Table 2 Four dimensions and selected aspects for exploring the potential clinical utility of the IPOS-Dem (CH) in acute and community care settings
Dimensions (Smart [23]) | Selected aspects for the focus group discussions | Results: corresponding themes |
|---|---|---|
Appropriate | • Impact of IPOS-Dem (CH) on existing treatment processes (Is the IPOS-Dem effective?) • Importance of clinical decision-making when using the IPOS-Dem (CH) (Is it relevant?) | • IPOS-Dem (CH) enables better support of the person with dementia • Clinical decisions are based on symptoms important to people with dementia and their informal caregivers (to fine-tune care, particularly for informal caregivers) • Guidelines needed for the clinical interpretation of scores (nurses) • Improved awareness of change in health status and disease severity (informal caregivers) |
Accessible | • Economic considerations, e.g., procurement including availability of technologies, quality of material, availability of training and support | • IPOS-Dem (CH) to be assessed, saved and documented using an online system (community nurses) • Being able to access the IPOS-Dem symptom profile/changes in the symptom profile on a computer (community nurses) |
Practicable | • Functionality within work context • Suitability (e.g., is it helpful in everyday situations) • Practitioner skills and capabilities (e.g., professional qualifications) | • IPOS-Dem (CH) to support communication and teamwork (acute care nurses) • IPOS-Dem (CH) captures observations from nurses with different qualification levels, therefore valuing all members of the care team equally (all settings) • IPOS-Dem (CH) provides an overview of the priorities of care, therefore helps with communication to the community care provider (informal caregivers) • IPOS-Dem (CH) may support symptom review (community nurses) |
Acceptable | • Possible moral objections when administering the IPOS-Dem (CH) (e.g., beneficial to the person with dementia and informal caregivers) • Clarification of expectations regarding service delivery and person with dementia | • IPOS-Dem (CH) giving an objective account of symptoms and change in health status (informal caregivers, community nurses) • Completing an IPOS-Dem (CH) in the acute setting can be a challenge if one does not know the person with dementia well (acute care nurses) |