Biopsychosocial Medical Interview Model and Alzheimers
Over the years, researchers have proposed various non-medical and psychosocial models for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. Nonetheless, addressing Alzheimer’s patients’ unique needs using a model that integrates biological, social, and psychosocial processes in its management. Present models provide an increased understanding of factors that improve or worsen instead of illustrating the impact psychological factors have on the disease’s contextual biological processes. Accordingly, this paper explores the impact of the application of biopsychosocial medical interviews. With dementia being a multifactorial condition, only a few researchers address the differences between the biomedical and psychosocial interview models in its management. For this reason, a rationale exists for analyzing these differences to provide the caregiver with a practical guide for implementing effective interventions in older adults living with dementia.
Biopsychosocial Medical Interview Model and Alzheimers
In contrast to the traditional biomedical interview model, the biopsychosocial medical interview model focuses on the micro-level interactions between individuals. Its effectiveness in meeting the social needs of older adults with Alzheimer’s depends on reducing disabilities, promotion of cognitive functions, mood, and emotional regulation. Besides, this model poses no health risks to older adults. It uses a multidisciplinary approach to develop practical-based analysis interventions to address cognitive, behavioral, functional limitations, and improve seniors’ quality of life with Alzheimer’s. Combining the psychosocial model with pharmacological options provides health care providers with a potent tool for delivering effective palliative care. According to Teachman et al. (2019), psychosocial model interventions focus on providing patient-centric care to end-of-life and living Alzheimer’s patients.
Several approaches are available for delivering effective psychosocial based interventions to older adults. Through the psychosocial model, caregivers can leverage assistive technologies to address accessibility, sustainability, and personalization challenges in patients with Alzheimer’s. The psychosocial-based dementia intervention’s cost-effectiveness recommends for application in the prevention delivery of palliative care at home or in health care institutions. As such, the psychosocial interview model can lower the costs associated with the provision of Alzheimer’s care in self-care settings or care homes. Moreover, its reliance on a specialist, personalized multicomponent treatment approach to provide psychological support to families living with an older adult reduces care home admission for the target population. Psychosocial based interventions support family carers. Given the multicomponent nature of this model, it is a useful tool for reducing depression, caregivers’ burden, behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s, and improving caregivers’ quality of life.
The suitability of the psychosocial, social model is promising as evaluations reveal its applicability in delivering patient-centric and multicomponent based dementia care to older adults. However, several limitations affect its relevance in addressing the unique needs of older adults—concerns about the suitability, effectiveness, and acceptability of assistive technologies by patients and caregivers. As a result, there is a need for new paradigms to evaluate the effectiveness of rapidly evolving technologies. While some psychosocial based interventions can effectively address the unique needs of seniors with dementia, they might have minimal health outcomes in patients with dementia compared to the scope of change required. Fossey et al. (2019) contend that only the development of evidence-based psychosocial interventions can contribute to delivering effective care to older adults living with dementia. Nonetheless, the application of this model requires a shift in the methodologies used to collect data for evaluation of the sensitivity of the model to contextual, biomedical, and patient data. For this reason, the development of new initiatives for addressing the health and safety needs of seniors living with dementia entails engaging families, caregivers, and the public in the management of dementia.
References
Teachman, B. A., McKay, D., Barch, D. M., Prinstein, M. J., Hollon, S. D., & Chambless, D. L. (2019). How psychosocial research can help the National Institute of mental health achieve its grand challenge to reduce the burden of mental illnesses and psychological disorders. American Psychologist, 74(4), 415-431. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000361
Fossey, J., Garrod, L., Tolbol Froiland, C., Ballard, C., Lawrence, V., & Testad, I. (2019). What influences the sustainability of an effective psychosocial intervention for people with dementia living in care homes? A 9 to 12‐month follow‐up of the perceptions of staff in care homes involved in the WORLD randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(5), 674-682. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5066