ABSTRACTHEALTH MEDIA IN THE GOLDEN YEARS: HOW AMERICAN SENIORS ARE USING MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE WITH HEALTHCARE PRODUCT AND SERVICE PROVIDERSByChristopher D. HamrickThe American population is aging, and as they do their healthcare needs are growing. Americans are among the largest populations of mass media consumers in the world per capita. The Internet revolution has added an entirely new dimension to media production and consumption while altering or supplanting more traditional media. Healthcare providers as well as product and service vendors are spending billions of dollars in advertising and informational campaigns as they vie for consumers while using new information and communication technologies to modernize healthcare delivery.Given the previous statements, is the money and effort invested by the U.S. healthcare industry into modern media technologies actually reaching their largest target audience? Are American seniors receptive to these innovations? This study analyzes the current trends in healthcare communications, the related information available about senior citizens and media consumption, and presents a survey of uses of and attitudes towards healthcare informatics, technology uses, and technology adoption among middle class independent seniors living in a single community. The analysis of this data is to inform the choices of those seeking to reach seniors to influence their healthcare media consumption.
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