A comprehensive systematic review on mobile applications to support dementia patients

Abstract

The increasing number of patients living with dementia requires effective support measures. Easier access to mobile devices can provide the follow-up and monitoring of patients with dementia. The literature presents several studies on the use of mobile applications to assist patients, health professionals, and caregivers, considering the different knowledge areas, and scientific and technological contributions. Notwithstanding the reviews published on this subject, some under-explored elements, such as collaborative development, system adaptation, and integration with other platforms, are related to the novelty of the present paper. This article presents a Systematic Review (SR) that focuses on the development of dementia-related applications in the context of mobile devices and also discusses collaborative development and system adaptation to maintain patient fidelity. 73 studies were analyzed and discussed from the searches conducted in five different databases. According to this SR, most of the studies focus on the patient as the end-user, and the most explored functionalities are related to monitoring, reminders, and notifications. Furthermore, few systems offer user profile adaptation or customization. Finally, collaborative development, although not simple for patients with dementia, was effective, but not widely used. Despite the continuous research related to the subject, the identified gaps represent research opportunities.