Co-designed technologies and people living with dementia: A qualitative systematic review.

Abstract

Background: Co-designing technologies for people living with dementia can develop a product that benefits their needs and preferences.

Aims: To systematically evaluate the use of co-designed technologies for dementia, assess the extent of involvement of people living with dementia in the studies, and analyse the impact of co-design on the final technology and its usage.

Design: This qualitative systematic review followed the Joanna Briggs methodology.

Methods: Five electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline) were searched for qualitative papers published before November 2023. Inclusion criteria were established according to the PICO principle. Four independent reviewers used Covidence to independently screen abstracts and then full text of selected articles. Quality assessments were performed using the JBI quality assessment tool.

Results: The review included nine primary studies involving 354 participants from three countries and identified three interconnected themes. Various technologies were developed, with apps being the most popular tool. The technologies were not well developed, with the majority (n = 7) developed in the early stages of development. Participants' main involvement was in the consultation stage, where they were asked about an assessment of their needs to determine a product, followed by their involvement in the useability and acceptability of the products.

Conclusions: While co-design is employed in developing certain technologies for people living with dementia, its effectiveness is hindered by the lack of involvement of people living with dementia in the actual conceptualization and design stages. Researchers, nursing professionals, and developers must embrace co-design as standard practice and employ consistent terminology in this process.