Treatment decision making involving patients with dementia in acute care: A scoping review

To summarize the evidence regarding the factors and processes of treatment decision making involving a person with dementia (PWD) in the acute care setting.

We conducted a scoping review, searching 4 databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, & PsychINfo) for articles that contained primary data from a quantitative or qualitative study involving treatment decision making in the acute care setting for PWD and were published in English. We categorized the factors and processes of decision making identified in each article using inductive content analysis. We also consulted with healthcare practitioners to receive stakeholder input on our findings.

Our search initially revealed 12,478 articles, of which 28 were included in the review. We identified 5 categories of factors that influence the decision-making process: knowing the patient, culture and systems, role clarity, appropriateness of palliative care in dementia, and caregiver need for support.

Our findings highlight the complexities of the decision-making process and the importance of attending to the needs of the caregiver, healthcare practitioners, and the patient.

It is important to address beliefs of involving palliative care for a PWD and the role of each healthcare discipline.