Dementia risk reduction in primary care: what Australian initiatives can teach us.
Only limited research has been undertaken to identify factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of evidence-based health promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) activities within primary practice. We examined recent Australian initiatives that encouraged primary care practitioners to implement PPEI activities to reduce the risk of chronic disease, particularly those that have focused on lifestyle risk factors. The aim was to identify barriers and facilitators to the uptake of these activities to inform the Australian National Dementia Prevention Strategy. Barriers that were consistently reported across evaluations and that appear to be of most concern to Australian general practitioners include the issues of financial remuneration and time constraints secondary to heavy work commitments. Factors that were effective in overcoming barriers included the integration of interventions within existing activities, the specification of a clear, funded role for practice nurses and the support of the Australian General Practice Network. It was concluded that these factors should be considered if PPEI activities for dementia are to be successfully incorporated within primary care.
Academic Unit in Geriatric Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia. c.travers1@uq.edu.au
Catherine M
CM
Travers
Melinda G
MG
Martin-Khan
David C
DC
Lie
D001315:Australia; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003704:Dementia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior