Exploring the benefits of early diagnosis and intervention in dementia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the perceived benefits of early diagnosis and early intervention in dementia: a qualitative study
IRAS ID
241432
Contact name
Matthew Prina
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 30 days
Research summary
Dementia is a difficult condition to diagnose and treat. Currently, there is no definitive test for diagnosing dementia. Therefore, it is difficult to be sure someone has dementia especially in the early stages of the disease. Similarly, there is no cure for dementia and very few treatments impact how the disease progresses. However, the treatments, both drug and non-drug, which are available are more effective in the early stages of dementia.
It is thought that early diagnosis can lead to better outcomes for people with dementia including living well for longer, delaying or prevent admission into care homes or hospital. However, the scientific evidence to support these statements is weak. Despite this, many people living with dementia believe an early diagnosis is important as it gives them and their families an opportunity to receive treatment and prepare for the future.
In this study, we will interview between 12-20 people diagnosed with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition which is thought to be a precursor to dementia, and 12-20 of their carers with the aim of understanding their experiences of receiving a diagnosis and the treatment and support they received afterwards.
We will recruit participants through South London and Maudsley NHS Trust’s (SLaM) Consent for Contact register, Join Dementia Research, SLaM’s Mental Health of Older Adults Clinical Academic Group, and local support groups for people living with dementia. We will recruit people with varying levels of cognitive decline to explore a diversity of experiences. We will stop recruiting participants when no new information emerges from the interviews. Interviews will be conducted one to one, at a time and place of the participant’s choosing. The recordings of the interviews will be transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study will be published in academic journals.REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
19/WA/0210
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion