Together towards timely dementia diagnoses: the need for and value of shared decision-making

The number of older people expressing concerns about dementia and who seek evaluation from their general practitioner is increasing. Early dementia diagnosis provides opportunities to plan one’s future life and care. However, whether an early diagnosis is beneficial for every patient is still uncertain. A timely diagnosis instead of an early diagnosis is therefore preferred. A timely diagnosis is defined as the moment the patient and their significant others perceive they can benefit most from it. To achieve a timely diagnosis, shared decision-making in primary care is crucial. This thesis therefore explores the current decision-making process on diagnostic testing for dementia in general practice and investigates how this process is experienced by patients, significant others, and general practitioners. Additionally, the development and evaluation of a patient decision aid to support shared decision-making are described.