Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38658907›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2024

A qualitative study of informal caregiver perceptions of the benefits of an early dementia diagnosis.

Elyse Couch, Melissa Co, Christopher P Albertyn, Matthew Prina, Vanessa Lawrence

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 3 countries.

Elyse CouchDepartment of Health Services and Population Research, King's College London, London, UK. elyse_couch@brown.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4692-5837
Melissa CoDepartment of Health Services and Population Research, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7789-0871
Christopher P AlbertynDepartment of Old Age Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4682-6890
Matthew PrinaDepartment of Health Services and Population Research, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6698-3263
Vanessa LawrenceDepartment of Health Services and Population Research, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7852-2018
King's College London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent and former dementia policies in the United Kingdom (UK) recommend diagnosing dementia early, or as close to the onset of symptoms as possible. Informal caregivers play an important role in initiating the diagnostic process and providing support to people living with dementia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore caregiver perceptions of the benefits of an early diagnosis.

methodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 current and former informal caregivers to people with dementia in the UK in 2020. We analysed the interviews using thematic analysis.

resultsBenefits of an early diagnosis included: (1) protecting the person with dementia from financial or physical harm, (2) timely decision-making, and (3) access to services and treatments following a diagnosis. We identified three conditions necessary for the benefits of an early diagnosis to be felt: (1) adequate prognostic information, (2) someone to advocate on behalf of the person with dementia, and (3) a willingness to seek and accept the diagnosis.

conclusionsIn this study, we identified how diagnosing dementia close to the onset of symptoms could be beneficial and the conditions necessary for these benefits to be felt. The findings highlight the importance of an early diagnosis for enabling people with dementia and caregivers to make practical arrangements and to access services. Further research is needed to build on the findings of this study by exploring the perspectives of people with dementia and by including a larger, more diverse sample of caregivers.

Indexed as

CaregiversDementiaEarly DiagnosisInterviews as TopicQualitative ResearchAdultAgedAged, 80 and overDecision MakingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedUnited KingdomCaregiversDementiaEarly diagnosisMild cognitive impairmentQualitative research

Identifiers

PMID38658907
PMCPMC11040854
OpenAlexW4395112614

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.