Exploring interprofessional collaboration practices in dementia day centers

Abstract

Background

The growing prevalence of dementia due to population ageing has increased the demand for comprehensive, high-quality care. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) has been shown to enhance outcomes for people with dementia, yet its implementation varies across settings. Dementia day centers provide a unique opportunity to examine IPC in practice within coordinated, multi-professional care environments.

Objectives

The study aimed to evaluate the extent to which professionals working in dementia day centers adhere to IPC standards and explore whether demographic and employment-related factors influence perceived adherence to these standards.

Methods

A questionnaire evaluating adherence to IPC standards was administered to 50 healthcare professionals. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between adherence to IPC standards and participants' characteristics. The Friedman test was employed to compare the questionnaire's subscales and the Kruskal-Wallis test to compare perceived adherence to standards across demographic and employment-related subcategories. Responses to two open questions were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Thirty-four professionals responded to the survey. Employment facility significantly contributed to the prediction of the regression model. Overall, participants had a positive perception of the adherence of clinical practices to IPC standards. Notably, role delineation was identified as a major IPC barrier.

Conclusion

This study supports the use of an IPC evaluation tool in day centers for identifying and addressing areas of low compliance to standards and maximize benefits for patients and healthcare professionals. IPC practices may vary across clinical settings even within the same organization.