Health disparities are preventable differences in the opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. Older people are at a greater risk of experiencing health disparities than younger people. Technology has great potential for reducing disparities, particularly as we improve our understanding of the role it plays in social processes of aging. The next generation of assistive technologies should be informed by research on how best to ensure

more »

... t they can be easily and effectively integrated with educational, health and social services, and that their benefits can be distributed equitably across all populations of persons who are ageing. Method: This author conducted a scoping review of the literature on the relationship between assistive technology and social determinants of healthy ageing. A search was conducted for journal publications of original research studies and reviews in the English language. Search engines included PubMed (Medline), CINAHL (Ebsco), PsycINFO and Web of Science, using the following parameters: aging population (including elderly and seniors); assistive technology (including communication technology and health technology); health disparities (including health inequities, social isolation, and social determinants of health). Key results: Two social constructs are central to social relationships and physical health in ageing: social sup-