Dementia Caregivers' Experiences and Reactions to Remote Activity Monitoring System Alerts

Background: Technology-based tools, including remote activity monitoring (RAM) systems, have been proposed as valuable aids for family caregivers of people with dementia. Previous analyses have shown limited effects of these systems and highlighted a number of barriers, including false alarms. Methods: We used data from an ongoing embedded mixed method randomized controlled intervention to describe patterns of alerts and their association with receipt of the RAM system and caregiver outcomes. Quantitative analyses showed a modest positive association between the number of alerts during the first month and system review score. In addition, qualitative results illustrated the importance of alert context, including utility, accuracy, and type of alert delivery. Conclusions: These findings highlight the relevance of early alerts to engagement with and perceived benefit from the RAM system.