A new study introduced at the 53rd annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology found that seniors over the age of 64 are willing and able to use the internet.
Researchers of the study were looking to find out if patients with cancer would be more apt to answer treatment related questionnaires through email rather than through standard mail or during check-ups.
To test this, from September 2008 to December 2009, researchers emailed 49 prostate cancer patients the surveys. They found that even six months after treatment, those who recieved questions through the internet responded 90 percent of the time, while those who got surveys through the mail only sent them back 52 percent of the time.
Not only does this prove that the internet is a valuable way to get in contact with older generations, it also helped make improvements to treatment as getting more responses allowed doctors and nurses to adjust what people overwhelmingly didn't like.
Teaching a parent how to use the internet as a caregiver can help them reconnect with old friends or stay in touch with family members who live far away as well as improving their relationship with their doctors.