Initial evaluation of the training programme for health care professionals on the use of Malaysian clinical practice guidelines for management of dementia.

OBJECTIVE

The Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for Management of Dementia (second edition) was launched in April 2010 by the Ministry of Health Malaysia. A training programme for the management of dementia, involving all categories of staff working at primary and secondary centres, was implemented to ensure that care delivery for people with dementia was in accordance with the guidelines. The study aimed to look into improving knowledge and understanding of dementia following training, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme using a clinical audit indicator recommended in the guidelines.

METHODS

The study entailed 2 phases (at national and state levels). The first phase involved the CPG training programme run as a 1.5-day workshop, in which participants filled up pre- and post-workshop questionnaires. A second phase involved analysing all the referral letters to the memory clinic at the Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru 1 year before and after the training programme.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement in knowledge about dementia and its management among the health care professionals following training. The mean percentage score for the pre-workshop test was 63% while for the post-workshop test it was 78%, giving a difference of 15%. Although there was an overall improvement in knowledge gain following training in both specialist and non-specialist groups, these differences were not statistically significant (t = 1.32; 95% confidence interval, -2.61 to 9.61; p = 0.25). The proportion of referrals with a possible diagnosis of dementia from primary clinic referrals to the memory clinic also increased from 18% to 44% after training.

CONCLUSION

There was an overall improvement in the knowledge about dementia among the health care professionals following the training, which was reflected in the increase in referrals to the memory clinic. Although the initial results appeared to be promising, a multicentre study is warranted to conclude that the training had been effective.