Introduction: Diagnostic radiographers play a key role in the healthcare of people living with dementia, capturing and producing diagnostic images in a range of settings. Diagnostic radiographers often lack the confidence and skills to assess people with dementia appropriately, and people with dementia often report negative experiences within imaging departments. There is a lack of radiography-specific dementia education within pre-registration programmes in the UK so newly qualified radiographers enter the workforce unprepared. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a co-produced dementia education programme on student radiographers' preparedness to care, knowledge, confidence and attitudes towards dementia.
Methods: A 3-hour co-produced dementia education was delivered and evaluated using a pre-test-post-test design. A single self-administered questionnaire, comprising validated instruments, was used to assess second-year radiography students' knowledge, confidence and attitudes towards dementia. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare scale scores before and after the education.
Results: Participants knowledge, confidence and preparedness to care for people with dementia significantly increased following the intervention. Attitudes were also more positive post-intervention. Participants reported that they found the education valuable.
Conclusions: Dementia education comprising of taught theory and simulation-based education, co-produced with experts by experience, effectively improves diagnostic radiography students' knowledge, confidence and attitudes in caring for people living with dementia.
Implications for practice: Combined theory and practice-based dementia education should be included in undergraduate diagnostic radiography curriculums.
Keywords: Dementia; Education; Patient care; Radiography; Simulation; Students.
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