Purpose
Literature review showed that there is limited understanding of how occupational therapists across different countries and service contexts currently use AT in everyday dementia practice. Additionally, there is a critical knowledge gap regarding how OTs around the world integrate assistive technologies and related strategies into dementia care, how these practices vary by therapist and service characteristics, and what factors facilitate or constrain AT use in real-world settings.
To address this gap, the present study aims to explore and describe assistive technologies and strategies used by occupational therapists working with people with dementia in diverse international contexts. Specifically, we seek to (i) map the types of AT and technology-related strategies used by OTs in dementia care, (ii) examine how AT use relates to therapist and service characteristics, and (iii) identify key rationales and perceived barriers that influence OTs’ decision-making about AT in everyday practice.
Procedure for completing the survey:
We will use an exploratory, cross-sectional survey methodology containing checklists and close-ended questions to gather therapists’ perspectives regarding assistive technologies and related intervention strategies used in dementia care, as well as associated organizational and outcome-evaluation practices. A descriptive survey methodology allows us to gather data on respondents’ practice and opinions, and detailed information pertaining to demographic and service profiles, while ensuring consistency of questions across all respondents. Given that data will be collected at a single time point and no intervention is delivered, this design is appropriate for mapping current patterns of assistive technology use and associated factors in real-world occupational therapy dementia practice.
The participants will be international occupational therapists from around the globe. We will use a convenience sampling approach, inviting eligible occupational therapists to access the survey link or QR code. A survey link or QR code of the survey will be sent to study participants through various social media applications. The online survey commenced with a statement outlining this study’s objective and a consent statement that participants had to sign before proceeding.
The inclusion criterion will consist of occupational therapists who are working with clients diagnosed with dementia for at least one year. Screening items at the beginning of the questionnaire will confirm that respondents (i) are qualified occupational therapists and (ii) currently work with people with dementia and have at least 12 months of dementia-related clinical experience. We will exclude students and trainee therapists because the study focuses on experienced clinicians. We aim to recruit at least 200 participants, which is expected to provide adequate cell sizes for descriptive analyses and exploratory comparisons across major regions and practice settings, while acknowledging that the sample will not be statistically representative of all occupational therapists worldwide. Potential sampling biases (e.g. over-representation of English-speaking or conference-attending therapists) will be considered when interpreting the findings.
How anonymity of data will be ensured
This study will be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national guidelines for human research ethics. Prior to data collection, the full study protocol and survey instrument will be submitted for review and approval to the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the coordinating institution, and, where required, to any additional local ethics committees associated with collaborating investigators. No data will be collected until formal ethics approval has been obtained.
Participation in the study will be entirely voluntary. On the first page of the online questionnaire, potential participants will be provided with a plain language information statement describing the purpose of the study, what participation involves, the expected time commitment, potential risks, and benefits, and contact details for the chief investigator and the approving HREC. The information statement will emphasise that participants may choose not to take part, may skip any question they do not wish to answer, and may exit the survey at any time before submitting their responses, without any consequences for their employment, professional standing, or relationship with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. Completion and submission of the questionnaire will be taken as implied consent.
The survey will not collect names, email addresses or other direct personal identifiers. Demographic and practice-related items will be limited to information necessary to address the research aims (e.g. country/region of practice, years of experience, practice setting), and responses will be stored in a de-identified format. Data will be collected via a secure online platform and exported to password-protected files stored on secure institutional servers accessible only to authorised members of the research team. De-identified data will be retained for a period consistent with institutional and national policies (e.g. a minimum of 5 years after publication) and may be used for secondary analyses that are consistent with the original aims and ethics approval. Study findings will be reported in aggregate form only, so that no individual participant or institution can be identified in publications or presentations.
The risks associated with this study are expected to be minimal. Participants are being asked to reflect on their professional practice, rather than on personal or sensitive experiences. It is possible that some respondents may experience mild discomfort when considering barriers or organisational constraints that limit their use of assistive technologies; however, they may decline to answer any item that they find uncomfortable. No financial incentives will be offered, but participants may benefit indirectly from the opportunity to reflect on their practice and from the longer-term contribution of the study to improving understanding of assistive technology provision in dementia care.
Deadline for completion/closure of survey: 6th July 2026
Please complete the survey via this link.