Fronto-temporal dementia pathway / recommendations
We conducted a survey which showed that there is considerable variation in the manner of investigating suspected fronto-temporal dementia between different disciplines and localities. A consultant psychiatrist has produced recommendations for a fronto-temporal dementia pathway, in consultation with a group of psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists and the third sector. The aim of this work is to reduce variation in the pathway across the Oxford AHSN region, as well as reducing the time to diagnosis. Read the guideline here.
Patient and carer quality of life
The Dementia Clinical Network is collaborating with Professor Ray Fitzpatrick, Dr Caroline Potter and colleagues at Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, in evaluating a questionnaire to assess patient and carer wellbeing. Ray Fitzpatrick and his team have previously developed a questionnaire for use by patients with long-term conditions (the Long-Term Conditions Questionnaire – LTCQ). The purpose of the new research is to determine the LTCQ’s suitability for use with people with cognitive impairment and their carers. This work is supported by the Oxford CLAHRC.
As well as looking at the validity and practicalities of using the questionnaire to measure quality of life, the research will also look at whether it addresses all the areas of importance, whether it is suitable for self-completion and whether it can detect changes over time in the wellbeing of people living with cognitive impairment and their carers. We will also be looking at how useful the LTCQ is in evaluating memory services (do the memory services improve quality of life?).
Memory clinics initially in Oxford and later elsewhere in the Oxford AHSN region will be participating in this research. The planned study period is December 2016-July 2018.