Technology and Caregiving: Emerging Interventions and Directions for Research

TLDR

Technology‑based interventions for family caregivers have expanded from basic health and well‑being support to a broad array of mobile, cloud, robotics, sensor, and immersive technologies, creating a new era of platform‑enabled solutions that empower caregivers. The paper proposes a conceptual framework to identify and address challenges in applying technology‑enabled solutions for family caregivers. The framework outlines challenges such as equity, privacy, regulatory, design, and economic barriers that must be addressed. The study identifies challenges moderating technology use and proposes research questions to guide global priorities.

Abstract

Abstract An array of technology-based interventions has increasingly become available to support family caregivers, primarily focusing on health and well-being, social isolation, financial, and psychological support. More recently the emergence of new technologies such as mobile and cloud, robotics, connected sensors, virtual/augmented/mixed reality, voice, and the evermore ubiquitous tools supported by advanced data analytics, coupled with the integration of multiple technologies through platform solutions, have opened a new era of technology-enabled interventions that can empower and support family caregivers. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for identifying and addressing the challenges that may need to be overcome to effectively apply technology-enabled solutions for family caregivers. The paper identifies a number of challenges that either moderate or mediate the full use of technologies for the benefit of caregivers. The challenges include issues related to equity, inclusion, and access; ethical concerns related to privacy and security; political and regulatory factors affecting interoperability and lack of standards; inclusive/human-centric design and issues; and inherent economic and distribution channel difficulties. The paper concludes with a summary of research questions and issues that form a framework for global research priorities.