Dementia Specialty Care Clinicians’ Perspectives on Their Role in the Dementia Diagnostic Process and Diagnostic Disclosure

Background Delivering a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) can be challenging not just for patients and families, but also for clinicians. Our objective was to understand dementia specialty care clinicians’ perspectives on their role in diagnosis and diagnostic disclosure in dementia. Methods Qualitative interviews with clinicians from a specialty tertiary dementia care center focused on practices, challenges, and opportunities addressing patient and caregiver needs in dementia. Data was analyzed by an interdisciplinary team using thematic analysis. Results The 16 participants included behavioral neurologists, social workers, neuropsychologists, and nurses. Themes included the value of providing an accurate diagnosis, the timing and challenges of delivering a diagnosis, the central focus on diagnosis alongside the need for more education on care management, and the role of the interdisciplinary team. Discussion We identified areas for improvement and strengths that can be built upon or adapted to other settings, including providing clinicians in specialty and primary care settings more guidance and support when diagnostic challenges arise, strengthening interdisciplinary teamwork, and making dementia diagnosis and care more accessible.