In this ISLAND Newsletter

• An Update from the ISLAND Clinic
• Feedback from Our Patients
• ISLAND Clinic - a great performer nationally
• Our clinic in the media
• Talking To Your GP about dementia
• Burnie Expo - Navigating a Journey (COTA)

Thanks for being involved in ISLAND and helping us reduce dementia risk in Tasmania. 

An Update from the ISLAND Clinic

It’s been a little while since we updated you on our dementia and cognition clinic, the ISLAND Clinic.

We have now seen over 200 Tasmanians with memory and cognition concerns and diagnosed 168 Tasmanians with dementia or cognitive impairment.

After an appointment, referring General Practitioners receive a comprehensive management plan with recommendations for each patient's future care. We receive excellent feedback from patients about the services we offer with 100% of our patients reporting they are treated with dignity and respect and 93% reporting they receive adequate information about their diagnosis. This is excellent feedback from our clients and a credit to the entire clinic team.

We opened the ISLAND Clinic because Tasmania has high rates of dementia and patchy access to services. Without access to specialist clinics, Tasmanians with cognitive symptoms may only receive a diagnosis of dementia when it is quite advanced. A late diagnosis of dementia is associated with poorer quality of life compared to early diagnosis, and fewer opportunities to take part in clinical trials. A more timely diagnosis also helps lower healthcare costs in Tasmania and improve quality of life for patients and those who care for them.

We hope to become involved with clinical trials in future years. Our clinical team are discussing possible involvement in trials and further research relating to sleep quality, blood biomarkers and medications to treat Alzheimer’s Disease.

We deliver this excellent service in partnership with IMED, QScan, the Tasmanian Health Service and Dementia Australia. There is more information on the ISLAND Clinic website and in this short video.

Feedback from Our Patients

“You did a perfect job, was more than happy, it was full on but couldn’t have asked for more”

“That was an amazing thing last Wednesday and I feel so relieved and am very happy to participate in any of your research”

“I think that it was an excellent experience and although I didn’t like to be there I was very glad that it happened. I am very glad that I saw the leaflet in my GP’s office”

“Very efficient, pleased with the way that things are done”

“I appreciate the fact that I can have information in writing myself”

ISLAND Clinic - a great performer nationally

The ISLAND Clinic is part of the national Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT) which contains approximately 50 clinics across the country. Some headline figures from our first year of operation within that network include.

• We halved the time from GP referral to diagnosis compared to national average.
• 33% of our patients came from rural and remote areas (when only 10% of residents live rurally or remote). This suggests we are reducing inequalities of access.
• 98% of our patients received a same day diagnosis. 
• A range of excellent patient rated outcome measures are depicted below. These are collected independently by ADNET about the ISLAND Clinic experience.  
  

Our Clinic in the Media

Dementia Diagnosis in a Day. Getting diagnosed with dementia can take a long time. Symptoms can be very subtle and a certain amount of forgetfulness is normal.

Associate Professor Jane Alty is a neurologist on the ISLAND Clinic team. Recently, she explained how Tasmanians can access the ISLAND clinic and what they can expect if they get an appointment. You can have a listen here.

Talking with your GP about Dementia

Dr Katharine Salmon (pictured) is a Hobart based General Practitioner who also works in the ISLAND Clinic team. She has provided the following advice and resources for anyone worried about their own or someone else’s memory.  

Some forgetfulness can happen to us all as we age. However, if you experience memory problems that cause concern, the first thing to do is see your GP. Some examples of things that might cause concern are forgetting names, repeating stories, forgetting where you are in familiar places our not being able to use familiar things – such as your mobile phone. Dementia can also present in other ways such as behavioural or personality changes and reduced planning and processing skills. 

Before you see your GP, it’s a good idea to write down what you are worried about so you can have that information on hand in your appointment. The Alzheimer’s Society has a checklist that might be helpful. It’s also a good idea to take someone you trust to your appointment, preferably someone who has known you for a long time. 

There are several things that may happen when you see your GP. Initially, they may want to talk with you and your companion about the changes you have observed. A physical examination, looking for signs of any conditions that may be contributing to what you have noticed, and some tests of memory and thinking. Your GP may arrange for some pathology testing and a brain scan in order to assess possible causes, some of which may be reversible.

These assessments can take considerable time and may involve several appointments. It is wise to allow time for this so that it can be done thoroughly. Your GP might also refer you to a clinic such as the ISLAND clinic for a detailed interdisciplinary team assessment.  

Dementia symptoms will get worse over time. It’s very important to seek help as soon as possible, if you have memory concerns as it is both important to rule our reversible causes or contributors and to allow for all the opportunities that an early diagnosis provides. Your GP understands that a diagnosis of dementia can be distressing, but most people find they are relieved to have an explanation for their symptoms. 

You might find this what to ask your doctor information from Forward with Dementia useful. 

The University of Tasmania received funding from the Australian Government. Views and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of its authors, and may not be the same as those held by the Department of Health.

CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B | ABN 30 764 374 782