Motivations of patients and their care partners for visiting a memory clinic: a qualitative study

Visser, L.N.C.; Fruijtier, A.; Kunneman, M.; Schoonenboom, N.; Staekenborg, S.S.; Wind, H.A.; ... ; Filer, W.M. van der (2023)

Article / Letter to editor

Objective: We investigated motivations of patients and care partners for their memory clinic visit, and whether these are expressed in consultations.Methods: We included data from 115 patients (age 71 +/- 11, 49% Female) and their care partners (N = 93), who completed questionnaires after their first consultation with a clinician. Audio-recordings of these consultations were available from 105 patients. Motivations for visiting the clinic were content-coded as reported by patients in the questionnaire, and expressed by patients and care partners in consultations.Results: Most patients reported seeking a cause for symptoms (61%) or to confirm/exclude a (dementia) diagnosis (16%), yet 19% reported another motivation: (more) information, care access, or treatment/advice. In the first consultation, about half of patients (52%) and care partners (62%) did not express their motivation(s). When both expressed a motivation, these differed in about half of dyads. A quarter of patients (23%) expressed a different/complementary motivation in the consultation, then reported in the questionnaire.Conclusion: Motivations for visiting a memory clinic can be specific and multifaceted, yet are often not addressed during consultations. Practice implications: We should encourage clinicians, patients, and care partners to talk about motivations for visiting the memory clinic, as a starting point to personalize (diagnostic) care.

• Doctor-patient communication
• Alzheimer?s disease
• Dementia
• Diagnostic work-up
• Memory clinic
• Patient perspectives

• All authors: Visser, L.N.C.; Fruijtier, A.; Kunneman, M.; Schoonenboom, N.; Staekenborg, S.S.; Wind, H.A.; Hempenius, L.; Beer, M.H. de; Roks, G.; Boelaarts, L.; Kleijer, M.; Smets, E.M.A.; Filer, W.M. van der
• Date: 2023-03-11
• Journal: Patient Education and Counseling
• Volume: 111
• DOI: doi:10.1016/j.pec.2023.107693
• Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738399123000733?via%...