Experience sampling in dementia: feasibility, utility and methodological insights from a high-intensity smartphone-based study

The experience sampling method (ESM) has proven valuable for studying everyday experiences across clinical populations but remains underexplored in dementia. This article assesses feasibility and utility of a smartphone-based ESM study co-designed with dementia stakeholders. Over 10 days, 12 participants with dementia (transdiagnostic, mean age = 62, range 52–72) responded to seven daily notifications assessing their thoughts and affect, and an end-of-day questionnaire on daily life satisfaction and meaning. Feasibility was evaluated via participation/compliance rates, drop-out, completion times, and subjective participation experiences. Data utility was assessed through between-person and within-person variance and intraclass correlation coefficients. The study achieved 80% compliance with no dropouts. Participants reported low burden and positive participation experiences. Data had substantial within- and between-person variability. Our study shows high-intensity smartphone-based ESM can be successfully implemented in targeted dementia subgroups, underscoring its potential to capture real-time subjective experiences and encouraging further ESM adaptation for more diverse dementia populations.