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Translating Evidence into Practice: The Case of Dementia Guidelines in Specialized Geriatric Services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

David L. Lewis*
Affiliation:
Regional Geriatrics Program central, Hamilton Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
David Jewell
Affiliation:
Regional Geriatrics Program central, Hamilton Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
Irene Turpie
Affiliation:
Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Christopher Patterson
Affiliation:
Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University Hamilton Health Sciences
Barbara McCoy
Affiliation:
Alzheimer Society of Hamilton & Halton
Julia Baxter
Affiliation:
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Halton Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Program
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : David Lewis, Ph.D., Regional Geriatrics Program Central, 88 Maplewood Avenue, Hamilton, ON L8M 1W9. (lewisda@mcmaster.ca)

Abstract

This paper describes a process of identifying best practice guidelines for non-pharmacological management for individuals with dementia and disseminating them to a group of frontline practitioners in specialized geriatric services. Our dissemination plan involved early participation of practitioners, development of a chart summarizing five guidelines showing commonalities, contrasts, and gaps in the guidelines, and their interpretation, colour-coded for the strength of the evidence on which they were based. Two sequential workshops were held in which recommendations for action were developed. Outcomes of the process included a resource manual, a network of practitioners, and action recommendations based upon survey data. An early follow-up evaluation showed increased adoption of guidelines.

Résumé

Cette étude décrit un processus qui consiste à déterminer des pratiques exemplaires pour le traitement non pharmacologique des individus atteints de démence et à les diffuser auprès d'un groupe de praticiens de première ligne en services gériatriques spécialisés. Notre plan de diffusion comportait une participation des praticiens dès les premières étapes, l'élaboration d'un diagramme résumant les cinq lignes directrices et expliquant les points communs, les contrastes et les lacunes de ces lignes directrices, ainsi que leur interprétation, au moyen de codes de couleur selon la pondération des preuves sur lesquelles elles étaient fondées. Deux ateliers séquentiels, au cours desquels des mesures ont été recommandées, ont été organisés. Un manuel de ressources, un réseau de praticiens ainsi que des recommandations fondées sur les données de l'étude ont été tirés de ce processus. Une évaluation de suivi effectuée peu après a révélé une connaissance accrue des lignes directrices.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2005

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