TY - JOUR
T1 - Access to timely formal dementia care in Europe
T2 - Protocol of the Actifcare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) study
AU - Kerpershoek, Liselot
AU - De Vugt, Marjolein
AU - Wolfs, Claire
AU - Jelley, Hannah
AU - Orrel, Martin
AU - Woods, Bob
AU - Stephan, Astrid
AU - Bieber, Anja
AU - Meyer, Gabriele
AU - Engedal, Knut
AU - Selbaek, Geir
AU - Handels, Ron
AU - Wimo, Anders
AU - Hopper, Louise
AU - Irving, Kate
AU - Marques, Maria João Lopes
AU - Gonçalves-Pereira, Manuel
AU - Portolani, Elisa
AU - Zanetti, Orazio
AU - Verhey, Frans
N1 - The project is supported through the following funding organizations under
the aegis of JPND - www.jpnd.eu. Germany, Ministry of Education and Research,
Ireland, Health research board, Italy, Ministry of Health, the Netherlands, The
Netherlands organization for Health Research and Development, Sweden, The
Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Norway, The
Research Council of Norway, Portugal, Foundation for Science and Technology,
(Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT - JPND-HC/0001/2012), United
Kingdom, Economic and Social Research Council. JPND has read and
approved of the protocol of the Actifcare study.
PY - 2016/8/23
Y1 - 2016/8/23
N2 - Background: Previous findings indicate that people with dementia and their informal carers experience difficulties accessing and using formal care services due to a mismatch between needs and service use. This mismatch causes overall dissatisfaction and is a waste of the scarce financial care resources. This article presents the background and methods of the Actifcare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) project. This is a European study aiming at best-practice development in finding timely access to formal care for community-dwelling people with dementia and their informal carers. There are five main objectives: 1) Explore predisposing and enabling factors associated with the use of formal care, 2) Explore the association between the use of formal care, needs and quality of life and 3) Compare these across European countries, 4) Understand the costs and consequences of formal care services utilization in people with unmet needs, 5) Determine the major costs and quality of life drivers and their relationship with formal care services across European countries. Methods: In a longitudinal cohort study conducted in eight European countries approximately 450 people with dementia and informal carers will be assessed three times in 1 year (baseline, 6 and 12 months). In this year we will closely monitor the process of finding access to formal care. Data on service use, quality of life and needs will be collected. Discussion: The results of Actifcare are expected to reveal best-practices in organizing formal care. Knowledge about enabling and predisposing factors regarding access to care services, as well as its costs and consequences, can advance the state of the art in health systems research into pathways to dementia care, in order to benefit people with dementia and their informal carers.
AB - Background: Previous findings indicate that people with dementia and their informal carers experience difficulties accessing and using formal care services due to a mismatch between needs and service use. This mismatch causes overall dissatisfaction and is a waste of the scarce financial care resources. This article presents the background and methods of the Actifcare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) project. This is a European study aiming at best-practice development in finding timely access to formal care for community-dwelling people with dementia and their informal carers. There are five main objectives: 1) Explore predisposing and enabling factors associated with the use of formal care, 2) Explore the association between the use of formal care, needs and quality of life and 3) Compare these across European countries, 4) Understand the costs and consequences of formal care services utilization in people with unmet needs, 5) Determine the major costs and quality of life drivers and their relationship with formal care services across European countries. Methods: In a longitudinal cohort study conducted in eight European countries approximately 450 people with dementia and informal carers will be assessed three times in 1 year (baseline, 6 and 12 months). In this year we will closely monitor the process of finding access to formal care. Data on service use, quality of life and needs will be collected. Discussion: The results of Actifcare are expected to reveal best-practices in organizing formal care. Knowledge about enabling and predisposing factors regarding access to care services, as well as its costs and consequences, can advance the state of the art in health systems research into pathways to dementia care, in order to benefit people with dementia and their informal carers.
KW - Dementia
KW - Formal care
KW - Needs
KW - Service use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84987940090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12913-016-1672-3
DO - 10.1186/s12913-016-1672-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 27550084
AN - SCOPUS:84987940090
SN - 1472-6963
VL - 16
JO - BMC Health Services Research
JF - BMC Health Services Research
IS - 1
M1 - 423
ER -