Dementia and comorbidities in primary care: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: People with dementia (PwD) are known to have more chronic conditions compared to those without dementia, which can impact the clinical presentation of dementia, complicate clinical management and reduce overall quality of life. While primary care providers (PCPs) are integral to dementia care, it is currently unclear how PCPs adapt dementia care practices to account for comorbidities. This scoping review maps recent literature that describes the role for PCPs in the prevention, detection/diagnosis and management of dementia in the context of comorbidities, identifies critical knowledge gaps and proposes potential avenues for future research. METHODS: We searched for peer-reviewed literature published between 2017-2022 in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus using key terms related to dementia, primary care, and comorbidity. The literature was screened for relevance by title-abstract screening and subsequent full-text screening. The prioritized papers were categorized as either 'Risk Assessment and Prevention', 'Screening, Detection, and Diagnosis' or 'Management' and were further labelled as either 'Tools and Technologies', 'Recommendations for Clinical Practice' or 'Programs and Initiatives'. RESULTS: We identified 1,058 unique records in our search and respectively excluded 800 and 230 publications during title-abstract and full-text screening. Twenty-eight articles were included in our review, where ~ 50% describe the development and testing of tools and technologies that use pre-existing conditions to assess dementia risk. Only one publication provides official dementia screening guidelines for PCPs in people with pre-existing conditions. About 30% of the articles discuss managing the care of PwD, where most were anchored around models of multidisciplinary care and mitigating potentially inappropriate prescribing. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first scoping review that examines the role for PCPs in the prevention, detection/diagnosis and management of dementia in the context of comorbidities. Given our findings, we recommend that future studies: 1) further validate tools for risk assessment, timely detection and diagnosis that incorporate other health conditions; 2) provide additional guidance into how comorbidities could impact dementia care (including prescribing medication) in primary care settings; 3) incorporate comorbidities into primary care quality indicators for dementia; and 4) explore how to best incorporate dementia and comorbidities into models/frameworks of holistic, person-centred care.

Research protocol of the Laval-ROSA Transilab: a living lab on transitions for people living with dementia.

BACKGROUND: The Laval-ROSA Transilab is a living lab that aims to support the Laval Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (Quebec, Canada) in consolidating the Quebec Alzheimer Plan. It aims to improve care transitions between different settings (Family Medicine Groups, home care, and community services) and as such improve the care of people living with dementia and their care partners. Four transition-oriented innovations are targeted. Two are already underway and will be co-evaluated: A) training of primary care professionals on dementia and interprofessional collaboration; B) early referral process to community services. Two will be co-developed and co-evaluated: C) developing a structured communication strategy around the dementia diagnosis disclosure; D) designation of a care navigator from the time of dementia diagnosis. The objectives are to: 1) co-develop a dashboard for monitoring transitions; 2) co-develop and 3) co-evaluate the four targeted innovations on transitions. In addition, we will 4) co-evaluate the impact and implementation process of the entire Laval-ROSA Transilab transformation, 5) support its sustainability, and 6) transfer it to other health organizations. METHODS: Multi-methods living lab approach based on the principles of a learning health system. Living labs are open innovation systems that integrate research co-creation and knowledge exchange in real-life settings. Learning health systems centers care improvement on developing the organization's capacity to learn from their practices. We will conduct two learning cycles (data to knowledge, knowledge to practice, and practice to data) and involve various partners. We will use multiple data sources, including health administrative databases, electronic health records data, surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations. DISCUSSION: Through its structuring actions, the Laval-ROSA Transilab will benefit people living with dementia, their care partners, and healthcare professionals. Its strategies will support sustainability and will thus allow for improvements throughout the care continuum so that people can receive the right services, at the right time, in the right place, and from the right staff.

Impact on hospital admissions of an integrated primary care model for very frail elderly patients.

