EnTech v.1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EnTech: Investigating the enabling and inhibiting factors to the use of internet-based support tools for caregivers of people with dementia, and how to promote engagement.
IRAS ID
354498
Contact name
Christopher Kipps
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
This research aims to identify the factors that help or hinder caregivers of people with dementia to use online support tools. It also aims to create strategies to support caregivers to use them. We will use two internet-based resources as examples in our work: the DemCon website, which provides advice on dementia and continence, and FTDToolkit, which will be a psychoeducational intervention to support management of behavioural symptoms in people with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Whilst some previous research in this area exists, it has been based mostly on surveys and hasn’t included caregivers who do not go online. We will use interviews and focus groups so that caregivers can discuss all of the factors that affect their use of online support tools. This could include their personal situation and attitude towards online support tools, as well as thoughts about the tool itself. We will ensure that caregivers who are less confident or less able to use online websites are also included.
We will also investigate the factors that help or hinder caregivers of people with a specific type of dementia – young onset dementia or frontotemporal lobar degeneration, which includes FTD. These sub-types of dementia often affect people at a younger age and can have different symptoms to other, more common types of dementia. This specific group of caregivers has not previously been discussed in existing research on this topic.
We will use our findings on the factors that help or hinder caregivers of people with dementia to use online support tools to create strategies to support them. We will do this in workshops with caregivers to create them together.
Managing continence issues and behavioural changes can be difficult topics for caregivers to discuss. This project will provide insight into how online support tools can help support conversations about challenging topics.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0086
Date of REC Opinion
2 May 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion