Older adults constitute the largest proportion of non-users of the internet. With the increasing digitalisation of services, in particular those provided by Social Care Wales, it is important to understand how best to support older adults to overcome the challenges they face with accessing or engaging with the digital world (for personal use). This rapid review aimed to assess the effectiveness of interventions to address digital exclusion in older adults (aged 60 years and above). Digital exclusion can occur due to issues with motivation (if people do not see why the internet might be beneficial), accessibility (unable to physically access to the internet), ability (lack of skills to use the internet) or affordability (unable to afford access to the internet) of digital technology. Research Implications and Evidence Gaps The majority of studies included in this review were of low quality. It is unclear whether study findings would be generalisable to the UK. Outcome measures were heterogeneous across studies making it difficult to compare findings directly. Only one study assessed the cost-effectiveness of a digital education intervention. No study reported on interventions to address language barriers, for example, that may be experienced by people whose first language is not English. No study focused specifically on interventions to improve access to, or affordability of the internet and digital technologies to overcome digital exclusion. Further high-quality UK-based research is needed to better understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions for addressing digital exclusion in older adults. Policy and Practice Implications This rapid review highlighted the potential benefits of a range of complex multi-component educational interventions, particularly with regards to improving digital literacy, and suggests that older adults are accepting of these interventions. To reduce digital exclusion in older adults, evidence suggests it may be important to ensure structural barriers, such as access to the internet and affordability of devices are removed. However, the cost of provision should be considered and assessed. Educational interventions may help to reduce perceptual barriers regarding digital technologies that contribute to digital exclusion including lack of confidence, fear and anxiety, or perceived lack of abilities. It is important to consider that older adults should be equipped with the skills to make an informed choice to interact with essential services physically (offline) or digitally. With the increasing digitalisation of services, it is important that older members of the community who do not wish to use digital technologies, are not left behind or disadvantaged.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Public Health Wales were funded for this work by the Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre, itself funded by Health and Care Research Wales on behalf of Welsh Government.

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors