JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

As the global population ages, the increasing number of individuals with chronic conditions places a growing burden on family caregivers. Behavioral interventions delivered via app-based interventions, including apps on mobile phones, tablet, or web, have emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing caregiver support.

Objective:

The current study aims to identify and describe app-based interventions for family caregivers of older adults with chronic conditions, focusing on their designs, features, and impact on caregiver outcomes.

Methods:

This review is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). A search of publications from 2007 through December 20, 2022, was conducted across PsycINFO (EBSCO), MEDLINE ALL (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection (A&HCI, BKCI-SSH, BKCI-S, CCR-EXPANDED, ESCI, IC, CPCI-SSH, CPCI-S, SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI) (Clarivate), ACM Guide to Computing Literature (ACM Digital Library), and Engineering Village (Elsevier), using relevant keywords.

Results:

The database search identified 9,482 studies, resulting in 290 full texts and a final 49 studies included. Forty-four unique apps were identified, demonstrating different designs and features. These studies primarily examined the impact of apps on caregiver well-being, burden, and mental health. While the majority of interventions were perceived as beneficial, several design and research limitations were noted.

Conclusions:

While many interventions demonstrate positive effects on caregiver outcomes, there are significant gaps in research design, evaluation, and reporting. Future studies should prioritize more integration of self-care practices, clarity in intervention components, rigorous adherence to behavioral intervention frameworks, and greater inclusivity in participant samples.