JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In Canada, individuals aged 65 and older currently represent 19% of the population, a proportion expected to reach 25% by 2030. This aging population is accompanied by an increase in cognitive disorders, notably Alzheimer’s disease, whose prevalence doubles every five years after the age of 65. The implications of this trend are significant, both for individuals and for society. To address these challenges, it is crucial to promote cognitive health through physical activity, social engagement, and cognitive stimulation, efforts that can be supported by digital health technologies. However, the engagement of older adults with cognitive disorders in utilizing these technologies is essential to fully reap their benefits. This study aims to understand how this engagement is defined and measured, as well as to identify the factors influencing it and its impact on digital health interventions.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to describe how cognitively impaired older adults' engagement with digital health technologies is conceptualized and assessed, and how this engagement relates to the effectiveness of digital health interventions.

Methods:

This knowledge synthesis will employ the scoping review method outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, further developed by Levac et al. A systematic approach following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and the PRISMA-ScR checklist will ensure reproducibility. A search strategy, created with a medical information specialist from Université Laval, will be applied to Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and Google Scholar, without time restrictions. Two reviewers will independently select titles, abstracts, and full texts. Data extraction will be conducted by the research team and validated by a senior member, resolving disagreements by consensus or a third party if necessary. Descriptive analyses will be done using concept mapping software (Xmind) for a narrative synthesis of the results by themes related to the research questions.

Results:

The development of the search strategy and the completion of the selection phases of the review was completed in July 2024. Data extraction and analysis will begin in August 2024, and results are expected to be available in October 2024.

Conclusions:

The results of this systematic scoping review will provide a comprehensive overview of the different conceptualizations of engagement with digital health technologies in older people with cognitive impairment, as well as the tools to measure it. This will contribute to a better understanding of the relationships between levels of engagement and the effectiveness of digital health interventions in older people living with neurocognitive disorders.