TY - JOUR
T1 - mHealth applications as an educational and supportive resource for family carers of people with dementia: An integrative review
AU - Rathnayake, Sarath
AU - Moyle, Wendy
AU - Jones, Cindy
AU - Calleja, Pauline
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Family carers encounter several challenges related to caring for people with dementia, and they need support in managing care recipients' health needs. This study aims to identify, appraise and synthesise the existing evidence on the use of mHealth/smartphone applications as an educational and supportive resource for family carers of people with dementia. An integrative literature review approach was used. Seven databases were searched. The search generated 117 articles, with seven meeting the inclusion criteria. Three categories and their attendant sub-categories emerged from the literature. The categories are 'carer support', 'evaluation strategies' and 'barriers and challenges'. mHealth applications appear to be a feasible intervention for family carers of people with dementia despite the limited available research and barriers for their development and implementation. Further research on mHealth applications with strong methodological rigour and more research on mHealth applications as an educational and supportive resource for carers of people with dementia are needed.
AB - Family carers encounter several challenges related to caring for people with dementia, and they need support in managing care recipients' health needs. This study aims to identify, appraise and synthesise the existing evidence on the use of mHealth/smartphone applications as an educational and supportive resource for family carers of people with dementia. An integrative literature review approach was used. Seven databases were searched. The search generated 117 articles, with seven meeting the inclusion criteria. Three categories and their attendant sub-categories emerged from the literature. The categories are 'carer support', 'evaluation strategies' and 'barriers and challenges'. mHealth applications appear to be a feasible intervention for family carers of people with dementia despite the limited available research and barriers for their development and implementation. Further research on mHealth applications with strong methodological rigour and more research on mHealth applications as an educational and supportive resource for carers of people with dementia are needed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064407739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1471301218768903
DO - 10.1177/1471301218768903
M3 - Article
C2 - 29631492
VL - 18
SP - 3091
EP - 3112
JO - Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice
JF - Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice
SN - 1471-3012
IS - 7-8
ER -