Stigma of Alzheimer's disease in healthcare professionals: Numbers that still surprise

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundEven in high income countries , the general public and health care professionals still have some stigma about dementia. Despite campaigns people still delay seeking out help advice when they first start to forget and to worry about their own memory or that of a family member.MethodA simple multiple choice questionnaire, with questions about knowledge about Alzheimer's disease, evolution and prognosis and personal questions about perception, feelings and prejudices about the disease, was applied to physicians in the field of neurology and non‐neurologists. The sample was made up of 5 different groups of health professionals : second and third year neurology residents, general neurology assistants, neurologists specializing in dementia , non‐neurologists and nursing technicians working in a neurology ward.ResultDoctors are expected to have less prejudice and misconceptions about diseases, however, although rare, we still find some concepts inadequate and mainly, some responses from the questionnaires pointed out a certain stigma in relation to Alzheimer's disease, mainly in the group of non‐neurologists e some nursing technicians.ConclusionInformation is the better way to combat the stigma. More campaigns, more medical information and most importantly, more continuing medical education in dementia needs to be provided to health professionals.