Caregiver and physician perspectives of medical encounters involving dementia patients

Abstract

This study provides information on the expectations that family caregivers of Alzheimer's and dementia patients and primary care physicians have of each other in relation to the medical encounter. In many respects, caregiver and physician recollections of what transpired in the medical encounter are similar. Overall, caregivers tend to evaluate their encounters with physicians positively. However, compared to physicians, caregivers tend to rate more highly the amount of information given to and the attention paid to the concerns and expectations of family caregivers. This is particularly true in relation to issues such as physician sensitivity to caregiver distress, making caregivers feel that what they say is important, telling caregivers all they need to know about the illness, and verbal acknowledgement of the caregivers' contributions. In an era of managed care, physicians may have to devise new strategies to effectively meet the needs and expectations of their Alzheimer V/dementia patients and their family caregivers.