The aim of this study is to create an open-source health-economic model for Alzheimer's disease and dementia (AD) in Ireland that accurately reflects the attitudes and preferences of people with AD (PwAD) and their family caregivers. I will collect and analyse data from PwAD and their family caregivers using various methods, including a systematic literature review to identify the lived experience of the costs of AD, a psychometric analysis of the health-related quality of life of PwAD and their caregivers using ADspecific questionnaires, a thematic analysis of interviews with PwAD and their caregivers to gain insight into their experiences and challenges relating to AD, and a preference elicitation technique known as the analytic hierarchy process to capture the values and trade-offs of PwAD and their caregivers for different care options.
I will use data from these methods to develop a health-economic model, which will compare the costs and benefits of different care options for AD. I will then test the model with a real-world example of an intervention that PwAD and their caregivers have chosen. Subsequently, I will make the model publicly accessible through an online platform, where anyone can use it or modify it to suit their needs.
Research Ireland