Envisioning Better Approaches for Dementia Care

The vast majority of patients with dementia receive their care in primary care settings. Clinicians find it challenging to provide optimal care for these patients and their often-stressed and overly burdened caregivers because current reimbursement mechanisms do not support the kinds of practical, time-intensive, team-based processes of care that have been associated with improved outcomes in these settings. In this issue, Vickrey and colleagues present in a randomized trial the results of a novel disease management program for the primary care of dementia; Belle and colleagues tested a multicomponent intervention to improve quality of life in distressed caregivers. These articles make it clear that the medical profession must advocate for patients with dementia.