Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Feb 1, 2023
Date Accepted: Sep 6, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Researched Apps Used in Dementia Care for People Living with Dementia and Their Informal Caregivers: A Systematic Review of App Features, Security and Usability
ABSTRACT
Background:
Studies have shown that mobile applications (apps) have the potential to serve as a non-pharmacological intervention for dementia care and improve the quality of life of people living with dementia (PLwD) and their informal caregivers. However, little is known about the needs and privacy aspects of these mobile apps in dementia care.
Objective:
This review sought to understand the landscape of existing mobile apps in dementia care for PLwD and their caregivers with respect to app features, usability testing, privacy and security.
Methods:
An extensive database search was conducted. Records were independently screened, and two reviewers abstracted data. Findings were summarized and tabulated based on each research aim.
Results:
Forty-four studies were included in this review, with 39 published after 2015. Fifty apps were included in the study, with more apps developed for PLwD as end-users compared to caregivers. Eight themes that contributed to app usability were found. Five methods (questionnaires, interviews, observations, logging, and focus groups) were used to evaluate usability. The reliability of usability testing may be improved by using objective measures. There was little focus on the privacy and security aspects, including the data transfer and protection, of mobile applications for PLwD.
Conclusions:
This review highlighted key issues related to usability, privacy and security of existing mobile apps for PLwD and their caregivers. To advance future work, our findings provide a guiding framework to app developers/researchers for their privacy policy generation, app development strategy, and usability testing of their app. Clinical Trial: CRD42020216141
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