Listening to communities and building a better program for enhancing dementia diagnosis
Tracks
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Community
Dementia
Implementation
| Monday, November 11, 2024 |
| 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM |
Speaker
Dr Sarah Carmody
Centre Manager, Centre of Research Excellence in Enhanced Dementia Diagnosis (CREEDD)
Health and Social Care Unit, Monash University
Listening to communities and building a better program for enhancing dementia diagnosis
Abstract
The Centre of Research Excellence in Enhanced Dementia Diagnosis (CREEDD) is a new program for dementia diagnosis, incorporating blood biomarkers, imaging, and digital cognitive assessments in memory clinics. The program has a core focus on ensuring patient accessibility and acceptability towards its goal of fast, accurate and equitable diagnosis. Partnering with people living with dementia, and their families is vital to shape this complex model of care and ensure translatability and relevance.1 To achieve this, CREEDD has established a platform for consumer involvement, integrating the experiences, advice and priorities of Australians living with dementia and their families throughout the program.
The CREEDD program is designing, implementing and adapting its work with a team of eight consumer advisors. The consumer advisory team includes people living with dementia and those in caregiving roles throughout Australia. The program has flexible structures for involvement, with quarterly meetings, additional opt-in meetings, and activities according to interest and availability. Advisors are supported by the CREEDD team, who focus on accessibility and minimising barriers to involvement.
The CREEDD advisors have reviewed interview guides and qualitative data themes, adapted participant information, and recommended accessibility and inclusion considerations. The consumer advisory team and pre-implementation community interviews were also instrumental in establishing CREEDD’s participant follow-up support program. The CREEDD advisory team’s work is building a better program that is tailored to the needs of Australian communities.
1. Greenhalgh T, et al. Frameworks for supporting patient and public involvement in research: Systematic review and co-design pilot. Health Expect. Aug 2019;22(4):785-801. doi:10.1111/hex.12888References:
The CREEDD program is designing, implementing and adapting its work with a team of eight consumer advisors. The consumer advisory team includes people living with dementia and those in caregiving roles throughout Australia. The program has flexible structures for involvement, with quarterly meetings, additional opt-in meetings, and activities according to interest and availability. Advisors are supported by the CREEDD team, who focus on accessibility and minimising barriers to involvement.
The CREEDD advisors have reviewed interview guides and qualitative data themes, adapted participant information, and recommended accessibility and inclusion considerations. The consumer advisory team and pre-implementation community interviews were also instrumental in establishing CREEDD’s participant follow-up support program. The CREEDD advisory team’s work is building a better program that is tailored to the needs of Australian communities.
1. Greenhalgh T, et al. Frameworks for supporting patient and public involvement in research: Systematic review and co-design pilot. Health Expect. Aug 2019;22(4):785-801. doi:10.1111/hex.12888References:
Biography
Dr Sarah Carmody is the Centre Manager for the Centre of Research Excellence in Enhanced Dementia Diagnosis (CREEDD). Sarah is a Research Fellow with the Health and Social Care Unit at Monash University. She has a PhD in health program sustainability at Monash University, and a Master of Public Health from Deakin University.
Sarah is experienced in designing, implementing and evaluating health programs, and has worked across research, healthcare, public health and community settings. She specialises in applying the social determinants of health, implementation science and community involvement principles to priority health challenges. Sarah’s expertise includes stakeholder engagement, partnership development and collaboration, which are central to her Centre Manager role.
Her health program expertise includes qualitative research and program evaluation, with extensive qualitative interviewing and thematic analysis. Sarah has also taught at Monash for many years including facilitating short courses, and held capacity building roles in community health organisations.
