IntroductionInformation technology can enhance timely and individual support for people with dementia and informal carers. There is some evidence that people with dementia and informal carers would benefit from technology-based counselling. However, it remains unclear which features of those interventions relate to beneficial outcomes and which aspects are necessary for a successful implementation. Therefore, the primary objectives are: (1) to identify conditions of successful implementation of technology-based counselling interventions in dementia and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of those interventions.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a mixed-methods systematic review. The first primary objective requires evidence from various study designs addressing aspects on effective and non-effective implementation of technology-based counselling. This could be telephone-based, web-based or mobile-based interventions for people with dementia and informal carers. For the second primary objective, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) dealing with any outcomes will be included. Year of publication and language will not be restricted. We will search CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science up to April 2021. Additionally, we will perform web searching and citation tracking. To achieve the first primary objective, a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) will be conducted. The QCA enables us to identify necessary or sufficient components for a successful implementation. To reach the second primary objective, a meta-analysis will be performed with respect to potential clinical and statistical heterogeneity of RCTs. The revised Risk of Bias tool 2.0 will be used to check the risk of bias in RCTs. For all other study designs, the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool will be used.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required for this review. We will disseminate our findings through scientific and non-scientific journal articles and conference presentations as well as formats directed to the public and decision-makers in healthcare.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021245473.

Background: Information technology can enhance timely and individual support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their informal carers. Objective: To review the effectiveness of technology-based counselling interventions for people with dementia and informal carers. Methods: Randomized controlled trials of remote dementia counselling interventions were included. We searched CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Web of Science Core Collection (April 2021) in combination with citation tracking and free web searching (October to November 2021). We provide meta-analyses for caregiver depression, burden, and self-efficacy/mastery and structured reporting for other outcomes. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach and the Risk of Bias 2 tool were applied. Results: We included five randomized controlled trials involving 880 participants. Interventions were provided for carers (four studies) or dyads (one study). Carers were predominantly women and were the spouses or children of people with dementia. Counselling was delivered via telephone or videoconference with two to 23 sessions over 1 to 12 months. Control groups received educational and resource materials only, standard (helpline) services, non-directive support, or home visits. Meta-analysis for our primary outcome, depressive symptoms in carers, revealed no statistically significant effect (SMD –0.15; 95% CI –0.40 to 0.10). There were also no significant effects on burden and self-efficacy/mastery. We rated the certainty of evidence as low to very low and all outcomes at an overall high risk of bias. Conclusion: The effectiveness of technology-based counselling interventions for people with dementia and informal carers remains uncertain. Theory-based approaches are needed for the development and evaluation of these interventions.

Based on these findings a definition of the concept 'relatives' is brought up for discussion as an attempt to contribute to a more coherent intraprofessional comprehension.

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