Mobile Apps for Caregivers of Older Adults: Quantitative Content Analysis
Mobile Apps for Caregivers of Older Adults: Quantitative Content Analysis
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DOI：
10.2196/mhealth.9345
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发表时间：
2018-07-01
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
Zelinski, Elizabeth M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Grossman, Molli R.;Zak, Deanah Kim;Zelinski, Elizabeth M.
背景资料：老年人的非正式照顾者为他们的亲人提供重要支持，但由于负担和压力，他们的健康状况也会受到负面影响。提供信息和资源以及社会和情感支持的干预措施可以减轻负担。移动的应用程序具有访问信息、协助安排时间和其他功能，可以廉价、方便地实现支持功能的自动化，并比其他方式覆盖更大比例的护理人员。目标：本研究的目的是确定面向老年人护理人员的移动的应用程序，目录功能，并建议最佳做法，采用的基础上，有益的干预措施的实证研究结果，在出版文献。方法：在Google Play和iTunes中搜索针对老年人护理人员的应用程序，编辑其功能，并确定反映成功干预研究中确定的支持类别的功能，以负面护理人员结果。干预研究表明，提供信息和资源，帮助解决实际问题，协调多个照顾者之间的护理，和情感支持减轻照顾者的负担。结果：尽管约有超过20万个移动的健康相关的应用程序，移动的应用程序的照顾者的可用性是相对稀疏（n=44应用程序）截至2017年10月。应用程序通常涉及特定类别的支持，包括信息和资源、家庭沟通以及父母与接受者的互动。很少有应用程序是全面的。44人中只有8人（18%）的特征涉及三个或更多类别。很少有应用程序提供了具体的减压练习的照顾者，这是重要的，以减轻burner.Conclusions：移动的应用程序有潜力提供资源，及时的信息，解决问题，和减压策略的照顾者。许多应用程序提供的功能已被证明可以减轻护理人员的负担并改善其健康状况，但很少有应用程序提供情感支持。使用循证实践方法，护理人员的移动的应用程序可以提供多种有益的支持功能。应用程序可以以移动的形式比传统方式为更大比例的这类服务严重不足的人群提供服务，改善他们的健康和生活质量。
Background: Informal caregivers of older adults provide critical support for their loved ones but are subject to negative health outcomes because of burden and stress. Interventions to provide information and resources as well as social and emotional support reduce burden. Mobile apps featuring access to information, assistance with scheduling, and other features can automate support functions inexpensively and conveniently and reach a greater proportion of caregivers than otherwise possible.Objective: The aim of this study was to identify mobile apps geared towards caregivers of older adults, catalog features, and suggest best practices for adoption based on empirical findings of beneficial interventions in the caregiving literature.Methods: Search for apps focused on ones catered for caregivers of older adults in Google Play and iTunes, compiling their features, and identifying features reflecting categories of support identified in successful intervention studies to negative caregiver outcomes. Intervention research indicates that provision of information and resources, assistance in practical problem solving, coordinating care among multiple caregivers, and emotional support reduce caregiver burden.Results: Despite approximately over 200,000 mobile health-related apps, the availability of mobile apps for caregivers is relatively sparse (n=44 apps) as of October 2017. Apps generally addressed specific categories of support, including information and resources, family communication, and caregiver-recipient interactions. Few apps were comprehensive. Only 8 out of 44 (18%) had features that addressed three or more categories. Few apps provided specific stress reduction exercises for caregivers, which is important for reducing burden.Conclusions: Mobile apps have the potential to provide resources, just-in-time information for problem-solving, and stress reduction strategies for caregivers. Many apps offer functions that have been shown to reduce burden and improve health outcomes in caregivers, but few provide emotional support. Using an evidence-based practice approach, mobile apps for caregivers can provide multiple beneficial support functions. Apps can serve a much larger proportion of this highly underserved population in their mobile form than more traditional means, improving their health and quality of life.