Dementia Care Specialists’ Perspectives of Diagnosis and Early Psychosocial Care - A Qualitative Analysis of Focus Groups in Two Large Academic Medical Centers

Sep 29, 2026

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Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are progressive conditions that severely affect individuals and families, making timely diagnosis and early support central to long-term adjustment. Dementia care specialists were examined to understand how they perceive factors shaping ADRD diagnosis and postdiagnosis psychosocial care. Focus groups and interviews with specialists identified barriers to timely, accurate diagnosis, needs during disclosure, coordination of care, early support requirements, and drivers of patient and care-partner adjustment after diagnosis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Background and Objective

Research Design and Methods

Results

Discussion and Implications

Wiley Journal of Aging Research Volume 2025, Article ID 3000496, 12 pages [https://doi.org/10.1155/jare/3000496](https://doi.org/10.1155/jare/3000496) Research Article Dementia Care Specialists’ Perspectives of Diagnosis and Early Psychosocial Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Focus Groups in Two Large Academic Medical Centers Amelia J. Hicks , 1 Julie Brewer ,2 Nina Ahmad ,2 Talea Cornelius ,3 Robert A. Parker ,4 Kristen Dams-O’Connor , 1 Bradford Dickerson ,5 Christine Ritchie ,6 Ana-Maria Vranceanu ,2 and Sarah M. Bannon 1 1 Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Brain Injury Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, New York, USA 2 Department of Psychiatry, Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 3 Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, New York, USA 4 Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 5 Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 6Department of Medicine, Mongan Institute Center for Aging and Serious Illness and the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Correspondence should be addressed to Sarah M. Bannon; [sarah.bannon@mountsinai.org](sarah.bannon@mountsinai.org)[ ](sarah.bannon@mountsinai.org)Received 4 April 2025; Revised 6 July 2025; Accepted 9 October 2025 Academic Editor: Diego Gomez-Baya Copyright © 2025 Amelia J. Hicks et al. Journal of Aging Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Tis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background and Objective: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are progressive conditions that substantially impact individuals and families. Timely diagnosis and early support are critical for long-term adjustment. However, current dementia care models do not meet needs of patients and families. Dementia care specialists treating individuals with dementia ofer unique insight into care needs of diverse groups of patients, families, and healthcare systems that can be used to identify opportunities to improve care. To understand dementia care specialists’ impressions of factors impacting ADRD diagnosis and postdiagnosis support, we aimed to identify factors that impact (1) timely and accurate diagnosis,(2) diagnostic disclosure and provision of postdiagnosis support, and (3) patient and care-partner adjustment after diagnosis. Research Design and Methods: We recruited dementia care specialists treating persons living with dementia (n 􀂈 19) from two academic medical centers. Participants completed 60-min qualitative focus groups or individual interviews. Data were analyzed using a hybrid inductive–deductive approach to thematic analysis. Results: We identifed subthemes within three overarching a priori determined themes. Participants highlighted the presence of delays in referrals, time constraints, specialist discomfort, and lack of training as factors impacting the timeliness and accuracy of diagnosis. Tey also highlighted information needed in disclosure visits, ways of coordinating care, and identifying early support needs. Finally, participants highlighted factors impacting adjustment including families’ insight and acceptance, distress, and available resources. Discussion and Implications: Our study highlights the challenges dementia care specialist specialists face in delivering early support for individuals and families impacted by ADRDs and suggests avenues for revising existing care

FAQs

What is the study’s main objective?

To identify factors that affect timely and accurate ADRD diagnosis, diagnostic disclosure and postdiagnosis support, and patient/care-partner adjustment after diagnosis based on dementia care specialists’ perspectives.

How were data collected and analyzed?

Dementia care specialists (n=19) from two academic medical centers participated in 60-minute qualitative focus groups or individual interviews. Data were analyzed using a hybrid inductive–deductive approach to thematic analysis.

Which factors did specialists report as affecting diagnosis timeliness and accuracy?

Delays in referrals, time constraints, specialist discomfort, and lack of training were highlighted as contributors to late and less accurate diagnosis.

What themes did specialists describe regarding postdiagnosis support and adjustment?

They emphasized information needs during disclosure visits, ways to coordinate care, identifying early support needs, and adjustment factors including family insight and acceptance, distress, and available resources.

Sep 29, 2026

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