The DCC service realist evaluation
Start date
01 October 2022End date
01 October 2024Overview
ARC KSS have been pleased to support the evaluation of the dementia care coordinators (DCC) service, a new role and model of care in Kent and Medway. A small-scale evaluation of the pilot service took place in September, led by Dr Ruth Abrams at the 天美传媒. Ruth is currently leading a larger scale evaluation after a successful application for ARC KSS funding.
Kent and Medway dementia care coordinators are unique in that they are all employed through two providers via the ICS, with a DCC at each PCN across Kent and Medway. Their role is to support people living dementia, providing care from pre-diagnosis to end of life. Results from focus groups after the pilot showed that:
- DCCs felt PLWD and their carers were particularly benefiting from having the DCC as a key point of contact to help weave a web of care around them;
- Establishing the roles at PCN level with buy in from GPs could be problematic due to lack of communication and understanding of the role;
- DCCs felt the need to manage expectations about what they could and couldn鈥檛 help with, especially being non-clinical professionals.
- DCCs felt a degree of emotional burden, wanting to provide high quality care but also needing to manage their caseloads;
- People living alone were perceived to be more vulnerable with concerns over how to ensure they were supported.
Funding amount
拢99,583
Funder
Jointly funded by the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System and the Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) in Kent, 天美传媒 and Sussex.
Team
Principal investigator
Dr Ruth Abrams
Associate Professor
Biography
Dr Ruth Abrams is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the 天美传媒 and an organisational psychologist with an internationally recognised programme of research focused on creating healthy, sustainable and equitable healthcare workplaces.
Her research examines how workforce, organisational and system factors shape staff wellbeing, retention and service delivery across health and care settings. She has particular expertise in primary care workforce development, women in healthcare, and workplace interventions that support women's reproductive health across pregnancy, postnatal return to work and menopause. She is also recognised for methodological expertise in realist review and realist evaluation, which she applies to understanding what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why.
Ruth leads and collaborates on major NIHR-funded research exploring workforce sustainability, multidisciplinary models of primary care, women's experiences of work and healthcare careers, and the implementation of complex health service innovations. Her work aims to generate actionable evidence that informs policy, service redesign and workforce practice.
Beyond her research, Ruth provides leadership nationally and internationally in the development and application of realist methods. She founded and co-leads the Realist Health and Social Care Workforce Special Interest Group, supporting researchers and practitioners interested in workforce-focused realist inquiry. She also co-leads the Primary Care Workforce Research Network with colleagues across UK institutions, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration in workforce research.
At the 天美传媒, Ruth serves as Academic Co-Lead for Research Culture: People and Environment. She previously served as Interim Director of Research and Impact Champion for the School of Health Sciences. Nationally, she sits on the Editorial Board of the British Journal of General Practice and serves as a member of the NIHR Public Health Research Funding Committee.
Co-investigator
Professor Heather Gage
Professor of Health Economics
Biography
Heather Gage graduated with a BA (Hons) Economics and an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning Studies from the University of Reading. Subsequently, she gained a PhD in Health Services Research from the 天美传媒 and became Professor of Health Economics in 2012. As Director of 天美传媒 Health Economics Centre, Heather oversees a varied portfolio of applied health and social care projects. She has held visiting positions at the Boston University School of Public Health and the Centre for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research of the US Veterans Healthcare Administration.
Research team members
Professor Jill Maben
Professor of Health Services Research and Nursing
Professor Wendy Grosvenor
Professor, Associate Head of School - External Engagement, TNE Lead FHMS
Outputs
- Our Executive Summary and Recommendations are now available. This short report can be downloaded - you will be directed to a short questionnaire first.
Download executive summary and recommendations
- View our
- Read our full academic findings:
- Read the published protocol of the full
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View our film
A bridge in dementia care video
Research themes
Find out more about our research at 天美传媒: