Abstract
Background: As our population ages, the prevalence of dementia is rising. Given the complex care needs that accompany dementia, general practitioners (GPs) will be increasingly called upon to address a range of challenging clinical issues.
Objective: This article offers an introduction to the use of decision aids by GPs when caring for patients with dementia (or their carers). In addition, obstacles that can arise during the development of dementia-related decision aids are explored.
Discussion: A person-centred approach to people with dementia is a worthy goal. Decision aids are evidence-based tools that help patients (and carers) participate in choosing among healthcare options. Several existing high-quality, dementia-related decision aids are of relevance to the primary care setting. However, there is a need for additional research to develop decision aids which address a broader range of issues pertinent to dementia.