Very frail elderly patients living in the community, present complex needs and have a higher rate of hospital admissions with emergency department (ED) visits. Here, we evaluated the impact on hospital admissions of the COPA model (CO-ordination Personnes Agées), which provides integrated primary care with intensive case management for community-dwelling, very frail elderly patients. We used a quasi-experimental study in an urban district of Paris with four hundred twenty-eight very frail patients (105 in the intervention group and 323 in the control group) with one-year follow-up. The primary outcome measures were the presence of any unplanned hospitalization (via the ED), any planned hospitalizations (direct admission, no ED visit) and any hospitalization overall. Secondary outcome measures included health parameters assessed with the RAI-HC (Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care). Comparing the intervention group with the control group, the risk of having at least one unplanned hospital admission decreased at one year and the planned hospital admissions rate increased, without a significant change in total hospital admissions. Among patients in the intervention group, there was less risk of depression and dyspnea. The COPA model improves the quality of care provided to very frail elderly patients by reducing unplanned hospitalizations and improving some health parameters.

Opening the black box of clinical collaboration in integrated care models for frail, elderly patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand better the clinical collaboration process among primary care physicians (PCPs), case managers (CMs), and geriatricians in integrated models of care. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study with semistructured interviews. A purposive sample of 35 PCPs, 7 CMs, and 4 geriatricians was selected in 2 integrated models of care for frail elderly patients in Canada and France: System of Integrated Care for Older Patients of Montreal and Coordination of Care for Older Patients of Paris. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. FINDINGS: The dynamics of the collaboration process develop in three phases: (1) initiating relationships, (2) developing real two-way collaboration, and (3) developing interdisciplinary teamwork. The findings suggest that CMs and geriatricians collaborated well from the start and throughout the care management process. Real collaboration between the CMs and the PCPs occurred only later and was mostly fostered by the interventions of the geriatricians. PCPs and geriatricians collaborated only occasionally. IMPLICATIONS: The findings provide information about PCPs' commitment to the integrated models of care, the legitimization of the CM's role among PCPs, and the appropriate positioning of geriatricians in such models.

Fostering participation of general practitioners in integrated health services networks: incentives, barriers, and guidelines.

BACKGROUND: While the active participation of general practitioners (GPs) in integrated health services networks (IHSNs) plays a critical role in their success, little is known about the incentives and barriers to their actual participation. METHODS: Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and a mail survey with GPs enrolled in SIPA (system of integrated care for older persons) at 2 sites in Montreal. A total of 61 GPs completed the questionnaire, from which 22 were randomly selected for the qualitative study, with active and non-active participation in the IHSN. RESULTS: The key themes associated with GP participation were clinician characteristics, consequences perceived at the outset, the SIPA implementation process, relationships with the SIPA team and professional consequences. The incentive factors reported were collaborative practices, high rates of elderly and SIPA patients in their clienteles, concerns about SIPA, the selection of frail elderly patients, close relationships with the case manager, the perceived efficacy of SIPA, and improved professional practices. Barriers to GP participation included high expectations, GP recruitment, lack of information on SIPA, difficult relationships with SIPA geriatricians and deterioration of physician-patient relationships. Four profiles of participation were identified: 2 groups of participants active in SIPA and 2 groups of participants not active in SIPA. The active GPs were familiar with collaborative practices, had higher IHSN patient rates, expressed more concerns than expectations, reported satisfactory relationships with case managers and perceived the efficacy of SIPA. Both active and non-active GPs reported quality care in the IHSN and improved professional practice. CONCLUSION: Throughout the implementation process, the participation of GPs in an IHSN depends on numerous professional (clinician characteristics) and organizational factors (GP recruitment, relationships with case managers). Our study provides guiding principles for establishing future integrated models of care. It suggests practical guidelines to support the active participation of GPs in these networks such as physicians with collaborative practices, recruitment of significant number of patients per physicians, the information provided and the accompaniment by geriatricians.

Health state profiles and service utilization in community-living elderly.

