C3-a - Dementia care partner education using the iGeriCare web-based platform

3. Sustainable solutions to primary care problems

  • Date: 2022-10-12
  • Concurrent Session: Concurrent Session C
  • Time: 2:45- 3:30 pm
  • Room:
  • Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
  • Focus: Practical (e.g. Presentation on how to implement programs and/or practices in the team environment)
  • Target Audience: Clinical providers

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the features and evidence for web-based dementia care partner interventions  
  • Adopt a ‘blended’ teaching approach to build on current patient education strategies using educational prescriptions  
  • Integrate iGeriCare in your practice to complement patient- and family-centred care dementia quality standards.   
     

Summary/Abstract:

Most people living with dementia rely on informal family care partners to provide support. Many national and global recommendations highlight the importance of education that helps care partners develop knowledge and skills. Providing education in clinical settings can be time-consuming, overwhelming, and not all of the patient’s caregivers may be able to attend clinical appointments. Patients and caregivers readily use the internet for health information and advice, which may or may not be accurate or evidence based. Offering specific recommendations for critically reviewed sites and programs can complement traditional approaches to caregiver education and enhance caregivers’ engagement in helping to manage the person with dementia’s health care journey.     We designed and built the iGeriCare.ca web-based dementia education program. The free, open-access program was co-developed by experts in dementia care and e-learning at McMaster University, with extensive input from care partners. It was developed using best practices in evidence-based instructional design for multimedia learning and funded through peer-reviewed grants. It consists of 12 multimedia lessons, as well as email-based subscription learning and over 30 live-streamed events. The goals of iGeriCare are to improve care partner knowledge, and to raise awareness of strategies and services to improve their quality of life.    A multimodal approach to evaluation has used a variety of surveys and key informant interviews. Feedback has been consistently positive for all components, with visitors identifying various ways that the education is having an impact. Further dissemination and study of iGeriCare is planned as well as research on care partner impact.  
 

Presenter

  • Dr. Anthony J. Levinson    Associate Professor; Director, Division of e-Learning Innovation, McMaster University