An Initiative to Identify and Address Dementia Patient and Provider Needs in Community Clinics

The majority of individuals living with dementia receive their care from Primary Care Providers. Multiple barriers such as time limitations, lack of specialist knowledge and lack of available resources have been identified in such a model, with caregivers of dementia patients reporting frustration and dissatisfaction with the service they receive. The purpose of this needs assessment project was to identify the confidence levels and attitudes of Primary Care Providers within the University of Utah health system towards caring for this growing population and to propose an alternative, adjunctive model of care provided by a Nurse Practitioner-led program. First a comprehensive survey was distributed to Primary Care Providers in selected University of Utah community clinics to establish if local experiences and opinions were consistent with those reported elsewhere. A Nurse Practitioner Dementia Consultant model was developed and presented to key stakeholders in the University of Utah Health system and their feedback was elicited. The survey results were consistent with previous findings elsewhere in the country and reflected a desire for additional resources for working with individuals with dementia and their families. Overwhelmingly, the Primary Care Providers surveyed stated that they would utilize a Nurse Practitioner-led model. Key stakeholder feedback was also supportive of such a model. Results of this study provide preliminary evidence of the willingness of the University of Utah Health system to embrace a co-management model of care in collaboration with Nurse Practitioners specialized in geriatric psychiatry and dementia.