BACKGROUND: We know that health status in older people is heterogeneous and that many need complex care. What is now required is a comprehensive description of this heterogeneity and the estimation of its effects on patterns of service utilization. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the possibility of classifying older people according to their complex health conditions and whether the way in which they consume services differs based on these classes. METHODS: We used latent class analysis to model heterogeneity and classify community living elderly into homogenous health state categories (ie, health profiles). The number of health profiles present in the sample was revealed using 17 health indicators collected at baseline in the demonstration project of SIPA (French acronym for System of Integrated Care for the frail elderly), a system of integrated care for frail older people (n = 1164). These profiles were then used in 2-part econometric models to study access and costs of several measures of services using data collected prospectively over the 22-months of the SIPA trial. RESULTS: We identified 4 substantially meaningful health profiles (prevalence: 23%, 11%, 36%, 30%) characterized by differences along the physical, cognitive, and disability dimensions of health. Subsequent econometric modeling showed a differential effect of health profiles on use and costs along the continuum of health and social services. CONCLUSIONS: For older people with complex care needs, classification into homogeneous health subgroups unmasks differences in utilization patterns that can be used by decision makers in their attempt to improve the trajectory of care and adjust the distribution of resources to the needs of older people.

A novel model of integrated care for the elderly: COPA, Coordination of Professional Care for the Elderly.

Despite strong evidence for the efficacy of integrated systems, securing the participation of health professionals, particularly primary care physicians (PCPs), has proven difficult. Novel approaches are needed to resolve these problems. We developed a model - COPA - that is based on scientific evidence and an original design process in which health professionals, including PCPs, and managers participated actively. COPA targets very frail community-dwelling elders recruited through their PCP. It was designed to provide a better fit between the services provided and the needs of the elderly in order to reduce excess healthcare use, including unnecessary emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations, and prevent inappropriate long-term nursing home placements. The model's originality lies in: 1) having reinforced the role played by the PCP, which includes patient recruitment and care plan development; 2) having integrated health professionals into a multidisciplinary primary care team that includes case managers who collaborate closely with the PCP to perform a geriatric assessment (InterRAI MDS-HC) and implement care management programs; and 3) having integrated primary medical care and specialized care by introducing geriatricians into the community to see patients in their homes and organize direct hospitalizations while maintaining the PCP responsibility for medical decisions. Since COPA is currently the subject of both a quasi-experimental study and a qualitative study, we are also providing preliminary findings. These findings suggest that the model is feasible and well accepted by PCPs and patients. Moreover, our results indicate that the level of service utilization in COPA was less than what is reported at the national level, without any compromises in quality of care.

Characterization of alpha1-antitrypsin as a heme oxygenase-1 suppressor in Alzheimer plasma.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA and protein levels are diminished in Alzheimer disease (AD) blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and choroid plexus. Herein, the presence of a heme oxygenase-1 suppressor (HOS) factor was ascertained by astroglial bioassay, biochemical techniques and immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. We report significantly augmented plasma HOS activity in AD patients relative to healthy elderly and neurological controls. The HOS factor was determined to be a 50-100 kDa heat-labile, heparin-binding glycoprotein that is unrelated to antioxidant ingestion, plasma total antioxidant capacity, circulating cortisol levels or apolipoprotein E epsilon4 carrier status. HOS bioactivity was recapitulated by exogenous alpha(1)-antitrypsin. alpha(1)-antitrypsin levels were significantly increased in AD plasma and correlated with HOS activity and MMSE scores. alpha(1)-antitrypsin immunodepletion attenuated HOS activity of AD plasma. In AD brain, alpha(1)-antitrypsin immunoreactivity was augmented and co-distributed with HO-1. HOS activity of alpha(1)-antitrypsin may curtail HO-1-dependent derangement of cerebral iron homeostasis and account for diminished HO-1 expression in AD peripheral tissues.

Integrated services for frail elders (SIPA): a trial of a model for Canada.

The complex formed by chronic illness, episodes of acute illness, physiological disabilities, functional limitations, and cognitive problems is prevalent among frail elderly persons. These individuals rely on assistance from social and health care programs, which in Canada are still fragmented. SIPA (Services intégrés pour les personnes âgées fragiles) is an integrated service model based on community services, a multidisciplinary team, case management that retains clinical responsibility for all the health and social services required, and the capacity to mobilize resources as required and according to the care protocol. The SIPA demonstration project used an experimental design, with random allocation of the 1,230 participants from two areas of Montreal to an experimental and a control group. The costs of institutional services were $4,270 less for those in the SIPA group compared to the control group; the costs of community care were $3,394 more. The proportion of persons waiting in acute care hospitals for nursing home placement was twice as high in the control group as in the SIPA group. The costs of acute hospitalizations for persons in the SIPA group with ADL disabilities were at least $4,000 lower than those for persons in the control group. In conclusion, the SIPA trial showed that it is possible to undertake ambitious and rigorous demonstration projects in Canada. These results were obtained without an increase in the overall costs of health and social services, without reducing the quality of care, and without increasing the burden on elderly persons and their relatives.

A system of integrated care for older persons with disabilities in Canada: results from a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Care for elderly persons with disabilities is usually characterized by fragmentation, often leading to more intrusive and expensive forms of care such as hospitalization and institutionalization. There has been increasing interest in the ability of integrated models to improve health, satisfaction, and service utilization outcomes. METHODS: A program of integrated care for vulnerable community-dwelling elderly persons (SIPA [French acronym for System of Integrated Care for Older Persons]) was compared to usual care with a randomized control trial. SIPA offered community-based care with local agencies responsible for the full range and coordination of community and institutional (acute and long-term) health and social services. Primary outcomes were utilization and public costs of institutional and community care. Secondary outcomes included health status, satisfaction with care, caregiver burden, and out-of-pocket expenses. RESULTS: Accessibility was increased for health and social home care with increased intensification of home health care. There was a 50% reduction in hospital alternate level inpatient stays ("bed blockers") but no significant differences in utilization and costs of emergency department, hospital acute inpatient, and nursing home stays. For all study participants, average community costs per person were C dollar 3390 higher in the SIPA group but institutional costs were C dollar 3770 lower with, as hypothesized, no difference in total overall costs per person in the two groups. Satisfaction was increased for SIPA caregivers with no increase in caregiver burden or out-of-pocket costs. As expected, there was no difference in health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated systems appear to be feasible and have the potential to reduce hospital and nursing home utilization without increasing costs.

Caregiver satisfaction with support services: influence of different types of services.

OBJECTIVES: This article examines factors influencing satisfaction with support services of caregivers of frail older adults and determines what types of support services are associated with greater satisfaction, controlling for frail individual and caregiver characteristics. METHODS: The study includes 291 frail older adults-caregiver dyads from Montreal in which caregivers receive support services. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 is used to measure caregiver satisfaction with these services. RESULTS: Caregivers receiving information, advice, or emotional support, and those caring for seniors receiving integrated care are more likely to be highly satisfied. Other factors increasing satisfaction are fewer number of health problems of frail individuals, caregiver being the spouse of the frail person, as well as greater caregiver perceived health, autonomy in instrumental activities of daily living, and available social support. DISCUSSION: The results support the importance of integrated care for frail seniors and informational services for their caregivers.

International experiments in integrated care for the elderly: a synthesis of the evidence.

BACKGROUND: The OECD countries have recently promoted policies of deinstitutionalisation and community-based care for the elderly. These policies respond to common cost pressures associated with population aging, and the challenge of providing improved care for the elderly. They aim to substitute less costly services for institutional ones, to improve patient satisfaction and decrease expenses. However, views concerning their success are mixed. We took a comparative cross-national approach to examine the evidence, to identify common features of an effective system of integrated care, and to examine the potential of such models to positively affect care of the elderly, and public finances. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of recent demonstration projects testing innovative models of care for the elderly in OECD countries. Projects included aimed to create comprehensive integration of acute and long-term care services, and were evaluated using a comparison group. RESULTS: For each project, we report available results on rates of hospitalisation, long term care institutionalisation, utilisation and costs, impact on process of care, and health outcomes. In addition, the following common features of an effective integrated system of care were identified: a single entry point system; case management, geriatric assessment and a multidisciplinary team; and use of financial incentives to promote downward substitution. CONCLUSIONS: Community-based care can impact favourably on rates of institutionalisation and costs. Comprehensive approaches to program restructuring are necessary, as cost-effectiveness depends on characteristics of the system of care. Expansion of successful programmes to achieve widespread use remains a critical challenge.