Table 2.
Changes in DKAS, GPACS-D, dementia rehabilitation scale questionnaire, Likert-scaled statements of knowledge and confidence about dementia support, and confidence scale in understanding allied health professional roles for dementia pre- and post-course and follow-up.
| Pre-Course (N = 17) | Post-Course (N = 17) | Relative Change a (%) | Absolute Change (Co-Efficient) Robust (95% CI) |
Focus Group Participants Post-Course (N = 8) | Focus Group Participants at 4 Months (N = 8) | Relative Change b (%) | Absolute Change (Co-Efficient) Robust (95% CI) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DKAS c—Mean (SD) | 41.8 (4.2) | 46.8 (2.0) | 12.1 | 5.1 (3.2, 6.9) * | 47.5 (0.9) | 45 (3.5) | −5.3 | −2.5 (−5.2, 0.2) |
DKAS subscales d—Mean (SD)
|
10.4 (2.5) 9.1 (1.3) 11.1 (1.6) 11.3 (1.2) |
13.6 (1.1) 9.4 (0.9) 11.9 (0.5) 11.9 (0.5) |
31.9 3.9 7.4 5.2 |
3.3 (2.0, 4.6) * 0.4 (−0.4, 1.1) 0.8 (−0.01, 1,7) 0.6 (0.1, 1.1) * |
14 (0) 9.5 (0.9) 12 (0) 12 (0) |
12.5 (2.3) 9.3 (1.5) 11.8 (0.7) 11.5 (0.9) |
−10.7 −2.6 −2.1 −4.2 |
−1.5 (−3.5, 0.5) −0.3 (−0.9, 0.4) −0.3 (−0.9, 0.4) −0.5 (−1.3, 0.3) |
| GPACS-D e—Mean (SD) | 10.6 (1.4) | 11.7 (1.0) | 10.1 | 1.1 (0.4, 1.7) * | 12.2 (0.9) | 12.6 (0.8) | 3.3 | 0.4 (−0.01, 0.8) |
GPACS-D subscales f—Mean (SD)
|
4.3 (0.9) 3.6 (0.9) 2.7 (0.7) |
4.7 (0.3) 3.4 (0.7) 3.7 (0.5) |
8.1 −7.7 37.2 |
0.3 (−0.1, 0.8) −0.3 (−0.7, 0.1) 1.0 (0.7, 1.3) * |
4.8 (0.3) 3.7 (0.8) 3.8 (0.6) |
4.7 (0.4) 4 (0.6) 4 (0.5) |
−2.1 9.0 4.5 |
−0.1 (−0.2, 0.02) 0.3 (−0.01, 0.7) 0.2 (−0.3, 0.6) |
| Dementia rehabilitation scale questionnaire g—Mean (SD) | 68.4 (6.3) | 74.8 (4.9) | 9.4 | 6.4 (4.4, 8.5) * | 75.3 (4.9) | 73.4 (4.6) | −2.5 | −1.9 (−5.1, 1.3) |
| Much can be done to support people with dementia to maintain their independence in everyday activities h—Mean (SD) | 4.4 (1.0) | 4.8 (0.4) | 7.9 | 0.9 (0.03, 1.7) * | 4.8 (0.5) | 4.5 (0.5) | −5.3 | −1.1 (−3.4, 1.2) |
| I know which allied health professionals in my area provide therapy for people with dementia to help them maintain their independence for as long as possible i—Mean (SD) | 2.1 (0.9) | 3.8 (1.0) | 77.4 | 3.1 (1.6, 4.6) * | 3.8 (0.9) | 3.4 (1.1) | −9.9 | −0.8 (−2.2, 0.7) |
| I feel confident to discuss dementia reablement and rehabilitation therapies with my patients with dementia j—Mean (SD) | 2.2 (1.0) | 4 (0.4) | 78.6 | 4.9 (1.7, 8.1) * | 4 (0.5) | 4.4 (0.5) | 9.5 | 1.7 (−0.3, 3.6) |
| I feel confident my referrals to health professionals will be accepted for people living with dementia k—Mean (SD) | 3.1 (1.3) | 4.1 (0.7) | 32.1 | 1.6 (0.5, 2.8) * | 4.1 (0.6) | 4 (1.1) | −3.2 | 0 (−1.8, 1.8) |
| Confidence in understanding allied health professional roles for dementia l—Mean (SD) | 6.5 (1.5) | 8.1 (1.0) | 24.9 | 2.4 (0.8, 3.9) * | 7.9 (1.1) | 7.9 (0.8) | 0 | −0.1 (−2.1, 1.9) |
a Relative change (%) pre- and post-course =. b Relative change (%) post-course and follow-up learning activity =. c Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS). Each item is scored, with 0 denoting an incorrect response to a factually true or false statement and 2 indicating a correct response. Total score ranges from 0 to 50 (sum of all items). A higher score signifies a more comprehensive understanding of the dementia. d DKAS comprises four subscales: (a) Causes and characteristics (items 1 to 7), (b) Communication and behaviour (items 8 to 13), (c) Care considerations (items 14 to 19), and (d) Risks and health promotion (items 20 to 25). Subscale scores range from 0 to 12 except for Causes and characteristics 0–14. A higher subscale score (sum of the respective items) signifies a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. e General Practitioners’ Attitudes and Confidence towards Dementia Survey (GPACS-D). Total score was computed by summing all subscale average scores. Score ranges from 3 to 15. Higher scores signify more positive attitudes and greater confidence regarding dementia care. f GPACS-D encompasses three subscales: (a) Attitude to Care (AC—items 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9), (b) Engagement (E—items 2, 7, and 8), and (c) Confidence in Clinical Ability (CCA—items 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15). Subscale scores were computed by summing scores (with consideration for reverse-scored items 2, 7, 8, and 10) and dividing by the number of items in the subscale, resulting in an average score out of 5 for each subscale. Subscale average score ranges from 1 to 5. Higher subscale scores signify more positive attitudes and greater confidence regarding the specific aspect of dementia care respectively. g Dementia rehabilitation scale questionnaire was computed by summing scores for each item while considering reverse-scored items 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, and 13. Scores ranges from 16 to 80. Higher scores signify more positive perception towards dementia rehabilitation. h,i,j,k Likert scale agreement ratings of 1 to 5 (1 = Strongly agree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree and 5 = Strongly agree). A higher rating signifies more agreement with the statement. l Confidence rating in allied health roles ranges from 0 to 10 (0 = I know nothing, 10 = I know very well). A higher score signifies more confidence in understanding the roles of allied health professionals. * p value < 0.05.