@article{Charles_Torti_Brémault-Phillips_Dobbs_Tian_Khera_Abbasi_Chan_Carr_Parmar_2021, place={Markham, Canada}, title={Developing a Decision-Making Capacity Assessment Clinical Pathway for Use in Primary Care: a Qualitative Exploratory Case Study}, volume={24}, url={https://cgjonline.ca/index.php/cgj/article/view/400}, DOI={10.5770/cgj.24.400}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Background </strong></p> <p>With an ageing population, the incidence of dementia will in­crease, as will the number of persons requiring decision-making capacity assessments. For over 10 years, we have trained family physicians in conducting decision-making capacity assessments. Physician feedback post-training, however, has highlighted the need to integrate the decision-making capacity assessment process into the primary care context. The purpose of this study was to develop a decision-making capacity as­sessment clinical pathway for implementation in primary care.</p> <p><strong>Methods </strong></p> <p>A qualitative exploratory case-study design was used to ob­tain participants’ perspectives regarding the utility of a visual algorithm detailing a decision-making capacity assessment clinical pathway for use in primary care. Three focus groups were conducted with family physicians (n=4) and allied health professionals (n=6) in two primary care clinics in Alberta. A revised algorithm was developed based on their feedback.</p> <p><strong>Results </strong></p> <p>In the focus groups, participants identified inconsistencies and a lack of standardization regarding decision-making capacity assessments within primary care, and provided feedback regarding a decision-making capacity assessment clinical pathway to make it more applicable to primary care. Participants described this pathway as appealing and straight­forward; they also made suggestions to make it more primary care-centric. Participants indicated that the presented pathway would improve teamwork and standardization of decision-making capacity assessments within primary care.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions </strong></p> <p>Use of a decision-making capacity assessment clinical path­way has the potential to standardize decision-making capacity assessment processes in primary care, and support least in­trusive and least restrictive patient outcomes for community-dwelling older adults.</p>}, number={1}, journal={Canadian Geriatrics Journal}, author={Charles, Lesley and Torti, Jacqueline MI and Brémault-Phillips, Suzette and Dobbs, Bonnie and Tian, Peter GJ and Khera, Sheny and Abbasi, Marjan and Chan, Karenn and Carr, Frances and Parmar, Jasneet}, year={2021}, month={Feb.}, pages={26–35} }