Supporting Dementia Caregiving With a Mobile Care Ecosystem: Development and Mixed Methods Study.

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions
• Gerontology
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Dementia caregiving presents significant challenges for informal caregivers.
• There is a need for technology-driven, personalized support solutions tailored to caregiver needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theory-driven, multicomponent mobile application for dementia caregivers.
• To evaluate the usability and acceptability of the developed mobile application among end-users.

Main Methods:

• The CareBuddy mobile application was developed using a user-centered design approach, incorporating the stress process model.
• Features include personalized assessments, AI chatbot, GPS monitoring, peer support, helpline, telemedicine, and caregiver self-care resources.
• A 2-phase pilot test with 28 participants assessed usability and acceptability.

Main Results:

• System usability scores improved significantly, exceeding the benchmark in Phase 1.
• Caregivers reported high overall satisfaction (95.4/100) and rated ease of use, user interface, and usefulness highly in Phase 2.
• Participants valued dementia management content, interactive features like the social portal, service directory, and AI chatbot.

Conclusions:

• The CareBuddy mobile app demonstrates high usability and satisfaction among dementia caregivers.
• It offers a multifaceted digital solution addressing caregiver needs, with ongoing trials to assess effectiveness.