy accounted for only 9% (2/22). Supportive homes and communities (32%, 7/22) and autonomy and independence (27%, 6/22) were the dominant AgeTech categories. Most documents focused on the general older adult population (73%, 16/22), with limited attention to specific subgroups.
CONCLUSIONS: Although AgeTech standardization is advancing, critical gaps remain. Limited attention to safety, security, privacy, and digital economy and community inclusion raises concerns for trust, equity, and sustainable adoption. Addressing these gaps through targeted and coordinated standardization efforts is essential to support inclusive, trustworthy, and scalable AgeTech solutions in the context of rapid global population aging.