DOI: 10.12688/hrbopenres.14457.1 ISSN: 2515-4826

Dementia Education for Professionals in South Asia: Piloting and Impact of the ‘International Dementia Academy’ course

Sanjib Saha, Shahriar Faruque, Sridhar Vaitheswaran, Mathew Varghese, Brian Lawlor, Rashed Suhrawardy, Rohit Khanna Deivasigamani, Iracema Leroi
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Background Nearly 10% of the global population living with dementia resides in South Asia, a region of over two billion people with limited diagnostic and care resources. Clinicians require accessible, flexible, and contextually relevant training to improve dementia care in frontline settings. Aim To develop, pilot, and implement a multi-modal, interactive, hybrid training program to improve clinicians’ knowledge, skills, and practice in dementia diagnosis and care in South Asia. Methods/Design Using the ADDIE framework, a 5–6-month online dementia training course was developed through partnerships with the Neurology Academy (UK), the Global Brain Health Institute (Trinity College Dublin), regional academic and third-sector organisations, and international faculty. The course included pre-recorded lectures, live case-based discussions, quizzes, prescribed readings, online discussion forums, and a required Quality Improvement (QI) proposal. Content covered eight core themes delivered through 39 short lectures by multidisciplinary experts from ten countries, with country-specific material for Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Evaluation was guided by the New World Kirkpatrick Four-Level Training Evaluation Model. Results Three course cohorts enrolled clinicians from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal (total n = 57). Level 1 evaluation showed high satisfaction with content and delivery; 14% reported the pace was too fast. Live case-based discussions were rated most valuable. Participation was strong, with 65% attending all live sessions and 80% engaging in online forums. Level 2 evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in dementia Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP). At Level 3, most learners developed dementia-focused QI proposals, leading to initiatives such as caregiver training, patient awareness activities, and educational materials. Level 4 outcomes showed that several participants established or expanded local dementia services after course completion. Conclusion This training program improved dementia knowledge, skills, and clinical practice among clinicians in resource-limited South Asian settings, fostered professional networks, and contributed to strengthening dementia care capacity in the region. *ADDIE: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate, Instructional Design Model (ADDIE)

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