TY - JOUR
T1 - Mobile memory clinic
T2 - implementing a nurse practitioner-led, collaborative dementia model of care within general practice
AU - Pond, Dimity
AU - Higgins, Isabel
AU - Mate, Karen
AU - Merl, Helga
AU - Mills, Dianne
AU - McNeil, Karen
PY - 2021/2/1
Y1 - 2021/2/1
N2 - The limited capacity of secondary health services to address the increasing prevalence of dementia within the community draws attention to the need for an enhanced role for nurses working collaboratively with GPs in diagnosing and coordinating post-diagnostic care for patients with dementia. This study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a nurse practitioner-led mobile memory clinic that was embedded within general practice and targeted to caring for patients and their carers in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage with poor access to specialist health services. Over the period from mid-2013 to mid-2014, 40 GPs referred 102 patients, with the nurse practitioner conducting assessments with 77 of these patients in their homes. Overall, there was a strong interest in this model of care by general practice staff, with the assessment and care provided by the nurse practitioner evaluated as highly acceptable by both patients and their carers. Nonetheless, there are financial and structural impediments to this model of care being implemented within the current Australian health service framework, necessitating further research investigating its cost-effectiveness and efficacy.
AB - The limited capacity of secondary health services to address the increasing prevalence of dementia within the community draws attention to the need for an enhanced role for nurses working collaboratively with GPs in diagnosing and coordinating post-diagnostic care for patients with dementia. This study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a nurse practitioner-led mobile memory clinic that was embedded within general practice and targeted to caring for patients and their carers in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage with poor access to specialist health services. Over the period from mid-2013 to mid-2014, 40 GPs referred 102 patients, with the nurse practitioner conducting assessments with 77 of these patients in their homes. Overall, there was a strong interest in this model of care by general practice staff, with the assessment and care provided by the nurse practitioner evaluated as highly acceptable by both patients and their carers. Nonetheless, there are financial and structural impediments to this model of care being implemented within the current Australian health service framework, necessitating further research investigating its cost-effectiveness and efficacy.
KW - GPs
KW - dementia
KW - home-based assessment
KW - multidisciplinary care
KW - nurse practitioners
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100469724&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/PY20118
DO - 10.1071/PY20118
M3 - Article
C2 - 33517974
SN - 1448-7527
VL - 27
SP - 6
EP - 12
JO - Australian Journal of Primary Health
JF - Australian Journal of Primary Health
IS - 1
ER -