Studies Involving People With Dementia and Touchscreen Technology: A Literature Review.
Phil Joddrell, Arlene J Astell
PMID 28582254WHAT IT FOUND
People with dementia used touchscreen devices for assessment, daily tasks and leisure, often with support.
Independent use depended on training, prompts, feedback and simple design.
Key findings
01The review included 45 articles and grouped touchscreen use into assessment and screening, assistive technology and cognitive rehabilitation, and leisure activities.
02Independent touchscreen use was reported in some studies, including half of participants using an iPad for leisure and two thirds using the Companion system independently.
03The reviewed articles recommended training, prompts, immediate feedback, and simple visual design to support use by people with dementia.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a review, not a trial, so it describes how touchscreens were used rather than testing whether they improve dementia-related outcomes. Many included articles did not report enough information, such as participant age and severity of cognitive impairment. Only 45 articles were included, and the search may have missed studies that did not use the words touchscreen or touch screen. Only English studies were included. Supported use was common, so independent use may not reflect what a person could do without staff or family. Training and support that made devices work in some studies may not always be feasible in practice.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as evidence that touchscreen devices improve cognition, daily living or conversation. It describes how studies used the technology and notes missing reporting, so it cannot show a treatment effect.