Use and impact of the Alzheimer Experience: a free online media production to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate an online media production called ‘the Alzheimer Experience’ (AlzExp), which was developed to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia.

Method: Before and after watching AlzExp, all visitors of AlzExp (February–June 2012) were asked to complete questionnaires on demographics, knowledge about dementia, attitude towards people with dementia (person-centeredness) and the use of AlzExp. McNemar's chi-squared test, multivariate linear regression analysis and paired t-tests were used to analyze change in knowledge, predictors for change in person-centered attitude and differences between subgroups in change in person-centered attitude.

Results: Participants in this study (n = 213) were mostly professionals and working with people with dementia, or had someone with dementia among their acquaintances. An increase of person-centered attitude between pre- and posttest was predicted by age, having a professional or personal relationship with someone with dementia, person-centeredness at pre-test and time spent in AlzExp. Professionals had a more person-centered attitude after watching AlzExp, as did younger people, those who spent more time in AlzExp and those who had a lower score at pre-test.

Conclusion: The beneficial impact of AlzExp found in this study was modest and in particular present for people who deal with people with dementia (professionally or personally). More insight is needed in the effects of tools aimed at raising public awareness and enhancing knowledge and understanding of dementia to tackle stigmatization associated with dementia and, thereby, improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers.

Keywords:

• Dementia
• online
• awareness
• knowledge
• person-centered attitude

Acknowledgements

We kindly acknowledge the assistance of Rob Groot Zwaaftink in this study on the use of the Alzheimer Experience.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Dutch Alzheimer’s Society.