UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Receiving a diagnosis of young onset dementia: Evidence-based statements to inform best practice

O’Malley, M; Parkes, J; Campbell, J; Stamou, V; LaFontaine, J; Oyebode, JR; Carter, J; (2020) Receiving a diagnosis of young onset dementia: Evidence-based statements to inform best practice. Dementia 10.1177/1471301220969269. (In press). Green open access

[thumbnail of 1471301220969269.pdf]
Preview
Text
1471301220969269.pdf - Published Version

Download (838kB) | Preview

Abstract

Introduction: Better understanding of patient experience is an important driver for service improvements and can act as a lever for system change. In the United Kingdom, the patient experience is now a central issue for the National Health Service Commissioning Board, clinical commissioning groups and the providers they commission from. Traditionally, dementia care in the United Kingdom has focused predominantly on the individual experience of those with late onset dementia, while the voice of those with young onset dementia has been, comparatively, unheard. This study aims to improve the understanding of the personal experience of younger people undergoing investigation for dementia. / Methods: A modified Delphi approach was undertaken with 18 younger people with dementia and 18 supporters of people with young onset dementia. Questions were informed by a scoping review of the literature (O’Malley, M., Carter, J., Stamou, V., Lafontaine, J., & Parkes, J. (2019a). Receiving a diagnosis of young onset dementia: A scoping review of lived experiences. Ageing & Mental Health, 0(0), 1-12). Summary individual statements were refined over two rounds to a final list of 29 key statements. / Results: Twenty-seven of these statements were rated as absolutely essential or very important and included (1) for the general practitioner to identify dementia in younger people, (2) clinicians should be compassionate, empathic and respectful during the assessment and particularly sensitive when providing information about a diagnosis, and (3) remembering that receiving the diagnosis is a lot to absorb for a person with dementia and their supporter. Statistical analyses found no difference in the scoring patterns between younger people with dementia and supporters, suggesting similar shared experiences during the diagnostic process. / Conclusion: Understanding the uniquely personal experience of young people going through the process of diagnosis for dementia is essential to provide person-centred, needs-led, and cost-effective services. Patient’s values and experiences should be used to support and guide clinical decision-making.

Type: Article
Title: Receiving a diagnosis of young onset dementia: Evidence-based statements to inform best practice
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1177/1471301220969269
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301220969269
Language: English
Additional information: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Keywords: young onset dementia, dementia assessment, diagnosis, lived experiences, Delphi methods
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10113721
Downloads since deposit
58Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item