Healthcare Awareness Profile Interview: Development of a new evidence-based brief clinical tool to assess awareness in people with dementia

Abstract

ABSTRACT People with dementia vary in awareness of difficulties. Evaluating awareness could facilitate personalized care. However, current research measures are unsuitable for practical clinical application. We aimed to develop a brief multidimensional awareness interview for clinical use. Informed by available evidence about awareness of dementia, items suitable for both in-person and remote administration were modified from validated measures or developed for clinical application. The interview was administered via telephone or videoconference to 31 community-dwelling people with mild-to-moderate dementia. An informant completed a corresponding questionnaire. A multidimensional profile of awareness was created using self-report of symptoms, and discrepancies between self-rating and either informant rating or objective memory task performance. Feedback from participants and informants and discussions with clinical advisory and patient and public involvement groups helped finalize the interview. Remote administration was straightforward taking on average under 11 min. Awareness profiles showed a spectrum of awareness across domains. Feedback indicated that the items were acceptable and understandable. Certain aspects could be mildly upsetting where current difficulties were highlighted. Subject to further validation, the Healthcare Awareness Profile Interview (HAPI) shows potential as an evidence-based brief clinical tool for assessing awareness in people with mild-to-moderate dementia.