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

TL;DR

This paper describes the development and testing of CareBuddy, a mobile app designed to support dementia caregivers with personalized tools and resources.

Contribution

The study introduces CareBuddy, a theory-driven mobile care ecosystem tailored for dementia caregivers, validated through mixed methods.

Findings

CareBuddy achieved high usability scores, exceeding the benchmark in system usability tests.

Caregivers highly rated the app's ease of use, interface, and usefulness in managing dementia care.

Interactive features like the chatbot and social portal were particularly valued by users.

Abstract

Dementia presents substantial challenges for informal caregivers. A gap remains in technology-driven personalized support tailored to caregivers’ needs.

This study aimed to develop a theory-driven, multicomponent mobile app specifically designed for caregivers of individuals with dementia and test its usability among end users.

We developed CareBuddy, a mobile care ecosystem based on the stress process model and user-centered design. The app includes personalized assessments and tailored solutions, an artificial intelligence–driven chatbot, GPS-based location monitoring, peer support, a helpline, telemedicine, health care provider integration, and caregiver self-care resources. Development was informed by interviews with caregivers and stakeholders, followed by a 2-phase pilot test involving 18 and 10 participants, respectively, to assess usability and acceptability.

In phase 1, the mean system usability scores increased from 65.4 (SD 11.8) in round 1 to 73.8 (SD 15.9) in round 3, exceeding the benchmark of 68. In phase 2, caregivers rated the app highly, with an overall mean score of 95.4 (SD 8.5) on the Mobile Health App Usability Questionnaire. The domains of ease of use (mean 24.1, SD 2.9), user interface and satisfaction (mean 40.3, SD 3.4), and usefulness (mean 31, SD 3.9) received high Mobile Health App Usability Questionnaire ratings. Participants valued the content focused on dementia management and caregiver well-being. Caregivers appreciated the interactive features: social networking portal, service directory, and conversational large language model. Feedback highlighted areas for improvement, including reducing textual overload and addressing navigational challenges.

CareBuddy offers a multifaceted digital solution for dementia caregivers, with high usability and satisfaction. An ongoing trial is evaluating the app’s effectiveness in improving caregiver outcomes.

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