Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40604780›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2025

Impact of the DEDICATED approach to optimizing palliative care for people with dementia: a multi-method study.

Jesper M A Biesmans, Sascha R Bolt, Niels Hameleers, Jos M G A Schols, Jenny T van der Steen, Sandra M G Zwakhalen, Daisy J A Janssen, Judith M M Meijers

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Jesper M A BiesmansCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands. jesper.biesmans@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Sascha R BoltTilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Niels HameleersCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Jos M G A ScholsCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Jenny T van der SteenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Sandra M G ZwakhalenCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Daisy J A JanssenCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Judith M M MeijersCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands.

Funding

The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) 10200012110004
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPalliative care can improve the quality of life of people with dementia. However, nurses and other healthcare professionals often lack the confidence and skills to provide palliative care and struggle to initiate timely conversations about wishes and needs for palliative care. The DEDICATED approach aims to enhance the quality of palliative dementia care by improving knowledge, competencies, and interprofessional collaboration of healthcare professionals. This study explores its impact on palliative care provision from the perspectives of: (1) healthcare professionals implementing the approach; (2) their care team members; and (3) bereaved family caregivers. METHODOLOGY: This multi-method evaluation study used: (1) qualitative interviews with those who had acted as ambassadors in implementing the DEDICATED approach; (2) questionnaires measuring perceived self-efficacy, work engagement, and psychological empowerment among healthcare professionals working in these ambassadors' teams; and (3) questionnaires with bereaved family caregivers exploring the frequency of advance care planning discussion and their experiences with the end-of-life care provided to their relative with dementia.

resultsThe DEDICATED approach was implemented across 28 wards in three healthcare organizations. Interviews with ambassadors (n = 17) revealed that the approach raised awareness about person-centered palliative care and the importance of timely advance care planning (ACP) for people with dementia. DEDICATED showed no significant impact on healthcare professionals' self-efficacy, work engagement, and psychological empowerment. The frequency of ACP discussion and quality of end-of-life care showed no significant differences over time.

conclusionDEDICATED ambassadors found the DEDICATED approach to be of value in enhancing person-centered palliative care. Although quantitative assessments of healthcare professionals' competence did not fully capture this, the positive feedback received suggests that more time may be needed for the approach to be fully integrated into practice. This could explain the modest results observed among team members and bereaved family caregivers. Future research should explore the long-term impact of the DEDICATED approach using longitudinal study designs.

Indexed as

DementiaPalliative CareAdvance Care PlanningCaregiversFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSelf EfficacySurveys and QuestionnairesCo-creationDementiaPalliative carePerson-centered careQuality improvementTraining intervention

Identifiers

PMID40604780
PMCPMC12220056

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.