Date of Award
4-11-2017
Degree Name
Nursing (D.N.P.)
Department
College of Nursing
First Advisor
Dianne Conrad
Second Advisor
Rebecca Davis
Third Advisor
Gretchen Schumacher
Abstract
Improvement in the effectiveness and optimization of care outcomes for patients with dementia in primary care is a national priority (American Medical Association-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement [PCPI], 2014). Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 5 million Americans. Patients with dementia cost the nation $236 billion in 2016 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). In 2014, the PCPI developed ten evidence-based recommendations to address the gaps in outpatient dementia care called the Dementia Performance Measure Set (DPMS). An independently owned, non-system affiliated primary care practice identified the need to improve the quality of care they provide to their patients with dementia and their caregivers through the development of a standardized protocol for primary care office visits based on the ten DPMS recommendations. A retrospective gap analysis was completed to assess the current care delivered to patients with dementia. The gap analysis showed there are gaps in care for patients with dementia, and patients do not receive care based on the DPMS recommendations. This scholarly project has many implications for the delivery of primary care for patients with dementia in the practice. Prior to this scholarly project, the primary care practice did not have a standardized, evidenced-based protocol to meet the health and social needs of their patients with dementia. Upon completion of this project, a standard recommendation for the delivery of high quality, evidenced-based primary care to patients with dementia in the practice exists. There is opportunity to use and evaluate the protocol for future tracking of quality measures and outcomes. The business case showed the protocol is sustainable, and the practice may realize financial benefit from the utilization of the protocol due to more effective and efficient documentation and due to the unique utilization of the Nurse Practitioner who can have longer office visits with time-consuming or complex patients.
ScholarWorks Citation
DeMaagd, Kaitlin B., "The Design of an Evidence-Based Protocol for Primary Care of Patients with Dementia" (2017). Doctoral Projects. 17.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/kcon_doctoralprojects/17
