Survey of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Primary Care Physician's Towards Dementia Care in Israel

Abstract

Aim: Primary care physicians have an important role in the early diagnosis and management of dementia as a common first point of contact for patients dealing with cognitive decline. Our aim was to explore primary care physicians knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding care of people with dementia and their families. Methods: A cross sectional study among primary care physicians, attending their annual conference. The self-complete questionnaire included questions measured with a five point Likert scale as well as open-ended questions. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate primary care physicians confidence in their dementia diagnosis and their level of knowledge and training. Results: Questionnaires were returned by 95 primary care physicians, a 24% response rate. The majority of primary care physicians feel it is their role to diagnose dementia (87%), unfortunately, 80% do not feel confident in making this diagnosis and 66% feel they are lacking knowledge or training to do so. They report they need more training on non-pharmacological interventions (86%), pharmacological treatments (92%), and community services (92%). Regression analysis revealed that lack of easily accessible screening tools plays an important role in confidence in dementia diagnosis. Conclusion: Our results may help policy makers plan interventions to meet training and system needs of primary care physicians and translate the national dementia policy guidelines into practice at the local level. Keywords: physicians, primary care, dementia, early diagnosis, adult day care centers