Perley Health researchers co-author new report on advancing dementia care

Researchers with Perley Health's Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™ are helping advance an important conversation about the future of dementia care in primary care with an essay published in a peer-reviewed journal, out today.

Annie Robitaille, PhD, and Kristina M. Kokorelias, PhD, have co-authored a special report published in the Annals of Family Medicine, “Advancing Family Medicine Through Dyadic EMR Linkage in Dementia Care.”

The report describes a Canadian pilot study that examined ways to link health data for people living with dementia with data from their caregivers in primary care. This kind of “dyadic” approach recognizes that dementia care does not happen in isolation. The health, needs and experiences of caregivers are closely connected to those of the people they support.

By exploring how these linked records could be used in primary care, the study identifies promising methods as well as important gaps that must be addressed before this approach can be widely applied in clinical practice.

For Perley Health, this work reflects the Centre of Excellence's commitment to research that supports better care for Veterans, older adults, and families. It also reinforces the importance of looking at dementia care through a broader lens, one that includes both the person living with dementia and the caregiver who plays such a vital role in their daily life.

Congratulations to Dr. Robitaille, Dr. Kokorelias and all involved in this important contribution to dementia care, caregiver support and health system innovation.

Read the report in the Annals of Family Medicine: https://www.annfammed.org/ 

Annie Robitaille, PhD, and Kristina M. Kokorelias, PhD, have co-authored a special report published in the Annals of Family Medicine, “Advancing Family Medicine Through Dyadic EMR Linkage in Dementia Care.”