JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The increasing number of aging individuals and the growing need for care in modern societies drive the development of new mhealth applications. Informal caregivers are vital in providing care to their family and friends who may suffer from illnesses or disabilities at home. In particular, the demands of caregiving can be even more challenging for those with limited resources, support systems, and language barriers, such as immigrant informal caregivers. They face complex challenges in providing care to their relatives. These challenges can relate to sociocultural diversity, language barriers, and healthcare system navigation. Acknowledging the global context of the increasing number of immigrants is essential for designing inclusive mhealth applications.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the needs of immigrant informal caregivers in Sweden and discusses the application of persuasive system design. This study focuses on the specific needs of immigrant informal caregivers in Sweden and presents design suggestions for an eCoaching application based on them. It explores the potential for persuasive systems that can better support the diverse needs of caregivers and improve the quality of care provided to the care recipients. It also presents design suggestions for an eCoaching application based on these needs. By addressing the unique challenges immigrant informal caregivers face, this study will contribute to developing more effective and inclusive mhealth applications.

Methods:

The participants for this study were recruited through various channels such as Anhörigas Riksförbund, rehabilitation departments at the municipalities, and immigrant groups. The study used a semi-structured interview guide to gather data from the participants in Arabic and transcribed it into English. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and were discussed in relation to the extended Persuasive System Design model (PSDM). The needs of the caregivers were compared with the description of the persuasive design principles, and a design principle was chosen based on the match. The PSDM was extended if the description of the need did not match any principle.

Results:

Immigrant informal caregivers have various needs in their caregiving role. They report a need for training on the illness and future caregiving needs, assistance with understanding the Swedish language and culture, and help with accessing online information and services. They also desire recognition and appreciation for their efforts, additional informal support, and easy access to healthcare services. This can be important for their mental health.

Conclusions:

This study revealed important immigrant informal caregivers' needs based on which design suggestions for an eCoaching application were presented. We also proposed an adapted PSD model, PSD-I, for the informal caregiving context. PSD-I can be further used for designing digital interventions in caregiving.