title: ICT-based applications to improve social health and social participation in older adults with dementia. A systematic literature review.
abstract: Information and communication technologies (ICT) developers, together with dementia experts have created several technological solutions to improve and facilitate social health and social participation and quality of life of older adults living with dementia. However, there is a need to carry out a systematic literature review that focuses on the validity and efficacy of these new technologies assessing their utility to promote 'social health' and 'active ageing' in people with dementia.
  
  
  
  Searches in electronic databases identified 3824 articles of which 6 met the inclusion criteria and were coded according to their methodological approach, sample sizes, type of outcomes and results.
  
  
  
  Six papers were identified reporting the use of 10 different interventions with people with dementia. Qualitative studies (four) showed a benefit of the use of technologies to foster social participation in people with dementia. At the same time, barriers to a widespread use of these technologies in this population were identified. A quantitative study and a mixed-method study with quantitative outcomes showed that ICT-based interventions promote more social behaviours than non-technology-based interventions.
  
  
  
  In the last years, several technological devices for living independently and fostering social health and social participation in people with dementia have been developed. However, specific outcome measures to assess social health and social participation are needed. Even though the analysed studies provided some evidence-base for the use of technology in this field, there is an urge to develop high quality studies and specific outcome measures.
authors.affiliation: a Department of personality, evaluation and psychological treatment , University of Salamanca , Salamanca , Spain.|b Department of Research & Development , INTRAS Foundation , Zamora , Spain.
authors.forename: Ángel C
authors.initials: ÁC
authors.lastname: Pinto-Bruno
authors.affiliation: a Department of personality, evaluation and psychological treatment , University of Salamanca , Salamanca , Spain.|b Department of Research & Development , INTRAS Foundation , Zamora , Spain.
authors.forename: J Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Casal
authors.affiliation: d Division of Psychiatry , University College London , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Emese
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Csipke
authors.affiliation: a Department of personality, evaluation and psychological treatment , University of Salamanca , Salamanca , Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenaro-Río
authors.affiliation: a Department of personality, evaluation and psychological treatment , University of Salamanca , Salamanca , Spain.|c Department of Psychiatry , Zamora Hospital , Zamora , Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franco-Martín
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003199:Computer Systems; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007254:Information Science; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior; D058992:Social Participation; D013672:Technology / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Dementia; older adults; social health; social participation; technology