Alzheimer s Poll Prepared on behalf of the Alzheimer s Society

Alzheimer s Poll Prepared on behalf of the Alzheimer s Society Contents Methodology...2 Key findings...3 Data tables...4

Fieldwork Dates: 6 th February - 24 th March 2012 Data Collection Method: The survey was conducted online, with invitations to complete surveys sent out at random by email to GPs across all regions of England. Population Sampled: All GPs in England. Sample Size: 382 Data Weighting: Data were weighted by region to the profile of all GPs. Targets for the weighted data were derived from mid-year population estimates taken from Primary Care Organisations Population Estimates (experimental), ONS, Mid-2010. Data were weighted by Mark Lovelace and analysed and presented by Patrick Briône and Charlotte Jee of Survation. For further information please contact; Damian Lyons Lowe Chief Executive Survation Ltd 020 7490 4094 damian.lyonslowe@survation.com Survation are a member of The British Polling Council and abide by its rules: http://www.britishpollingcouncil.org Survation Ltd Registered in England & Wales Number 07143509

Alzheimer s Poll: Key Findings Half of all practices definitely display the Worried about your memory? materials, though 32% of GPs do not know whether they do or not. Twice as many practices in the North (11%) were definitely not displaying as practices in the rest of the UK. GPs overwhelmingly thought that the leaflet would encourage people with memory concerns to visit their GP (82% Yes versus 4% No). 73% of GPs said that they felt the information in the material struck a responsible balance between informing people without making them overly concerned where no real symptoms exist, while 7% said it did not and 20% said Don t Know. When asked how they would like to access further information and resources from Alzheimer s Society, 71% said online, 41% said via print materials, 38% replied face-toface learning such as conferences and seminars, 11% said through the media, and 4% said publications (e.g. trade journals). 37% of GPs felt they had received sufficient basic training in diagnosis and management of dementia, although only 23% felt they had received sufficient post-qualification training in the area. 28% in each case felt they definitely had not received adequate basic or postqualification training, with GPs in the South of England reporting the highest level of dissatisfaction with training in both cases (33% for basic training, 34% for post-qualification training). When asked if there are any specific areas they would like further information on, 75% of GPs said management of behavioural symptoms of dementia, 54% said support for carers, 51% said information and support for people with dementia, 47% said available drug treatments and their effectiveness, 41% said initial assessment and referral and 39% said the dementia pathway and my role in it. When asked what the barriers are to diagnosis, 66% of GPs said the stigma attached to mental health and dementia, 65% said many people with dementia do not present to General Practice, 53% replied a lack of support services for people following diagnosis, 35% said lack of training for GPs on dementia, 33% said a lack of suitable drug treatments, 23% replied no local memory clinic or long waits at the memory clinic. 88% of GPs agreed that there are benefits to an early diagnosis of dementia while 12% disagreed. Of those that agreed that there are benefits to an early dementia diagnosis, 84% said that it gives you time to plan for the future, 78% said access to treatments, 74% replied helping to improve quality of life, and 69% said access to care pathways. When asked how confident they are about diagnosing someone with dementia or Alzheimer s disease, 79% said confident to some extent- with 22% saying confident and 58% saying fairly confident. 15% replied that they are not confident. When asked whether they tell their patients about the support they can receive from Alzheimer s Society, 13% of GPs said all the time, 33% replied often, 28% said sometimes, 20% said rarely and 6% replied never. Prepared on behalf of Alzheimer s Society

Alzheimer's Poll Fieldwork: 6th February - 24th March 2012 Table 1 Counts/Column % Q1: Your practice may receive mailings of 'Worried about your memory?' materials three times a year. Does your practice display these materials? Total Unweighted Base 382 108 102 107 65 Weighted Base 382 108 122 40 112 Yes 190 43 66 19 62 50% 40% 54% 48% 55% No 26 12 6 2 7 7% 11% 5% 4% 6% Don't know 122 41 38 14 29 My practice does not receive Worried about your memory? materials 32% 38% 31% 34% 26% 44 12 12 6 14 11% 11% 10% 15% 12%

Table 2 Counts/Column % Q2: Do you think that the campaign leaflet would encourage people to visit their GP if they had memory concerns? Total Unweighted Base 331 101 89 91 50 Weighted Base 328 101 106 34 86 Yes 270 84 81 28 78 82% 83% 76% 80% 90% No 14 3 10 1 0 4% 3% 9% 3% 0% Don't know 44 14 16 6 9 13% 14% 15% 16% 10%

Table 3 Counts/Column % Q3: Do you think that the information in the material strikes a responsible balance between informing people to action where necessary, without making them overly concerned where no real symptoms exist? Total Unweighted Base 312 94 88 85 45 Weighted Base 309 94 105 32 78 Yes 225 76 74 22 53 73% 81% 70% 68% 69% No 22 2 11 2 7 7% 2% 10% 6% 9% Don't know 62 16 20 8 17 20% 17% 19% 26% 22%

