Kokorelias Kristina Marie, Danieli Einat, Dunn Sheila, Feldman Sid, Ryan David Patrick, Sadavoy Joel
St. John's Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 285 Cummer Avenue, Room B105, Toronto, ON M2M 2G1, Canada.
Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada.
Geriatrics (Basel). 2021 Mar 21;6(1):29. doi: 10.3390/geriatrics6010029.
The number of family caregivers to individuals with dementia is increasing. Family physicians are often the first point of access to the health care system for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Caregivers are at an increased risk of developing negative physical, cognitive and affective health problems themselves. Caregivers also describe having unmet needs to help them sustain care in the community. Family physicians are in a unique position to help support caregivers and individuals with dementia, but often struggle with keeping up with best practice dementia service knowledge. The Dementia Wellness Questionnaire was designed to serve as a starting point for discussions between caregivers and family physicians by empowering caregivers to communicate their needs and concerns and to enhance family physicians' access to specific dementia support information. The DWQ aims to alert physicians of caregiver and patient needs. This pilot study aimed to explore the experiences of physicians and caregivers of people using the Questionnaire in two family medicine clinics in Ontario, Canada. Interviews with physicians and caregivers collected data on their experiences using the DWQ following a 10-month data gathering period. Data was analyzed using content analysis. Results indicated that family physicians may have an improved efficacy in managing dementia by having dementia care case specific guidelines integrated within electronic medical records. By having time-efficient access to tailored supports, family physicians can better address the needs of the caregiver-patient dyad and help support family caregivers in their caregiving role. Caregivers expressed that the Questionnaire helped them remember concerns to bring up with physicians, in order to receive help in a more efficient manner.
痴呆症患者的家庭护理人员数量正在增加。家庭医生往往是痴呆症患者及其护理人员进入医疗保健系统的首要接触点。护理人员自身出现负面身体、认知和情感健康问题的风险也在增加。护理人员还表示，他们有未得到满足的需求，需要帮助他们在社区维持护理工作。家庭医生处于独特的地位，能够帮助支持护理人员和痴呆症患者，但他们往往难以跟上痴呆症最佳服务实践知识的更新。《痴呆症健康问卷》旨在成为护理人员与家庭医生之间讨论的起点，通过让护理人员能够表达他们的需求和担忧，并增强家庭医生获取特定痴呆症支持信息的能力来实现这一目的。该问卷旨在提醒医生关注护理人员和患者的需求。这项试点研究旨在探索在加拿大安大略省的两家家庭医学诊所中使用该问卷的医生和护理人员的体验。在为期10个月的数据收集期之后，对医生和护理人员进行访谈，收集他们使用该问卷的体验数据。使用内容分析法对数据进行分析。结果表明，通过将痴呆症护理病例特定指南整合到电子病历中，家庭医生在管理痴呆症方面的效能可能会提高。通过能够高效获取量身定制的支持，家庭医生可以更好地满足护理人员与患者这一组合的需求，并帮助支持家庭护理人员履行其护理职责。护理人员表示，该问卷帮助他们记住要向医生提出的担忧，以便更高效地获得帮助。
