Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Health App Recommendation Tool

Conditions

• Alzheimers Disease Related Dementias

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 65 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Health App Recommendation Tool (HART) — OTHER
  In 2023, over 11 million family members provided 19.2 billion hours of unpaid care for people with dementia in the U.S. Caregivers face significant physical and emotional challenges, while many individuals with ADRD prefer to stay in their homes. Mobile health apps offer support but often lack user-friendly guidance and are hard to navigate. The Health App Recommendation Tool (HART) bridges this gap by assisting ADRD caregivers in finding suitable health apps. It evaluates users' daily needs and preferences, using end-user informed points of measurement to match them with objectively reviewed apps within the HART App Library. This user-centered tool, shaped by ongoing feedback, simplifies app discovery, ensuring personalized recommendations that enhance caregiving and improve quality of life.

Study Details

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Health App Recommendation Tool (HART), an evidence-based tool that evaluates app features and matches them to the needs, abilities, and preferences of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) or their caregivers. This novel tool is not an app in and of itself, but rather an assessment tool used to determine how well suited a given app is for a member of the ADRD or caregiver population. Specifically, the objective of this research is to assess the acceptability of the current HART design among target end-users in their individual contexts. The overarching goal of this project is to connect those in the ADRD community with available, usable, and effective digital tools to promote the highest possible level of health and wellness in community settings. To achieve this goal, the study will recruit 15 family caregivers living with their loved ones with ADRD, who will trial HART and provide feedback. Participation will include two data collection sessions (pre-intervention and post-intervention) within a four-week trial period. Participants will be asked to complete the HART, explore the recommended apps, and provide feedback on HART's usability through several brief surveys.

Key Dates

Start date

Dec 5, 2025

Status verified

Jan 2026

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2026

Completion

Aug 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

15 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

• Experimental: HART Use
  After providing consent, participants will complete baseline surveys via REDCap, followed by a 35-minute virtual onboarding session on Microsoft Teams. During onboarding, participants will learn about the Health App Recommendation Tool (HART) and create a profile. Using an algorithm, HART matches participant needs with health apps, displaying the top three to four recommendations. Study staff will record these apps and provide download guidance. No app data will be shared with the team. Participants may use the apps as they choose over a four-week period. Afterward, follow-up assessments will be sent via REDCap, including WHOQoL, SF-36, PHQ-4, ZBI, Global Fatigue Index, and Davis Usability Surveys. Both baseline and follow-up surveys take about 35 minutes to complete.

Primary Outcome Measure

World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 week follow-up ]

Central Contacts

• Julie M Faieta, PhD, MOT
  412-648-7792
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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