Digital technologies play a role in the care of people with Alzheimer's increasing role. Telemedicine consultations, apps for daily structuring, or digital training programs are intended to relieve caregivers and enable those affected to have more independence. In practice, however, digital offerings present individual hurdles that make their everyday use difficult. Researchers from Italy have investigated which factors play a role in this. The evaluation included 18 studies dealing with the use of digital technologies in people with Alzheimer's dementia (AD).
Digital offerings are often introduced with the expectation of relieving caregivers and relatives and supporting people with Alzheimer's disease in their daily lives. However, whether these expectations are met depends crucially on the conditions under which the offerings can be used. Decisive factors include, among others, the stage of the disease, the individual prior experiences, and how well those affected and their caregivers are supported during the introduction and use.
Disease stage and use in daily life
A recurring pattern is the connection between disease stage and the usability of digital offerings. In early stages, new applications can be more easily understood, practiced, and established as routine. With increasing cognitive impairment, orientation difficulties grow, operating logics become less clear, and new processes more quickly lead to overwhelm. Consequently, the likelihood of an offering being used permanently decreases, even if its fundamental benefit exists.
Individual Prerequisites and Role of Relatives and Loved Ones
In addition to the course of the disease, individual prerequisites influence how digital services are perceived and used. These include previous experience with technology, basic digital literacy, age, and educational level.
However, relatives and caregivers also play a crucial role. They set up devices, explain functions, and intervene in case of problems. The review article points out that this can also lead to an increased burden for relatives and caregivers. If applications are complicated or require frequent interventions, this creates additional effort in home care, and digital support is experienced as another task.
Design, instruction, and support
Ultimately, the sustained use of digital offerings also depends on their design. Usability, accessibility, and low cognitive load affect acceptance and usage. The study also names age of users, device type, and solution user-friendliness as additional influencing factors.
In addition, the accompanying introduction and technical support are particularly important. Lack of instruction and insufficient support during setup are considered central barriers to stable use. At the same time, it shows that support from specialist agencies, advisory services, or other organized points of contact during setup and initial use can increase willingness and acceptance. Digital services therefore unfold their potential primarily when the introduction and use are not carried out sporadically, but are understood as a structured process tailored to the needs of those affected and their relatives.
Tip for practice:
For caregivers and relatives, it can be helpful to integrate digital offerings into everyday life early on and with a clear use case. A brief introduction and established routines can help prevent feeling overwhelmed and make using them easier. It is also important that when selecting digital offerings, attention is paid to existing support and counseling services. To assess individual support needs, digiDEM Bayern offers DEMAND® a digital questionnaire that helps caregivers and family members to systematically record care needs.
Here's the study:
Patient-Related Barriers to Digital Technology Adoption in Alzheimer's Disease
