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. 2022 Jun 22;11(6):e34550.
doi: 10.2196/34550.

Implementing a Personalized Integrated Stepped-Care Method (STIP-Method) to Prevent and Treat Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Persons With Dementia in Nursing Homes: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study

Helma M F Verstraeten  1 , Canan Ziylan  2 , Debby L Gerritsen  3 , Robbert Huijsman  4 , Miharu Nakanishi  5 , Martin Smalbrugge  6 , Jenny T van der Steen  1   7 , Sytse U Zuidema  8 , Wilco P Achterberg  1 , Ton J E M Bakker  2   9
Affiliations

Implementing a Personalized Integrated Stepped-Care Method (STIP-Method) to Prevent and Treat Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Persons With Dementia in Nursing Homes: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study

Helma M F Verstraeten et al. JMIR Res Protoc. .

Abstract

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms occur frequently in many nursing home residents with dementia. Despite the availability of multidisciplinary guidelines, neuropsychiatric symptoms are often inadequately managed. Three proven effective methods for managing neuropsychiatric symptoms were integrated into a single intervention method: the STIP-Method, a personalized integrated stepped-care method to prevent and treat neuropsychiatric symptoms. The STIP-Method comprises 5 phases of clinical reasoning to neuropsychiatric symptoms and 4 stepped-care interventions and is supported with a web application.

Objective: This study aims to identify the facilitators and barriers in the implementation of the STIP-Method in nursing homes.

Methods: A mixed methods design within a participatory action research was used to implement the STIP-Method in 4 facilities of 2 Dutch nursing home organizations. In total, we aimed at participation of 160-200 persons with dementia and expected an intervention fidelity of 50% or more, based on earlier studies regarding implementation of effective psychosocial interventions to manage neuropsychiatric symptoms. All involved managers and professionals were trained in the principles of the STIP-Method and in using the web application. An advisory board of professionals, managers, and informal caregivers in each facility supported the implementation during 21 months, including an intermission of 6 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In these 6-weekly advisory board meetings, 2 researchers stimulated the members to reflect on progress of the implementation by making use of available data from patient records and the web application. Additionally, the 2 researchers invited the members to suggest how to improve the implementation. Data analysis will involve (1) analysis of facilitators and barriers to the implementation derived from verbatim text reports of advisory board meetings to better understand the implementation process; (2) analysis of patient records in accordance with multidisciplinary guidelines to neuropsychiatric symptoms: personalized, interdisciplinary, and proactive management of neuropsychiatric symptoms; (3) evaluation of the web application in terms of usability scores; (4) pre- and postimplementation analysis of patient records and the web application to evaluate the impact of the STIP-Method, such as changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms and informal caregiver burden.

Results: We enrolled 328 persons with dementia. Data collection started in July 2019 and ended in December 2021. The first version of this manuscript was submitted in October 2021. The first results of data analysis are expected to be published in December 2022 and final results in June 2023.

Conclusions: Our study may increase understanding of facilitators and barriers to the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in nursing home residents with dementia by implementing the integrated STIP-Method. The need for well-designed implementation studies is of importance to provide nursing homes with optimal tools to prevent and treat neuropsychiatric symptoms.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/34550.

Keywords: caregiver; dementia; implementation; neuropsychiatric symptoms; nursing homes; psychosocial intervention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The researchers involved in integrative reactivation and rehabilitation (IRR), Grip on Challenging Behavior (Grip), and Stepwise, Multidisciplinary Intervention for Pain and Challenging Behavior in Dementia (STA OP!) (TJEMB, MS, and WPA) and experts on the implementation and management of neuropsychiatric symptoms (DLG, JTS, and SUZ) collaboratively developed a joint multicomponent intervention, the STIP-Method, and provided input to the process of development. MN was involved in the development of the web application. All authors have declared that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The STIP-Method. CGA: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment; DSA: dynamic system analysis; GAS: Goal Attainment Scaling; NPI: Neuropsychiatric Inventory; PAIC: Pain Assessment in Impaired Cognition.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Timeline for implementation and data collection. BPSD: Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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