Watson, James 
ORCID: 0000-0002-0238-1906, Green, Mark A ORCID: 0000-0002-0942-6628, Giebel, Clarissa ORCID: 0000-0002-0746-0566 and Akpan, Asangaedem
(2024)
Identifying longitudinal healthcare pathways and subsequent mortality for people living with dementia in England: an observational group-based trajectory analysis
BMC GERIATRICS, 24 (1).
150-.
ISSN 1471-2318, 1471-2318
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Text
BMC_Geriatrics_Final_Accepted_240124.pdf - Submitted version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Background: The number of people living with dementia (PLWD) continues to increase, particularly those with severe symptomatology. Severe symptoms and greater ill-health result in more acute care need. Early healthcare interventions can prove beneficial. Healthcare use has not been analysed as a holistic set of interlinked events. This study explores different healthcare pathways among PLWD, social or spatial inequalities in healthcare pathways and subsequent mortality risk. Methods: Group-based trajectory models (GBTM) were applied to electronic healthcare records. We generated clusters of PLWD with similar five-year, post-diagnosis trajectories in rates of primary and secondary healthcare use. Potential social and spatial variations in healthcare use clusters were examined. Cox Proportional Hazards used to explore variation in subsequent mortality risk between healthcare use clusters. Results: Four healthcare use clusters were identified in both early- (n = 3732) and late-onset (n = 6224) dementia populations. Healthcare use variations were noted; consistent or diminishing healthcare use was associated with lower subsequent mortality risk. Increasing healthcare use was associated with increased mortality risk. Descriptive analyses indicated social and spatial variation in healthcare use cluster membership. Conclusion: Healthcare pathways can help indicate changing need and variation in need, with differential patterns in initial healthcare use post-diagnosis, producing similar subsequent mortality risk. Care in dementia needs to be more accessible and appropriate, with care catered to specific and changing needs. Better continuity of care and greater awareness of dementia in primary can enhance prospects for PLWD. Research needs to further illuminate holistic care need for PLWD, including health and social care use, inequalities in care, health and outcomes.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Dementia, Healthcare, Pathway, Mortality, Trajectories, Temporal, Cluster, Inequalities |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jan 2024 15:38 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Jun 2026 05:35 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12877-024-04744-5 |
| Open Access URL: | https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1... |
| Related Websites: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3178032 |
| Disclaimer: | The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate. |
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