Exploring Informal Caregivers' Perception of the Olera Digital Caregiving Assistance Platform for Dementia Care: Mixed Methods Evaluation Study.

Background: Informal caregivers of people living with dementia often experience high rates of caregiver burnout while providing care. Although there are many websites and mobile apps available to help caregivers, many do not use digital tools. The Olera platform was developed to be an easily adoptable web-based support tool, connecting caregivers with long-term services and supports, financial assistance, and educational resources. The platform was developed based on the Build-Measure-Learn framework with input from caregiver needs assessments and usability studies. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative feedback of informal caregivers of people living with dementia on the second iteration of the Olera platform. The primary objective was to assess caregivers' acceptance of this caregiving platform. The secondary objective was to use qualitative methods to explore (1) the study cohort's challenges in daily caregiving to determine and compare them with prior literature, (2) their experience when using the Olera platform, and (3) their attitudes toward integrating artificial intelligence in caregiver services for future studies and platform development. Methods: Caregivers were recruited through various sources and screened for eligibility through an initial survey. Participants used the platform for 4 weeks and completed a survey with an adapted Technology Acceptance Survey (TAS) and qualitative open-ended questions at the end of the testing period. TAS responses were summarized with descriptive statistics, while ANOVAs, t tests, and linear regressions were used to compare the differences in the overall TAS scores by caregiver characteristics. Qualitative feedback data on the platform's usefulness were analyzed via a thematic analysis framework approach. Results: A total of 65 caregivers in the United States completed the study, with a mean age of 59.9 (SD 9.8) years. The majority were female (61/65, 95.3%), non-Hispanic or Latino White (45/65, 69.2%), and the adult child of their care recipient (42/65, 64.6%). Evaluation of the Olera platform showed a high acceptance rate, with each TAS item scoring above 5.0 and an overall TAS score of 5.83 (SD 0.85) out of 7. Higher platform use frequency was associated with higher TAS ratings in technology acceptance (F3,61=7.88, P<.001). Thematic analyses elicited the caregiving challenges, evaluation of the Olera platform, and feedback on artificial intelligence-assisted support. Conclusions: The Olera platform is an example of a beneficial web-based tool, though key features were requested to be included in the next iteration. Additionally, data supported prior findings regarding informal caregiver challenges and the insufficiency of conventional support mechanisms, indicating a need for more innovative digital solutions. Future research and development efforts using the Build-Measure-Learn approach are necessary to further iterate the platform's key features, enhance the tool, involve more informal caregivers in its improvements, and serve as a model for customizable, person-centered online care support.