A scoping review of interprofessional implementation approaches in dementia care for patients and caregivers

Dementia is a complex medical condition with profound effects on the patient and family. Alternative models of care beyond the traditional, single profession medical model could provide a more comprehensive approach to address patients' needs. The purpose of this scoping review was to extract findings from published interprofessional practices (IPP) that serve patients with dementia and their caregivers to inform planning and implementation of collaborative care models for this population. A search of the scientific literature from 2011 to 2025 was conducted using PRISMA guidelines with the extension for scoping reviews. Search results yielded a total of 113 records for screening. Sixteen studies met criteria for review and subsequent data extraction. Findings demonstrated variability across IPP care models in terms of healthcare professions (range 2-10) and types of care models represented. Collaborative features reported in studies were consistent with the continuum of care model types; teamwork models, the most collaborative type, included shared purpose and decision making with high levels of communication, whereas networking models, the least collaborative type, showed low levels of these features. All care models included some form of psychosocial support. Studies incorporated varied outcome measures of patients, caregivers, and team members, and research designs were classified under weaker levels of evidence. Results from this review highlight the development of different types of IPP care models to address the complex needs of patients with dementia, and underscore a need for well-designed research to conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of collaborative care.