Dementia Education Program Evaluation Results

1. Dementia Education Program Evaluation Results Dept. of Family Medicine Meeting Jeanette Prorok June 24th, 2010.

2. Evaluation Overview • Questionnaire developed and validated which assessed knowledge, attitudes, and confidence • Questionnaire scores compared between Hamilton site and K-W site family medicine residents • Feedback interviews conducted with K-W site residents

3. Questionnaire Results

4. Interview Results • Sequence and organization of program was conducive to learning • “I think unfortunately, after most teaching sessions, you don’t remember what you’ve been taught. This reinforces what you’ve learned you’re able to apply it right away as we were. You remember it down the road. And for an issue as important as this, that should be done.”

5. Interview Results • Dementia assessment and management is an undertrained area • “It (undergraduate medical education) touched on it, you defined what it was, memorized it for the LMCC but it’s not something that’s really taught that well. It’s just one of the few things of the million things that you’re taught. I’ve never really felt like I had a handle on that at all.” • “It’s going to be a huge problem that we face when we get into practice. Most medical students and residents don’t get enough training in this area…It’s necessary for us to have this much exposure in this important area.”

6. Interview Results • Improved knowledge • “It’s comfort with the diagnosis, what the implications are of the diagnosis, and then just in terms of practical pharmacotherapy. Knowing what drugs to use when, how to titrate them, how to switch between drugs. It’s been important for all of these.” • “I never learned anything about assessment of driving and now I definitely feel comfortable that I could do that in practice.”

7. Interview Results • Interprofessional experience was greatly valued • “I just really like how well it can actually work and I think that team approach can be brought to any area of family medicine.” • “It was a really great experience. I learned from them and I think they also learned from me. And from what I’ve seen, that’s how medicine is supposed to be practiced and it’s often not practiced like that anywhere, its just too much rush rush in the clinic. When I left there that day, I thought this is what I went into medicine for, to have an experience like that.”

8. Interview Results • Endorsed expansion of program across family medicine residency programs • “I’d just like to reinforce that it was a very good program and that I think McMaster should think about incorporating it into their curriculum for all residents. And I mean not just McMaster, I think all family medicine residency programs should think about incorporating this program.” • “I think it should be a mandatory part of the curriculum.” • “I hope that it continues…I just hope that it spreads and that this kind of model is adopted by other schools too.”

9. Conclusions • Program resulted in improvements in knowledge and confidence • Program was well-received • Expansion of program was unanimously endorsed by residents in feedback interviews