Improving dementia diagnosis and management in primary care: a cohort study of the impact of a training and support program on physician competency, practice patterns, and community linkages

Table 2 Physician confidence in dementia care skills before and six months after training ^a

How confident are you in your ability to:		Pre-Training^b		6 Month follow up		Change	p
	N	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
a. Screen patients for dementia?	28	3.64	1.03	3.93	0.81	+0.29	.12
b. Make a diagnosis of dementia?	27	3.59	0.97	3.85	0.86	+0.26	.11
c. Distinguish Alzheimer’s Disease from other forms of dementia?	28	2.50	1.04	3.21	0.96	+0.71	.001
d. Understand the value and use of assessment instruments for cognition?	28	3.29	1.08	3.93	0.90	+0.64	.006
e. Understand the role of MRI scans in the diagnosis of dementia?	28	2.75	0.97	3.39	1.13	+0.64	.015
f. Provide initial treatment to patients with memory loss?	28	3.43	0.92	4.07	0.72	+0.64	.003
g. Use medications for memory loss?	28	3.68	0.86	4.21	.69	+0.53	.003
h. Approach behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia?	28	3.14	0.80	3.61	0.74	+0.47	.010
i. Deliver patient and caregiver education about dementia care?	28	2.75	0.80	3.82	0.82	+1.07	<.001
j. Refer patients to community resources?	27	2.67	1.18	3.78	1.12	+1.11	.001
k. Disclose and explain a diagnosis of dementia to a patient?	28	3.43	0.88	3.86	0.80	+0.43	.005
l. Provide information to assist and respond to family caregivers of patients with dementia?	28	3.46	0.84	3.68	0.95	+0.22	.18

^aPhysicians were asked to rate their current confidence on a scale of 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (extremely confident).
^bChange occurred from approximately 1 month prior to training compared to approximately 6 months following the training.

ISSN: 1471-2318