Smartphone‐Based Compensatory Support for Acquired Memory Impairment: A Scoping Review of Interventions and Implementation Challenges

For individuals with acquired memory impairment, maintaining independence in daily life and social participation can be challenging. Smartphones are increasingly used as compensatory assistive technologies, offering calendar and reminder functions, alarms, to‐do lists, note‐taking and voice‐memo apps, photo‐based cues, and map/navigation tools. However, evidence regarding their effectiveness and implementation remains limited. This scoping review mapped smartphone‐based compensatory strategies to support acquired memory impairment in people with acquired brain injury (ABI), including traumatic brain injury (TBI), and in people with Korsakoff syndrome (KS), together with the outcomes evaluated and the barriers and facilitators to implementation. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science Core Collection, with the final search performed on 22 May 2025. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened by the first author, with independent verification by a second reviewer, and data were charted using a structured extraction form. We included 41 studies published since 2015. Included studies mainly involved adults with nonprogressive acquired brain conditions, particularly ABI, and examined training to help users integrate smartphone functions and memory‐aid apps into everyday routines. The most commonly evaluated outcome domains were everyday functioning and independence, self‐efficacy, and quality of life. Some small studies reported improvements in everyday functioning, independence, self‐efficacy, and related outcomes. Reported barriers included limited digital literacy, caregiver burden, device reliability issues, and privacy and security concerns, as well as practical constraints such as battery depletion and the complexity of device operation. These findings highlight the importance of both technological usability and the surrounding support system for sustained use. The literature suggests that, for future implementation in community settings, sustained use may be supported by collaborative practices between support providers and users, together with ongoing support that is responsive to users’ autonomy, choices, and everyday routines.