Implementing Dementia Care Management into routine care: protocol for a cohort study in Siegen-Wittgenstein, Germany...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Dementia Care Management (DeCM) is an evidence-based model proven effective and cost-efficient.
• Despite its success, DeCM is not integrated into routine care in Germany.
• The National Dementia Strategy includes exploring DeCM implementation requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement an adapted DeCM into routine care in a German region.
• To evaluate the effects of DeCM on patients with cognitive impairment and their informal caregivers.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of DeCM within primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• A 12-month study involving 90 patients and caregivers with cognitive impairment.
• An adapted DeCM intervention delivered over 6 months by trained dementia care managers.
• Data collection at baseline, end of intervention, and 6 months post-intervention, focusing on unmet needs, medication, symptoms, burden, cognition, frailty, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• Primary outcome: reduction in unmet needs at 6 and 12 months post-intervention.
• Secondary outcomes: improvements in antidementia drug treatment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and caregiver burden.
• Exploration of effects on cognition, frailty, and health-related quality of life.

Conclusions:

• The study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating DeCM into German routine care.
• Findings will provide evidence for scaling up DeCM nationally.
• Successful implementation could significantly improve dementia care in Germany.