Supporting Family Care: A Systematic App Review

Abstract Background: Mobile applications (apps) provide family caregivers of people with chronic diseases and conditions with better access to support and information. However, thorough understanding of how these apps meet the main needs and requirements of the users is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to review the currently available apps and evaluate their relevance to (1) caregivers’ needs in main caregiving domains, (2) caregivers’ personal needs, and (3) different caregivers’ groups.Methods: We conducted a systematic review on apps for family caregivers on two major app stores: Google Play Store and iOS App Store. Apps were included if the main target group were family caregivers. Data were extracted from the app descriptions found in the app stores.Results: The majority of the apps assisted caregivers in their caregiving activities. Apps were rarely tailored to specific groups of family caregivers and their needs. Further, apps addressing caregivers’ personal health, financial security, and work issues were scarce. Commercial apps dominated the market, often intermediating paid services or available for users of specific hardware. Public and non-profit organizations provided best-rated and free-of-charge apps but had a very limited range of offers with focus on caregivers’ health and training. Conclusions: Our results indicate that current apps for family caregivers do not distinguish specific groups of family caregivers, also they rarely address caregivers’ personal needs.