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 University of Surrey. 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’t 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
£99,583
Funder
Jointly funded by the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System and the Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Team
Principal investigator
Dr Ruth Abrams
Senior Lecturer
Biography
Ruth is an organisational psychologist whose research focuses on the primary care workforce, and primary care service design, delivery and evaluation. Ruth is particularly interested in the organisation of General Practice, and women in healthcare. She uses qualitative research methods and undertakes evidence syntheses, often using realist approaches. Her current projects are funded by NIHR Public Health Research and NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research.
Ruth is the Impact Champion for the School of Health Sciences, and academic co-lead for Research Culture: People and Environment. She is also currently acting as interim Director of Research as part of a tripartite arrangement until July 2025. Ruth established and now co-leads the Realist Health and Social care workforce Special Interest Group (SIG). She sits on the Editorial Board for BJGP and BMC Medicine, and is a Fellow of the RSA.
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 University of Surrey and became Professor of Health Economics in 2012. As Director of Surrey 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
Dr Wendy Grosvenor
Associate Professor, Interim Associate Dean International (FHMS), Associate Head of School - External Engagement.
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 interactive webpage
- Read our full academic findings: BMC Medicine - Implementing and sustaining dementia care coordinators across integrated care systems: a realist evaluation
- Read the published protocol of the full Dementia care coordinator service realist evaluation
- Dementia Care Coordinators in Kent and Medway ICB: Initial Programme Theory conceptualisation and development
- SocArXiv Papers | Dementia Care Coordinators in Kent and Medway ICB: Interim findings from a realist evaluation (osf.io).
View our film
A bridge in dementia care video
Research themes
Find out more about our research at Surrey: