Table 3 Summary of strategies and adaptations for conducting smartphone-based ESM research in dementia
Phase | Strategies/adaptations |
|---|---|
Preparation and study design | Consult and engage a stakeholder panel or steering committee that includes people with dementia, to co-design the study and ensure feasibility and acceptability of the project |
Pilot the study and be open to making adjustments to the design throughout the study as necessary, based on participant feedback | |
Recruitment | Preferably establish an ongoing relationship with potential participants to improve participation rate and engagement |
Provide comprehensive and accessible information and instructions in a stepwise manner and in multiple formats (e.g., written, training video, Q&A sessions) | |
Ethical: use accessible language in information letter and consent form | |
Conduct a practice session with participants | |
Data collection | Choose a user-friendly and intuitive app |
Tailor notifications to participants’ schedule (e.g., waking and working hours) to ensure maximum inclusivity | |
Make flexible adjustments to measures as deemed appropriate, e.g., make (minor) adjustments to item wordings to increase comprehension; use simplified Likert scales to reduce cognitive load (e.g., 5-point instead of 7-point); use clickable buttons instead of sliders for more intuitive interaction | |
Integrate frequent reminders to contextualize the study for participants (e.g., at the beginning of each notification) | |
Closely monitor and provide assistance to participants throughout the data collection. Schedule check-ins/follow-up sessions to address questions and assess participant burden | |
Adopt an open and flexible approach that allows making tailored adjustments to specific needs (e.g., syncing notifications with partner’s phone, extending data collection period, making specific schedule adjustments) | |
Ethical: use a process consent approach with frequent reminders of the context and voluntary nature of participation. Frequently repeat the contact details of the researchers for any questions or concerns (e.g., at the end of each interaction) | |
Plan a formal post-study evaluation to gather feedback for future studies |
