Dementia diagnosis resource pack

This resource pack sets out key steps for Commissioners, and key steps for General Practices to improve the diagnosis of dementia, and the diagnosis pathway.

These steps focus on,

  • understanding your local prevalence of dementia, and the local diagnosis rate
  • considering where and how improvements in diagnosis might be achieved
  • improving awareness and recognition
  • improving access to memory assessment and diagnosis
  • improving access to the right information, at the right time, and
  • improving the experience for people seeking help with memory problems.

The 10 key steps offer a systemic approach to improve the quality of services for people seeking help with memory problems.

Each step is accompanied by links to a range of resources to support local implementation, and examples of positive practice.

Design principles

Principles critical to the success of this approach are embedded in each key step. These include:

  • leadership, and capacity to deliver diagnosis improvement plan, including resources, are established at the outset
  • a strategic, planned approach is taken jointly with key stakeholders, including people living with dementia
  • action, is based on an understanding of the baseline, and what is needed;
  • the introduction of ‘catalysts’, ‘accelerators’ and ‘enablers’ to drive change and improvement;
  • actions are within systems and across systems, and initiated in parallel where this will have a positive effect
  • brief cycles of change are used in order to maintain momentum
  • interdependencies are mapped, anticipated and reviewed regularly
  • action is sustained over time, ensuring continuity where system change may otherwise be destabilising
  • change and improvement are tracked, measured, and inform next steps. (Schneider, K., 2012)