Development and Evaluation of the DEA App

Valentin Ritschl

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dementia

Treatments: Other: DEA-App; Other: Standard Information group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03819816

DEA_APP_2019

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background, current situation, and motivation

According to current estimates, 100,000 people in Austria suffer from various types of dementia. According to forecasts, this number of people will rise to approximately 230,000 by 2050 due to the demographic development and the increase of the prevalence rate. Data from the service statistics show that 85% of dementia patients still live in the community in their homes and informal caregivers, such as relatives, support them. In total, more than 300,000 people care for their relatives in Austria in addition to professional support. However, not only the person affected from dementia suffers from the disease, but also, and often at a higher rate, the informal caregivers. Vice versa, the quality of life of those suffering from dementia is significantly influenced by the caregivers' competences and their strategies for resilience.

Study aim and hypothesis

The aim of this study is to evaluate the usability, acceptance, and effect of an app consisting of three modules that provide multidimensional support for informal caregivers of a person with dementia.

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 90 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• informal caregivers of a person with dementia
• 18 years or older
• enough language skills to participate
• give written and oral informed consent
• have an Android smartphone or tablet (required to use the app).

Exclusion criteria

• none

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

36 participants in 2 patient groups

DEA-App

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention (DEA) group will receive the newly developed app.

Treatment:

Other: DEA-App

Standard Information group

Other group

Description:

The control group will receive a leaflet on some general principles for promoting health and well-being in older adults with dementia.

Treatment:

Other: Standard Information group