Healthcare Providers’ Knowledge of Disordered Sleep, Sleep Assessment Tools, and Nonpharmacological Sleep Interventions for Persons Living with Dementia: A National Survey

Box 1

Action points for NPSI KT strategies.

(1)   Build capacity for screening and advocacy related to sleep and dementia in professions (nursing,

     physiotherapy, occupational therapy) whose practices have the highest frequency and duration

     of patient/family interaction.

(2)   Prioritize sleep and dementia education by profession so as to build on existing awareness when

     introducing information. For example, as physicians already report awareness of the

     relationship between DS and depression and nighttime wakefulness, KT efforts should not

     focus on these elements. Rather, clear knowledge gaps should be targeted.

(3)   Education about the relationship between caregiver beliefs and DS in PWD should be a priority

     for all HCPs.

(4)   Education about comorbid conditions with known association with DS is required across

     professional groups with particular emphasis on allergies, endocrine conditions, and sensory

     deficits.

(5)   Embedding sleep-related questions in widely used screening tools for other conditions would be

     congruent with HCPs current practice and promote more routine screening in a practical format.

(6)   Healthcare providers need information about, and access to, appropriate assessment tools for

     PWD. Particular emphasis should be on actigraphy, PSQI, ESS, and SDI.

(7)   Healthcare providers need education about NPSI that is tailored to knowledge gaps within their

     own profession.

(8)   All healthcare providers need education about NPSI focused on modifications to the sleep

     environment and the critical role of passive exposure to daylight.

(9)   Develop KT strategies that incorporate awareness of organizational context and that focus on

     the level of those stakeholders who are able to influence organizational culture.

(10) Deliver KT with as much local context as possible, in a range of formats that accommodate

     learners’ preferences and that reduce the amount of time spent in learning new technology to

     access the material as opposed to time spent in learning the new material specifically.