Teaching and learning about dementia in UK medical schools: a national survey

Tullo, Ellen, StClair; Gordon, Adam L.

Abstract

Background: Dementia is an increasingly common condition and all doctors, in both primary and secondary care
environments, must be prepared to competently manage patients with this condition. It is unclear whether medical
education about dementia is currently fit for purpose. This project surveys and evaluates the nature of teaching and
learning about dementia for medical students in the UK.

Methods: Electronic questionnaire sent to UK medical schools.

Results: 23/31 medical schools responded. All provided some dementia-specific teaching but this focussed more
on knowledge and skills than behaviours and attitudes. Only 80% of schools described formal assessment of
dementia-specific learning outcomes. There was a widespread failure to adequately engage the multidisciplinary
team, patients and carers in teaching, presenting students with a narrow view of the condition. However, some
innovative approaches were also highlighted.

Conclusions: Although all schools taught about dementia, the deficiencies identified represent a failure to
sufficiently equip medical students to care for patients with dementia which, given the prevalence of the condition,
does not adequately prepare them for work as doctors. Recommendations for improving undergraduate medical
education about dementia are outlined

Citation

Tullo, E. S., & Gordon, A. L. (2013). Teaching and learning about dementia in UK medical schools: a national survey. BMC Geriatrics, 13(29), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-13-29

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 27, 2013
• Deposit Date: Mar 31, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 31, 2014
• Journal: BMC Geriatrics
• Electronic ISSN: 1471-2318
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 29
• Article Number: 1
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-13-29
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/713607
• Publisher URL: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/13/29