The Role of Telemedicine in the Management of the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Systematic Review

The first-line management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is based on nonpharmacologic interventions such as the pro-vision of guidance and medical support to caregivers. However, accessibility to specialized care and medical resources is often scarce. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has compromised the delivery of outpatient care (notably in order to minimize the risk of disease transmission), thus making it essential to provide other means of accessing care for these patient populations. The use of telemedi-cine (TM) may be a means of increasing access to specialist care for patients with disabilities and poor access to health services, such as those with BPSD. The aim of this study is to provide a review of the literature on the use of TM for treatment and follow-up of patients with BPSD and their caregivers. We searched the PUBMED, EMBASE and CINAHL for articles published between January 1st, 2000, and December 31st, 2020, on the applicability of TM support for people with BPSD and their caregivers. We included open-label studies, qual-itative studies, and randomized controlled trials . We did not include studies on the use of TM during the COVID-19 pandemic.A total of 22 publications were included and reviewed. TM was found to 1) be acceptable and feasible for both patients and caregivers, 2) decrease the fre-quency and intensity of BPSD, and 3) improve the caregiver's perceived wellbe-ing and mental health. Videoconferencing was effective for patient-centered interventions in nursing homes. Telephone-based interventions were more rele-vant when they were targeted at caregivers.

Automated summary

This study provides a review of the use of telemedicine for the treatment and follow-up of patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and their caregivers. The findings suggest that telemedicine is acceptable, feasible, and effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of BPSD, as well as improving caregiver well-being and mental health.