The clinical decision-making process involved in end of life care for people with dementia in primary care: A protocol paper

Abstract

Aim: This article is a report of a study protocol designed to explore what factors inform healthcare professionals' clinical decision-making when providing end of life care for people with dementia in primary care. Design: The proposed study will adopt a qualitative study design, utilizing an ethnographic approach. Methods: A mixed sample group of registered healthcare professionals, including district nurses, specialist nurses and general practitioners, will be purposively sampled and recruited from one health board in Wales, which will cover three settings in primary care. A multi-method approach will be utilized to provide rich data, including non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and review of key documents. Data will be managed using NVivo 12 and analysed thematically. Ethics approval was gained in April 2022. Discussion: Little is known about the end of life care decision-making process of healthcare professionals caring for people with dementia in primary care settings. This study will therefore address this pertinent gap. The study findings may also be transferable to healthcare professionals working in similar clinical settings across the UK. Impact: It is anticipated that this study will inform the subsequent development of an intervention that can be used by healthcare professionals to support decision making and subsequently the provision of quality end of life care in primary care for people with dementia.