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The use of technology in creating individualized, meaningful activities for people living with dementia: A systematic review
Goodall G, Taraldsen K, Serrano JA.. Dementia (London, England), 2020-05-31
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
There is a growing interest in using technology to provide meaningful activities for people living with dementia. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and explore the different types of digital technologies used in creating individualized, meaningful activities for people living with dementia. From 1414 articles identified from searches in four databases, 29 articles were included in the review. The inclusion criteria were the study used digital technology to deliver an individually tailored activity to participants with dementia, the process of individualization was described, and findings relating to the mental, physical, social, and/or emotional well-being of the participant were reported. Data extracted from the included studies included participant demographics, aims, methods, and outcomes. The following information on the technology was also extracted: purpose, type, training, facilitation, and the individualization process. A narrative synthesis of the results grouped the various technologies into four main purposes: reminiscence/memory support, behavior management, stimulating engagement, and conversation/communication support. A broad range of technologies were studied, with varying methods of evaluation implemented to assess their effect. Overall, the use of technology in creating individualized, meaningful activities seems to be promising in terms of improving behavior and promoting relationships with others. Furthermore, most studies in this review involved the person with dementia in the individualization process of the technology, indicating that research in this area is adopting a more co-creative and inclusive approach. However, sample sizes of the included studies were small, and there was a lack of standardized outcome measures. Future studies should aim to build a more concrete evidence base by improving the methodological quality of research in this area. Findings from the review indicate that there is also a need for more evidence concerning the feasibility of implementing these technologies into care environments.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Goodall, G., Taraldsen, K., & Serrano, J. A. (2021). The use of technology in creating individualized, meaningful activities for people living with dementia: A systematic review. Dementia (London, England). https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301220928168
Vancouver
Goodall G, Taraldsen K, Serrano JA. The use of technology in creating individualized, meaningful activities for people living with dementia: A systematic review. Dementia (London, England). 2021. doi:10.1177/1471301220928168. PMID: 32475166.
BibTeX
@article{goodall2021-32475166,
author = {Goodall, G. and Taraldsen, K. and Serrano, J. A.},
title = {{The use of technology in creating individualized, meaningful activities for people living with dementia: A systematic review}},
journal = {Dementia (London, England)},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1177/1471301220928168},
pmid = {32475166},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301220928168}
}
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Key findings
- A narrative synthesis of the results grouped the various technologies into four main purposes: reminiscence/memory support, behavior management, stimulating engagement, and conversation/communication support.
- Overall, the use of technology in creating individualized, meaningful activities seems to be promising in terms of improving behavior and promoting relationships with others.
- Findings from the review indicate that there is also a need for more evidence concerning the feasibility of implementing these technologies into care environments.
Why it matters
This systematic review examined digital technologies used to create individualized, meaningful activities for people living with dementia, grouping them into purposes such as reminiscence, behavior management, engagement, and communication. It found the use of such technology promising for improving behavior and promoting relationships, but noted a need for more evidence on feasibility of implementation.
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Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Dementia (London, England)) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Dementia: journal h-index 92 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 70 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.0 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 37 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author J. Artur Serrano: h-index 15 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Norwegian University of Science and Technology: institution h-index 785 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32475166) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
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