TY  - JOUR
A1  - Deeken, Friederike
A1  - Rezo, Anna
A1  - Hinz, Matthias
A1  - Discher, Robert
A1  - Rapp, Michael Armin
T1  - Evaluation of technology-based interventions for informal caregivers of patients with dementia
BT  - a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
JF  - The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
N2  - Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the efficacy of technology-based interventions for informal caregivers of people with dementia (PWD). Methods: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases were searched in August 2018, with no restrictions in language or publication date. Two independent reviewers identified 33 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducting a technology-based intervention for informal carers of PWD. Meta-analyses for the outcome measures caregiver depression and caregiver burden were conducted with subgroup analyses according to mode of delivery (telephone, computer/web-based, combined interventions). To assess methodologic quality, the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment was rated. Results: Meta-analyses revealed a small but significant postintervention effect of technology-based interventions for caregiver depression and caregiver burden. Combined interventions showed the strongest effects. Conclusion: Technology-based interventions have the potential to support informal caregivers of PWD. Because of advantages such as high flexibility and availability, technology-based interventions provide a promising alternative compared with "traditional services," e.g., those for people living in rural areas. More high-quality RCTs for specific caregiver groups are needed.
KW  - Caregiver
KW  - dementia
KW  - technology
KW  - meta-analysis
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2018.12.003
SN  - 1064-7481
SN  - 1545-7214
VL  - 27
IS  - 4
SP  - 426
EP  - 445
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - New York
ER  -