Exploring the effectiveness and experiences of people living with dementia interacting with digital interventions: A mixed methods systematic review

As dementia care evolves, digital interventions are being developed to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia. It is also increasingly recognised that some people living with dementia can use and benefit from using digital interventions themselves. Therefore, exploring the effectiveness and experiences of using such interventions is essential to optimise digital intervention development and delivery. 5 databases were searched (MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and Web of Science) for papers reporting effectiveness outcomes or experiences, involving people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment engaging with digital interventions for improving their quality of life. 73 relevant papers published between 2018-2023 were identified, 59 included effectiveness data and 18 included data on experiences. The integration of evidence identified that people living with dementia can benefit from engaging in digital interventions, if they are motivated, and provided with tailored training, support, appropriate devices and content. Benefits were seen within the domains of cognition, health and well-being and social relationships. Benefits were more frequent when digital interventions were provided in the home environment with specified daily/weekly usage requirements. This review provides an overview of the current state of research exploring engagement of digital interventions by people with dementia for improving their quality of life. The findings provide guidance on how to optimise the method of delivery. Future research should explore how digital interventions can improve social relationships and self-concept of people living with dementia, the long-term sustainability of digital interventions, and how individuals with dementia form attitudes towards technology.