Mobile application for monitoring behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in patients with moderate to severe dementia.

Aim: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common in patients with moderate-severe dementia and have negative impacts on both patients and caregivers. There is a lack of a tool for caregivers to monitor patients' BPSD by themselves. This study aimed to develop and validate a mobile application for caregivers to use in monitoring BPSD.

Methods: A total of 104 pairs of patients with moderate-severe dementia and their caregivers completed the study. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) was modified and digitally transformed to a caregiver-rating mobile application to quantify nine domains of BPSD for their frequency and impact on the emotion of the caregivers. Data collected from the application were compared with the paper-and-pencil NPI for prevalence, concurrent validity (Spearman's rho) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha).

Results: The application was able to detect 93% of BPSD compared with the NPI. Concurrent validity was good-very good when compared with the Frequency × Severity score (ρ = 0.77, P < 0.001) and the burden score (ρ = 0.85, P < 0.001) from the NPI. Levels of internal consistency were acceptable for both frequency (α = 0.73) and impact (α = 0.79) scores. 80% of the caregivers reported that the application was "very likely to be helpful in caregiving".

Conclusions: The mobile application for monitoring BPSD in patients with moderate-severe dementia had an excellent sensitivity, and good-very good validity and consistency. The caregivers had a positive perception of the application as an aid in caregiving. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 472-477.