What is it about?

Digital health technologies — such as mobile apps, telemedicine platforms, wearable sensors, and online support tools — are increasingly used to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. But with research growing rapidly across many countries and disciplines, it can be difficult to understand the overall landscape: Who is publishing? What topics are being studied? Where are the gaps? In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis, examining thousands of scientific publications to map global research trends in digital health for dementia care. We analyzed patterns such as the most active countries and institutions, the most frequently studied technologies, collaboration networks, and how research topics have evolved over time. Our findings show that interest in digital dementia care has grown sharply in recent years, particularly in areas such as remote monitoring, cognitive assessment tools, and caregiver support. However, research is unevenly distributed across regions, with limited contributions from low- and middle-income countries. We also identified emerging themes — such as AI-driven tools and personalized digital interventions — that are gaining momentum. This report provides a clear, accessible overview of how the field is developing and where future research and investment are most needed.

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Why is it important?

This work is timely because digital health is becoming a central component of dementia care, yet the evidence base is scattered across many disciplines and countries. Policymakers, clinicians, and researchers need a clear understanding of global research activity to guide innovation, funding, and equitable implementation. What makes this study unique is its comprehensive, data-driven mapping of the entire research landscape. Instead of evaluating individual technologies, we examined the field's structure — identifying influential authors, collaboration patterns, research clusters, and emerging scientific priorities. This bird’s-eye view helps reveal blind spots, such as underrepresented regions and understudied aspects of dementia care. Our findings can support strategic research planning, encourage international collaboration, and help ensure that digital health innovations align with the real needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Perspectives

This publication is especially meaningful to me because it brings together my passion for digital health, global collaboration, and evidence synthesis. Working with such a large and diverse international team allowed us to capture a truly global picture of research activity — something often missing from digital health discussions. For me, this project reinforced the importance of ensuring that digital innovation is inclusive and globally relevant. I hope this work encourages more cross-country partnerships, supports researchers in underrepresented regions, and inspires thoughtful, equitable development of technologies that genuinely improve the lives of people living with dementia.

Hebatullah Abdulazeem
Technical University of Munich (TUM)

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This page is a summary of: Use of Digital Health Technologies for Dementia Care: Bibliometric Analysis and Report, JMIR Mental Health, February 2025, JMIR Publications Inc.,
DOI: 10.2196/64445.
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