Preparing future health professionals for age, cultural, and technology (ACT) Friendly Care in health sciences education

Preparing future health and social-welfare professionals to care foraging population requires an integrated educational approach. Contemporary age-friendly healthcare models emphasize person-centered geriatric care, yet effective implementation also depends on culturally responsive practice and the ethical, appropriate use of health technologies. The ACT (Aging, Culture, and Technology) framework conceptualizes these domains as interdependent competencies necessary for practice in diverse and digitally mediated healthcare environments. This study examined how mandatory health science courses integrate ACT-related content and explored faculty characteristics associated with such integration. A cross-sectional convergent mixed-methods study was conducted among 195 faculty members teaching mandatory undergraduate and/or graduate courses in a Faculty of Welfare and Health-Sciences. Participants completed an ACT Integration survey developed through a three-round Delphi process involving interdisciplinary experts. Respondents rated the extent to which their courses addressed ACT domains and provided examples of integration in teaching. Aging-related topics were included in 31% of undergraduate and 27% of graduate courses; multiculturalism in 28% for both; and technology in 13% (BA) and 8% (MA) courses. Only 15.4% of respondents reported extensive ACT integration, while 65.7% did not address them at all. Faculty research involvement and prior training in ACT domains were associated with higher curricular integration. Qualitative findings suggested that integration was largely instructor-driven and experiential, with limited evidence of curriculum-wide coordination. The findings suggest a fragmented approach to preparing students for age-friendly, culturally responsive, and technology-enabled care. Greater structural and pedagogical integration of ACT domains may enhance readiness for contemporary healthcare practice.