Background
Dementia is a syndrome characterized by a decline in cognitive functioning due to various causes. It predominantly affects geriatric population. As the proportion of older adults is estimated to be increased in developing countries in the next few decades, it represents a major public health concern. To put this into Indian perspective, in 2005, 10/66 dementia research group has estimated the prevalence of dementia as 1.9% in population > 60 years (1). This translates to around 1.9 million or 19 lakh Indians suffering from dementia as per 2011 census.
There is a dearth of dedicated dementia care facilities and personnel in India as per Dementia India Report 2010 as evidenced by the availability of < 0.2 human resource personnel including psychiatrists, neurologists, nurses and social workers per 100,000 population in India. The best way to address this treatment gap is to train physicians at primary care level.
Objectives
At the end of the courses, learners will be able to:
- To assess the effect of tele-mentoring (ECHOO) model on the clinical skills of doctors to screen, assess and manage dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease.
- To assess the effect of tele-mentoring (ECHOO) model on the confidence of doctors in diagnosing and managing patients with dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease.
- To assess the effect of tele-mentoring (ECHOO) model on the quantity and quality of clinical profile including treatment of elderly patients seen by the doctors
