MATCH-D Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health conditions during Dementia

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Treatment Goals

Expert consensus is that these practices are recommended in the care of people with dementia

Early Stage Dementia

An important treatment goal for people living with dementia is to simplify the medication regimen.

Health professionals and the person living with dementia should discuss and document:

  • treatment goals
  • likely prognosis
  • writing an advance care directive to indicate their wishes for treatment in specific future scenarios
  • using a dose administration aid to support medication use

Health professionals and the carer or family of the person living with dementia should discuss and document:

  • treatment goals
  • likely prognosis
  • document wishes for treatment in specific future scenarios

Mid Stage Dementia

An important treatment goal for people living with dementia is to simplify the medication regimen.

Health professionals and the person living with dementia should discuss and document:

  • treatment goals
  • likely prognosis
  • writing an advance care directive to indicate their wishes for treatment in specific future scenarios
  • using a dose administration aid to support medication use

Health professionals and the carer or family of the person living with dementia should discuss and document:

  • treatment goals
  • likely prognosis
  • document wishes for treatment in specific future scenarios

Late Stage Dementia

An important treatment goal for people living with dementia is to simplify the medication regimen.

Health professionals and the person living with dementia should discuss and document:

  • likely prognosis
  • writing an advance care directive to indicate their wishes for treatment in specific future scenarios

Health professionals and the carer or family of the person living with dementia should discuss and document:

  • treatment goals
  • likely prognosis
  • document wishes for treatment in specific future scenarios

Expert consensus is that these practices are NOT recommended in the care of people with dementia

Early Stage Dementia

These treatment goals are important for people living with dementia:

  • the wishes and needs of family and carers should take priority over those of the person living with dementia
  • it is acceptable to conceal medications in food or drink if the person with dementia refuses them

Mid Stage Dementia

These treatment goals are important for people living with dementia:

  • the wishes and needs of family and carers should take priority over those of the person living with dementia
  • it is acceptable to conceal medications in food or drink if the person with dementia refuses them

Why do we need the MATCH-D criteria?

Most people living with dementia have at least one other health condition. They often use medications to manage their other health conditions, but we don’t have much information to guide us on whether this is appropriate. Information to help us optimise medication use for older adults generally are helpful, but people living with dementia have specific needs as they are living with a progressive life-limiting condition.

About MATCH-D

The MATCH-D statements are in the broad themes of preventative medication, symptom management, disease progression, psycho-active medication, treatment goals, principles of medication use, side effects, and medication reviews.

Research Team

The MATCH-D criteria was developed by an interprofessional team of Australian researchers. Dr Amy Theresa Page, Dr Kathleen Potter, Professor Rhonda Clifford and Associate Professor Christopher Etherton-Beer at the University of Western Australia and Professor Andrew McLachlan at the University of Sydney.

Research Centre

WA Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia Centre for Optimisation of Medicines, University of Western Australia

Published Research

The development of the MATCH-D is published research is available in the Internal Medicine Journal.

The enablers and barriers are published in the BMJ Open.

 

The systematic review that informed the MATCH-D criteria and the protocol are also published.

 

The publications are Open Access, meaning they are available free of charge.

Download files

MATCH-D Criteria

Checklists – Health professional use

PDF – Early stage, Mid stage, Late stage

DOCX – Early stage, Mid stage, Late stage