Caregivers and technology: Digital content assessment on Alzheimer’s disease
Desiree Piromalli, Gloria Mas Vall-llosera, Marta Ivirico, Laia Ortiz, Marc Suárez – Calvet, Maria Sánchez Valle, María Aurora Cañadas RomeroMethods
This study examined caregivers' preferences for digital content to support the care of individuals with dementia, particularly those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). An online survey was conducted with 147 caregivers affiliated with the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, assessing the perceived usefulness of content across four key domains: information access, professional support, task management, and virtual community.
Discussion
Results indicated strong caregiver interest in information about AD and its symptoms, as well as support for communicating with the person being cared for. Caregivers also showed interest in practical tools such as digital medical calendars for task management. In the community domain, participants valued access to support networks for exchanging experiences and strategies with peers. Taken together, these findings point to concrete, high-priority content areas — informational, relational, organizational, and social — that a digital platform for informal caregivers should address.
Conclusions
These findings will inform the design of user-relevant materials in a co-creation process aimed at developing a digital platform to deliver accessible, practical, and useful content addressing the everyday realities of informal caregiving.