Table 4 Counts/Column % Q4: If we were to further develop our dementia resources for GPs, how would you like to access that information? (please tick a maximum of two) Total Unweighted Base 262 78 78 71 35 Weighted Base 258 78 93 27 60 Online (website, e-learning and email) 183 59 66 19 40 Publications (trade journals, charity publications) Print materials (leaflets or information sheets) 71% 76% 71% 70% 66% 10 5 1 0 3 4% 6% 1% 1% 6% 105 32 39 10 24 41% 41% 42% 37% 40% Media (national press and broadcast) 28 11 10 2 5 11% 14% 10% 8% 9% Face-to-face learning (conferences, 99 28 38 11 22 seminars and workshops) 38% 36% 41% 39% 37% Other 5 2 1 2 0 2% 3% 1% 6% 0%

Table 5 Counts/Column % Q5: Do you feel that you were given sufficient basic training in diagnosis and management of dementia? Total Unweighted Base 294 90 86 79 39 Weighted Base 290 90 103 30 67 Yes 107 28 43 13 22 37% 31% 42% 44% 33% To some extent 80 30 25 8 17 28% 33% 24% 27% 26% No 82 24 29 7 22 28% 27% 28% 24% 33% Don't know 21 8 6 2 5 7% 9% 6% 5% 8%

Table 6 Counts/Column % Q6: Do you feel that you have had sufficient post-qualification training in diagnosis and management of dementia? Total North East London South Total Unweighted Base 284 87 81 78 38 Weighted Base 278 87 97 29 65 Yes 63 26 18 4 16 23% 30% 19% 13% 24% To some extent 119 36 47 16 21 43% 41% 48% 55% 32% No 78 19 29 8 22 28% 22% 30% 27% 34% Don't know 18 6 4 2 7 6% 7% 4% 5% 11%

Table 12 Counts/Column % Q7: Are there any specific areas you would like further information on? (tick all that apply) Total Unweighted Base 272 82 79 76 35 Weighted Base 265 82 94 29 60 Initial assessment and referral 109 32 42 11 24 41% 39% 44% 38% 40% The dementia pathway and my role in it 105 36 37 13 19 Information and support for people with dementia Management of behavioural symptoms of dementia Available drug treatments and their effectiveness 39% 44% 39% 45% 31% 134 45 48 16 26 51% 55% 51% 55% 43% 198 64 73 20 41 75% 78% 77% 68% 69% 125 44 44 13 24 47% 54% 47% 45% 40% Support for carers 142 45 48 17 33 54% 55% 51% 59% 54% Other 17 2 7 2 5 6% 2% 8% 8% 9%

Table 13 Counts/Column % Q8: Currently only 40% of people with dementia ever receive a diagnosis What in your opinion are the barriers to diagnosis? (tick all that apply) Total Unweighted Base 271 82 79 74 36 Weighted Base 266 82 94 28 62 Dementia is not important 4 1 1 0 2 Many people with dementia do not present to General Practice No local memory clinic/long waits at the memory clinic Lack of training for GPs on dementia A lack of support services for people following diagnosis 1% 1% 1% 0% 3% 173 59 66 19 29 65% 72% 70% 68% 47% 61 11 32 2 16 23% 13% 34% 8% 25% 93 25 38 8 22 35% 30% 41% 27% 36% 141 37 56 15 33 53% 45% 59% 53% 53% A lack of suitable drug treatments 88 26 35 9 19 The stigma attached to mental health and dementia 33% 32% 37% 31% 31% 176 56 62 18 40 66% 68% 66% 66% 64% Other 37 11 11 3 12 14% 13% 11% 12% 19%

Table 14 Counts/Column % Q9: Do you think there are benefits to an early diagnosis of dementia? Total Unweighted Base 270 82 79 73 36 Weighted Base 266 82 94 28 62 Yes 234 74 84 23 53 88% 90% 89% 85% 86% No 32 8 11 4 9 12% 10% 11% 15% 14%

Table 15 Counts/Column % Q10: If Yes to Q9, what are they? Total Unweighted Base 238 74 70 64 30 Weighted Base 233 74 84 24 52 Access to treatments 181 58 65 19 40 78% 78% 77% 78% 77% Access to care pathways 161 50 54 18 40 69% 68% 64% 73% 77% Time to plan for the future 195 65 73 20 38 84% 88% 87% 81% 73% Helping to improve quality of life 172 55 65 20 33 74% 74% 77% 83% 63% There is no benefit in receiving a 2 2 0 0 0 dementia diagnosis 1% 3% 0% 0% 0% Other 21 9 5 2 5 9% 12% 6% 9% 10%

Table 16 Counts/Column % Q11: How confident are you about diagnosing someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease? Total Unweighted Base 269 81 78 74 36 Weighted Base 264 81 93 28 62 Confident 58 14 24 6 14 22% 17% 26% 22% 22% Fairly confident 153 48 50 15 40 58% 59% 54% 54% 64% Not confident 41 12 18 6 5 15% 15% 19% 20% 8% Don't know 13 7 1 1 3 5% 9% 1% 4% 6%

Table 16 Counts/Column % Q12: Do you tell your patients about the support they can receive from the Alzheimer's Society? Total Unweighted Base 268 81 77 74 36 Weighted Base 263 81 92 28 62 All the time 34 8 13 4 9 13% 10% 14% 14% 14% Often 87 25 31 11 21 33% 31% 34% 38% 33% Sometimes 75 24 27 8 16 28% 30% 30% 28% 25% Rarely 52 18 18 5 12 20% 22% 19% 16% 19% Never 15 6 2 1 5 6% 7% 3% 4% 8%