Abstract
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Background: Unpaid carers of people with dementia often require timely, reliable health information and accessible health services. Internet-based health technologies may facilitate access to both, but the scope and focus of the available evidence remain fragmented.
Objective: To map research on internet-based health technologies used by unpaid carers of people with dementia to access health information and health services, and to identify commonly studied technologies and gaps in research approaches.
Methods: This scoping review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework and PRISMA-ScR guidance. PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO and ProQuest were searched for empirical studies published between January 2020 and January 2026. Of 570 records identified, 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings were synthesised descriptively and narratively.
Results: Sixteen studies examined health information access alone, three health service access alone, and 11 both. Technologies included websites (21/30), mobile applications (15/30), telehealth (13/30), online communities or support groups (10/30), voice-enabled technologies (4/30) and social media (2/30). Websites were most commonly studied for access to health information, whereas telehealth was the main technology associated with health service access. Quantitative (13/30) and mixed-methods (12/30) studies predominated; only 11 studies explicitly reported a theoretical framework. Evidence was limited regarding carers’ experiences of service navigation, barriers and facilitators, digital confidence, ehealth literacy and future support needs.
Conclusion: Existing research has focused more on access to health information than on access to health services. For nurses and other professionals supporting dementia carers, these findings highlight the importance of reliable digital information, accessible service pathways and support appropriate to carers’ digital capabilities. Further person-centred and theoretically informed research is needed to examine service navigation and equitable digital access in dementia care.
Keywords: Dementia, Unpaid Carers, Internet-Based Health Technologies, Health Information, Health Services, Digital Health
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