Healthcare Needs Patterns and Pattern-Predicting Factors in Dementia: Results of the Comprehensive, Computerized...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Psychology

Background:

• Understanding unmet needs in primary care is essential for efficient dementia assessment and intervention.
• Identifying patterns of unmet needs can optimize care strategies for individuals with dementia.
• Primary care settings play a vital role in addressing the complex needs of dementia patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify latent unmet healthcare need patterns in community-dwelling individuals with dementia.
• To determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with these unmet need patterns.
• To inform the development of targeted interventions for dementia care.

Main Methods:

• Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was employed with 417 community-dwelling people living with dementia.
• A comprehensive, computer-assisted interview assessed 115 predefined unmet needs across medical, medication, nursing, psychosocial, and social care domains.
• Multivariate logistic regressions identified patient characteristics linked to specific unmet need patterns.

Main Results:

• Four distinct unmet need profiles were identified: 'few needs,' 'some medical/nursing needs,' 'some needs in all areas,' and 'many medical/nursing needs.'
• The 'few needs' group comprised younger patients with less cognitive impairment and no depressive symptoms.
• The 'many needs' group included patients with lower health status, less social support, higher comorbidity, and depressive symptoms. Higher social support and access to social care reduced unmet needs.

Conclusions:

• Assessment of social care access, social support, and depressive symptoms is recommended for comprehensive unmet needs identification.
• Monitoring patient health status and comorbidities is crucial for tailoring interventions.
• Understanding these patterns allows for more efficient and effective dementia care interventions.