Evolution of Chatbots as an Educational and Supportive Digital Intervention for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Protocol for a Systematic Integrative Review

BACKGROUND: Most people with dementia reside in the community and are cared for by family members. Family caregivers play an essential role in supporting their loved ones with dementia and require adequate education and support to address their care needs. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of chatbot technologies in health care, particularly to provide education and support for caregivers. However, evidence on the development, use, and effectiveness of these technologies in dementia care remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This systematic integrative review aims to synthesize evidence on chatbot applications as an educational and supportive tool for family caregivers of people with dementia. METHODS: A systematic integrative literature review will be conducted following a validated framework. The findings will be reported in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search strategy will be structured around 3 broad concepts: "dementia," "caregiver," and "chatbot applications." Full-text articles based on empirical studies published in English from inception to 2026 that address the design, development, or evaluation of chatbot applications for family caregivers of people with dementia will be included. Editorials, study protocols, review articles, opinion and perspective papers, technical notes, and non-English publications will be excluded. Covidence software will be used to manage study screening. At least 2 independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full texts and extract data using a pretested data extraction form. Methodological quality will be assessed using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (version 2018), and data relevance will be evaluated using a 2-point scale (high or low). RESULTS: The literature search will commence in May 2026, and the findings are expected to be published as a systematic integrative review, with submission planned for January 2027. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic integrative review aims to synthesize evidence from qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of how chatbot interventions are conceptualized, developed, and evaluated within dementia caregiving contexts. In addition, this review will identify key barriers and challenges as well as ethical and safety concerns associated with the design, development, and implementation of chatbot applications for family caregivers of people with dementia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD420261288076; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261288076. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/91741.