Smartphone applications for informal caregivers of chronically ill patients: a scoping review

Mobile-health applications can be used to deliver timely and personalized health information to family and friends of chronically ill adults living in the community. This scoping review aims to investigate the nature and extent of native smartphone applications for informal caregivers. Six databases were searched for articles on applications across ten chronic conditions, namely heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive respiratory disease, asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and mood or anxiety disorders. In total, 36 articles were included, encompassing 26 applications. Of these, smartphone applications were designed for use only by caregivers (n = 15), with a few applications also intended to be used with patients (n = 5), healthcare providers (n = 4), or all three roles (n = 2). Most applications targeted a single chronic condition (n = 25), with Alzheimer’s and other dementia being the most common (n = 18). Only one application was designed for management of multiple chronic conditions. Long-term evaluation methods are needed to continually assess the impact of applications on a range of process and health outcomes, such as usability, caregiver burden, and quality of life. Additional directions to advance native smartphone applications for caregivers are discussed, including personalization and expansion of eligibility criteria.