Online peer support for people with dementia: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to gain insights into the different online peer support opportunities available for people with dementia.

Introduction: People with dementia use a variety of online platforms for peer support, such as social networking sites or videoconferencing platforms. Online peer support can offer a variety of benefits, such as overcoming geographical barriers and the opportunity to choose a platform and mode of communication that suits a person's needs and preferences. However, there is currently no synthesis of the different online peer support opportunities available to people with dementia.

Inclusion criteria: Participants in this review will include people living with a self-reported diagnosis of any form of dementia. The concept is peer support through online platforms, while the context is online peer support that is accessible in English.

Methods: The review will be conducted according to the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. A 3-step strategy will be used to search 4 data sources: (1) scholarly and gray literature databases, (2) Google search engine, (3) social media and websites of dementia organizations, and (4) consultations with people with dementia and professionals. The review will be managed in Covidence and Excel. The study selection and data extraction will be conducted by 2 independent reviewers and a third reviewer will be consulted if needed. For the data extraction a draft data extraction instrument will be used, following the recommendations of JBI. Data will be extracted on platform, online peer support, and study characteristics. The findings will be presented in tables and a narrative summary.

Details of this review project can be found in open science framework: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/8JTQC.