Outcome of a pilot dementia training program for primary care physicians

An intensive workshop on the management of Alzheimer's disease was implemented to train primary care physicians in the diagnosis and long-term care management of patients with dementia and to provide communities with a professional source of information on dementia issues. Before enrollment in the workshop, all participants were asked to commit to training their community physicians and health care providers in local educational activities on dementia. Effectiveness of the workshop was assessed with a pre- and a postworkshop questionnaire and postworkshop telephone interviews. Twenty-eight primary care physicians attended: 25% were internists and 71% were family practitioners. Thirty-three percent practiced in rural communities, and 32% were nursing home directors. Twenty-one participants completed questionnaire pretesting, and fourteen completed posttesting. Seventeen responded to a 6-month postworkshop telephone interview. Forty-one percent of respondents had used resource materials in didactic sessions with physicians and other health care providers in their own communities. All participants interviewed described greater comfort in patient education settings, such as nursing home team conferences, family meetings, and counseling sessions. Participants showed some gains in knowledge about available community resources and their use. There was no difference in pretest and posttest Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Test scores. Intensive workshops appear to be an effective and efficient means of disseminating geriatric training to primary care physicians and community health care pr oviders.