"Digital Seniors 2025": Older Adults Are Confidently Using Digital Tools

We are often asked whether older patients actually use digital tools.

Our experience shows: Yes, they do – actively and confidently.

The recently published «Digital Seniors 2025» study by Pro Senectute confirms this clearly: nine out of ten people over 65 in Switzerland are online.

Digital Inclusion Among Older Adults

The study shows: Most seniors use smartphones, tablets, and computers actively. For the first time, more older people get their information via digital channels (33%) than from traditional media like TV (30%), print (22%), or radio (15%).

There are age-related differences: 88% of 65–74-year-olds have basic digital skills. Among those over 85, this is lower – but the trend is clear: older adults are digitally present.

The Trend is Clear: Older Adults Are Digitally Present

Digital Seniors 2025: Nine out of ten persons over the age of 65 in Switzerland are online.

It's about Access, not Age

Our experience confirms this: more than age, intuitive access and personality type are key.

Especially in healthcare, patients have different needs: an emergency case requires different processes than planned treatments, and inpatient settings differ from outpatient or rehab contexts.

Digital Solutions Tailored to the Patient Journey

To enable confident digital participation, solutions must match the patient's context.

heyPatient delivers best practice frontends at the press of a button for every touchpoint:

• App and web for consistent access

• Self-check-in, terminals, call systems & more for smooth on-site experiences

• Modular features for each medical field

• Easy-to-use interface, barrier-free, available in 21 languages

Best Practice Frontends für Your Points of Interaction

Healthcare is complex. A patient in an emergency situation experiences very different processes than someone with a scheduled procedure. Inpatient stays require different workflows than outpatient visits or rehabilitation.

Digital Interaction tailored to the Patient Experience

heyFamily: Actively involving Support Networks

For older adults, the personal network is often key.

heyFamily allows relatives or caregivers to manage appointments, receive updates, and support daily routines – particularly helpful during illness or after an accident.

Faster recovery with the help of your loved ones: heyFamily

Easy Start - Growing Benefit

Some people, regardless of age, still prefer paper or phone.

But: The longer the hospital stay or the more frequent the interaction, the higher the acceptance.

Examples include:

• Quick Connect at emergency admission – insurance card scan in 21 languages

• Digital pre-registration via the clinic website

• User-friendly app features like indoor navigation or self-triage

This creates a digital companion that gradually builds trust.

Closely connected – confidently guided in the digital world

Conclusion: Digital Inclusion Succeeds when Solutions are Thoughtfully Designed and Simple to Use.

"Digital Seniors 2025" study clearly shows:

Older adults are digitally active – when the solution is simple, understandable, and meaningfully integrated.

With heyPatient, we support every profile - regardless of age or treatment path:

Digital healthcare solutions that support people of all ages – individually, intuitively, and with real added value.

👉 Read the study (in German): Digital Seniors 2025 – Pro Senectute