Older Adults and Digital Health Acceptance: A Bibliometric Analysis of eHealth, mHealth, and Telehealth Research

Older adults could benefit substantially from digital health technologies, yet adoption remains uneven because behavioral, cognitive, and socio-technical barriers persist. To map this fragmented evidence base, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 415 Web of Science publications on older adults’ acceptance of digital health technologies (2000–2024). Using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer, we analyzed publication trends, citation networks, and thematic evolution. Output increased overall after 2010, led by the United States, China, and Australia. Co-citation analysis revealed four intellectual clusters, while co-word analysis identified three thematic clusters spanning acceptance frameworks, digital literacy, care delivery, mobile and wearable health, and behavioral perspectives. Over time, the literature shifted from feasibility-focused studies to broader concerns with digital literacy, telemedicine, and accessibility. These findings show that research on digital health acceptance in later life has developed into a multidisciplinary field linking human-computer interaction, public health, and behavioral science.