Assessing the Value of Technology in Dementia Care: A New Conceptual Health-Economic Model
The QoLEAD research consortium is pleased to share a new scientific publication entitled: “Assessing technologies in dementia care: A conceptual health-economic model”, recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Why this research matters?
Technological innovations are increasingly introduced in dementia care, ranging from assistive technologies and monitoring systems to digital support tools for people with dementia and their caregivers. While many of these technologies show promise, evaluating their long-term value remains challenging. Traditional evaluation methods often focus on short-term clinical outcomes and struggle to capture broader effects on quality of life, care transitions, and costs over time.
This new publication addresses that gap by introducing a conceptual health-ecnomic model designed to assess the potential impact of technologies across the dementia care trajectory.
A conceptual model for long-term evaluation
The authors propose a cohort-based health-economic modelling framework that connects:
- progression of dementia severity over time,
- transitions between care settings (such as living independently, receiving home care, or moving to residential care),
- quality of life outcomes for people with dementia,
- and long-term care costs.
Rather than relying solely on extensive clinical trial data—which is often unavailable for emerging technologies—the model allows researchers and decision-makers to explore how technology-driven changes in daily functioning or caregiver burden may influence long-term outcomes directly.
Supporting early and informed decision-making
A key strength of the proposed model is its suitability for early-stage assesment. By making assumptions explicit and linking short-term effects to long-term consequences, the framework helps stakeholders better understand potential value before large-scale implementation or investments decisions are made. This is particularly relevant for policymakers, care organizations, and innovators who must decide which technologies to invest in, under conditions of uncertainty and limited evidence.
Contribution to QoLEAD’s mission
The publication aligns closely with the goals of the QoLEAD consortium: advancing methods and tools that support human-centred, evidence-informed decision-making in the development and implementation of technologies for people with dementia and their caregivers. By focusing on quality of life, care pathways, and economic sustainability, the proposed model offers a shared language for evaluating technological innovations in dementia care beyond purely technical or clinical performance.
Read the full article here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251415203