Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Oct 31;13(21):2772.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare13212772.

Smart Speakers for Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Review

Michael Joseph Dino  1   2 , Carla Leinbach  1 , Gerald Dino  3 , Ladda Thiamwong  1 , Chloe Margalaux Villafuerte  2 , Mona Shattell  1 , Justin Pimentel  2 , Maybelle Anne Zamora  2 , Anbel Bautista  2 , John Paul Vitug  2 , Joyline Chepkorir  4 , Nerceilyn Marave  2
Affiliations
Review

Smart Speakers for Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Review

Michael Joseph Dino et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Rapid population aging poses significant challenges to health and wellness systems, necessitating innovative technological interventions. Smart home technologies, particularly voice-activated intelligent assistants (smart speakers), represent a promising avenue for supporting aging populations. Objectives: This study critically examines the empirical literature on smart speakers' influence on older adults' health and well-being, mapping the characteristics of existing studies, assessing the current state of this domain, and providing a comprehensive overview. Methods: A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted in accordance with published guidelines. Bibliometric data, article purposes and outcomes, keyword network analysis, and mixed-methods findings from articles retrieved from five major databases were managed through the Covidence and VosViewer applications. Results: The majority of studies were conducted in the American region. Bibliometric analysis revealed five predominant thematic clusters: health management, psychological support, social connectedness, technology adoption, and usability. Findings demonstrated multifaceted benefits across several domains. Older adults reported improvements in daily living activities, enhanced emotional well-being, strengthened social connections, and overall health benefits. Qualitative evidence particularly emphasized the advantages of medication adherence, routine maintenance, and facilitated social support. However, mixed-method synthesis revealed significant barriers to adoption and sustained use, including privacy concerns, technical difficulties, cost constraints, and limited digital literacy among older users. Conclusions: The integration of smart speakers into the homes of older adults offers considerable potential to enhance technological wellness and promote successful aging in place, underscoring the need for structured integration of smart speaker technology and human-centered designs within geriatric care systems.

Keywords: aging in place; mixed-methods review; older adults; smart speakers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA Diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Quantitative and Qualitative Study Outcomes on Smart Speakers for Health and Well-being of Older Adults.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Article keywords: co-occurrence and topic clusters network map.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Grinin L., Grinin A., Korotayev A. Global Aging and Our Futures. World Futures. 2023;79:536–556. doi: 10.1080/02604027.2023.2204791. - DOI
    1. Navaneetham K., Arunachalam D. Handbook of Aging, Health and Public Policy. Springer; Singapore: 2023. Global Population Aging, 1950–2050; pp. 1–18.
    1. Grove H. Ageing Well in Place: A Capability Approach. J. Econ. Hum. Geogr. 2025 doi: 10.1111/tesg.70013. early view . - DOI
    1. Stephens C. From Success to Capability for Healthy Ageing: Shifting the Lens to Include All Older People. Crit. Public Health. 2017;27:490–498. doi: 10.1080/09581596.2016.1192583. - DOI
    1. Nussbaum M., Sen A., editors. The Quality of Life. Oxford University Press; Oxford, UK: 1993.

LinkOut - more resources