Improving communication with individuals experiencing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD): an evaluative study of a co-designed video-based training programme for health professionals.

backgroundBehavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common, distressing manifestations of major neurocognitive disorders. Ineffective health professional communication exacerbates these symptoms, while conventional training rarely imparts practical skills. We evaluated the feasibility, satisfaction, perceived knowledge acquisition, and short term pedagogical effectiveness of a co-designed, video-based training for staff caring for people with BPSD.

methodsHealth professionals participated in a video-based training programme featuring five clinical scenarios, each presented in two versions: ineffective versus person-centred. Forty-five health professionals (nursing assistants, nurses, and physicians) each viewed two scenario pairs, completed four multiple-choice questions (MCQs, 0-4) after every clip, and joined a live expert debriefing. Outcomes were: (i) total MCQ score per scenario (0-8); (ii) step-by-step progression across the four repeated measures (S1V1→S1V2→S2V1→S2V2); (iii) six-item Satisfaction questionnaire (α = 0.82; 45/45 complete); (iv) five-item Perceived-knowledge questionnaire (α = 0.79; 37/45 complete). Non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon, Friedman, and Kruskal-Wallis) were used. Verbatim feedback was analysed inductively.

resultsSatisfaction was high: 93.3% were satisfied and would recommend the course; 100% found it easy to use. MCQ performance improved from 5.51 ± 1.79 (Scenario 1) to 6.31 ± 1.49 (Scenario 2) (Wilcoxon, p = 0.011). A significant stepwise gain was observed across the four repeated assessments (Friedman χ² = 13.62; p = 0.003). Post-hoc tests showed gains between S1V1→S1V2 (p = 0.047) and S1V1→S2V2 (p = 0.006). Sub-group analyses demonstrated significant improvement in nursing assistants, participants aged 18-35 years - especially 18-25- and those with < 5 years' experience; no significant gains were seen in nurses or physicians. More than 80% of respondents felt they had acquired new verbal and non-verbal communication strategies they could apply in future practice; the few negative self-assessments were almost exclusively voiced by physicians.

conclusionA short, co-created video course is feasible, highly acceptable and yields measurable knowledge gains for frontline health professionals, particularly those early in their careers. To engage experienced clinicians, future iterations should include more demanding scenarios and refined autonomous debriefings. A multi-site controlled trial is warranted to test durability of learning and impact on patient outcomes.