Improving the hospital experience of people living with dementia

Improving the hospital experience of people living with dementia – co-designing a digital health passport

The challenge

People with dementia often receive suboptimal hospital care due to difficulties communicating their needs and preferences. Existing tools to assist communication had limited uptake by health professionals. This study brought together health professionals, people with dementia and their carers to develop a solution to enhance hospital care.

Our impact

Photo - MMP - Michelle McFarlane

Co-designing a Hospital Admission Readiness Toolkit (HART) to be used before a person with dementia is admitted to hospital.
We have designed a toolkit for people with dementia and those supporting them for hospital staff to use.
We have designed an interface for people with dementia and those supporting them to enter important information about their preferences and routine
We have designed an interface to allow hospital staff to rapidly review this information and incorporate it into their care plans

Project lead

Monash University’s Associate Professor Chris Moran has been leading the research project from 2021 to 2025.
Funding to support the ongoing development of the toolkit is being sought.

Project resources & knowledge

Our aim is to co-design and implement a solution to rapidly integrate the pre-admission needs and preferences of a person living with dementia into hospital care. This has been achieved by bringing together health professionals, researchers, designers, people with dementia and their carers to work together on a solution.

Research paper View

Design toolkit View

Project media and articles View

Key project information

Official name:
Improving the inpatient care of people living with dementia
About the research:
Our aim was to co-design and implement a solution that rapidly integrated the pre-admission needs and preferences of a person living with dementia into hospital care.
This was achieved by bringing together health professionals, researchers, designers, people with dementia and their carers to work together on a solution.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with nursing, medical and allied health staff members and those supporting people living with dementia. The research team also performed a rapid literature review exploring strategies used to communicate the needs and preferences of people living with dementia prior to hospital admission. A range of factors influencing the use of healthcare passports and barriers to implementation were highlighted, as well as alternative approaches.
We then worked with hospital staff, people living with dementia and those supporting someone living with dementia to design a toolkit to meet their needs.
This stage of the project has been completed and we are now seeking funding to help us finalise user testing and program our design to work electronically.
Project timing: 2021 – 2025, with funding being sought to support the ongoing development of the toolkit.
Chief Investigators
Co-investigators
- Felicity Leavold (Peninsula Health)
- Associate Professor Darshini Ayton (Monash University)
- Dr Breanna Wright (Monash University)
- Madeleine Gardam (Consumer representative)
- Professor Velandai Srikanth (Monash University/ Peninsula Health)
- Dr Myra Thiessen (Monash University)
- Professor Daphne Flynn (Monash University)
- Dr Denise Goodwin (Monash University)
- Alyse Lennox (Monash University)
Project partners

For further information please contact A/Prof Chris Moran: chris.moran@monash.edu

National Centre for Healthy Ageing