2018 Volume 59 Issue 3 Pages 69-82
The study aims to identify factors associated with the implementation of consultation assistance for differential diagnosis of the elderly who are suspected of suffering from dementia. An interview survey targeting community general support center staff was conducted. The questions focused on the effective and inhibiting factors that were considered to regulate consultations in “the process beginning with the discovery of the individual suspected of dementia up to the actual consultation with medical specialists on dementia”. A qualitative analysis was also conducted on verbatim interview records of seven individuals targeted for analysis. A total of 29 categories were extracted as a result of the analysis. With respect to the themes of the core category, “staff”, “community”, “other professions”, “administration”, and “medical institution” were the effective factors. Inhibitory factors included “elderly suspected of dementia”, “family”, “organization”, “administration”, and “medical institution”. As “administration” and “medical institution” were the common themes for both categories, it was confirmed that the consultation assistance is carried out smoothly when there is flexible response in the administration and institution, and cooperation from the medical institution is obtained.
