Dementia diagnosis in primary care: testing an educational program in Oregon

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease and other dementias pose a growing challenge, particularly in rural areas.
• Primary care settings are crucial for early identification and management of dementia.
• The Dementia Diagnosis in Primary Care (DDPC) program was developed to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development, delivery, and evaluation of the DDPC program in Oregon.
• To assess the program's impact on primary care clinicians' confidence and preparedness in diagnosing dementia.
• To evaluate the program's effectiveness in a largely rural state.

Main Methods:

• The DDPC program involved two cohorts of 8-session webinars for clinic staff.
• Participating clinics received specialized coaching and electronic medical record support.
• Program evaluation used pre- and post-assessments, chart audits, surveys, and exit interviews.

Main Results:

• The DDPC program demonstrated strong attendance, with an average of 38 attendees per session.
• Quantitative and qualitative data indicated increased confidence among clinic teams in identifying and treating dementia.
• The program successfully engaged 28 primary care clinics, with 50% located in rural or frontier communities.

Conclusions:

• The DDPC program effectively enhanced primary care teams' confidence and skills in dementia diagnosis.
• Participating clinics are better prepared to manage the increasing prevalence of dementia.
• The program's model is suitable for improving dementia care in rural primary care settings.