Barriers and facilitators to the adoption and use of assistive technology for adults with an intellectual disability who live in supported accommodation: a mixed methods systematic review protocol

Abstract

Objective: This review will identify the barriers and facilitators of assistive technology adoption and use in adults with intellectual disabilities living in supported accommodation. This will inform the development of an assistive technology adoption framework for these settings.

Introduction: Assistive technology has the potential to increase the independence and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities; however, it is often not adopted. Generic models of technology adoption exist, and a recent systematic review has explored factors influencing access to assistive technology by people with intellectual disabilities. However, no review has presented a framework of adoption or use of technology specifically for people with intellectual disabilities living in supported accommodation.

Inclusion criteria: This review will include qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies as well as gray literature published from 1989 to 2023 on the barriers and facilitators of technology adoption and use by adults with intellectual disabilities living in supported accommodation. Systematic reviews and theses will be excluded.

Methods: The review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Databases to be searched will include PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, and SocINDEX. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts for relevance and quality. Data will be extracted by 1 reviewer and validated by a second independently. Data analysis will use a convergent integrated approach, with quantitative data “qualitized” using thematic analysis to allow comparison. All data will be mapped onto an existing framework of technological adoption via framework synthesis.