BACKGROUND
Background: Using remote monitoring technology in the context of Alzheimer’s care presents exciting new opportunities to lessen caregiver stress and improve patient care quality. The application of wearables, environmental sensors, and smart home systems designed specifically for Alzheimer’s patients represents a promising interdisciplinary approach that integrates advanced technology with healthcare to enhance patient safety, monitor health parameters in real-time, and provide comprehensive support to caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
Objective: The objectives of this paper include evaluating the effectiveness of various remote sensing technologies in enhancing patient outcomes and identifying strategies to alleviate the burden on healthcare professionals and caregivers. Critical elements such as regulatory compliance, user-centered design, privacy and security considerations, and the overall efficacy of relevant technologies are comprehensively examined. Ultimately, the study aims to propose a comprehensive remote monitoring framework tailored to the needs of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
METHODS
Methods: Guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, we conducted a systematic review on Remote Monitoring for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia. Our search spanned four major electronic databases—Google Scholar, PubMed, IEEE, DBLP on February 20, 2024, with an updated search on May 18, 2024.
RESULTS
Results: A total of 31 publications met the inclusion criteria, highlighting four key research areas: existing remote monitoring techniques, balancing practicality and empathy, security and privacy in monitoring, and technology design for Alzheimer’s care. The studies revealed a strong focus on various remote monitoring methods for capturing behavioral, physiological, and environmental data, yet showed a gap in evaluating these methods for patient-caregiver needs, privacy, and usability. Findings also indicated that many studies lacked robust reference standards and did not consistently apply critical appraisal criteria, underlining the need for comprehensive frameworks that better integrate these essential considerations.
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions: This comprehensive literature review of remote monitoring techniques for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients provides an understanding of remote monitoring techniques, trends, and gaps in the current research and the significance of novel strategies for remote monitoring to enhance patient outcomes and reduce the burden among health professionals and caregivers. The proposed remote monitoring framework aims to inspire the development of new interdisciplinary research models that advance care for AD patients.