title: Physicians' and nurses' perceived usefulness and acceptability of a family information booklet about comfort care in advanced dementia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Families of patients with advanced dementia need to be informed about the course of the dementia and comfort care. Conditional for health care providers educating families is their knowledge and comfort in family education.
  
  
  METHODS
  Perceived usefulness and acceptability of a Canadian family booklet explaining possible complications and comfort care in dementia was assessed by physicians and nurses caring for dementia patients in 14 nursing homes in Lombardy, Italy and 21 in the Netherlands. The practitioners received a questionnaire and translated versions adapted to local practice where needed. In 10 of 21 Dutch homes, physicians evaluated only the original Canadian version in English. A 15-item scale assessed the booklet's acceptability, for example, to inform families, or for educational purposes. Perceived usefulness referred to proportion of families of dementia patients for whom the booklet would be useful. A total of 168 evaluations were available for multivariable regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The practitioners anticipated that the booklet would be useful for most families. Evaluation of the Dutch translation of the booklet was similar to the English version. Country (Netherlands) and profession (nurses) were independently associated with better acceptability. Usefulness was perceived as better by Italian respondents and nurses, but only in analyses unadjusted for the higher educational needs of these respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the concept of written information on comfort care was appreciated by practitioners of European countries differing in attitudes toward end-of-life care. A booklet may help practitioners, and in particular nurses, in providing comfort care for dementia patients and their families.
authors.affiliation: EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.vandersteen@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Jenny T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: van der Steen
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toscani
authors.forename: Tjomme
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Graas
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Finetti
authors.forename: Miharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Taeko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brazil
authors.forename: Cees M P M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hertogh
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arcand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D009726:Nurses; D010166:Palliative Care; D010174:Pamphlets; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires