The prevalence of dementia is forecast to triple worldwide by 2050. Strain on healthcare systems will be immense and in lower socioeconomic areas, where families are the primary carers, the situation will be particularly challenging.

Dr Kathleen Doherty works with an exceptional team to develop ways to address this global problem.

‘My current research is on understanding how education courses can affect people’s knowledge and attitudes about dementia, thus improving quality of life for those with dementia. Stigma is one of the most important things to address, because fear and ignorance prevent good care.’

Dr Doherty came to the field via a varied career as an immunologist. Working in blood transfusion centres, she observed people without formal education employed in health care and saw the potential to make an impact through education. ‘I became interested in developing young researchers. And I saw the chance to develop whole communities through education and health literacy.

‘The big thing for me is the broad impact this can have. It’s about equipping people to make decisions. Education helps people choose how to live their lives.’

Counteracting stigma through education

There are many misbeliefs about dementia. ‘A common belief,’ explains Dr Doherty, ‘is that dementia is a normal part of ageing. This is not the case. While we can’t yet prevent the condition, there are many things people can do to reduce their risk. We know that factors like diet, exercise and learning impact on risk of dementia. Looking after our bodies and brains potentially helps people stay well for longer if they do develop the condition. If by changing health behaviours we could reduce the age of onset by five years, this would have a huge impact.’

Wicking’s education programs aim to inform not only those with the condition, their families and carers, but health professionals including doctors, and the broader community. ‘Improving how people understand the condition makes their responses to it more effective. Our aim is to improve all aspects of the experience of people living with dementia, from doctor’s visits, to living at home, to being part of their community.’

Online course delivery

Wicking’s award-winning education programs take the form of massive online open courses (MOOCs). These are free and available worldwide on the internet. ‘My particular interest,’ says Dr Doherty, ‘is how these actually impact health literacy ­– what you know and how you use it and how it helps you make decisions.

‘The World Health Organisation has identified a need for education about dementia, and the numbers of people doing the MOOCs indicate that we are meeting this need, and that the information is being well-delivered in a way that makes sense.’

One of the things the courses do is teach about the brain, so participants can better understand how this is linked to better ways to care. Researchers are interested in exploring how this knowledge might enhance coping for carers and families and reduce stress.

‘People’s knowledge from doing the course improves dramatically across many sectors of the community, which means the first step is achieved towards dementia literacy. My research looks at how people interact with the MOOC – how many finish it, how many enjoy the course, what it means to participants, acquisition of skills, and how it affects their confidence and attitudes. We aim to examine how changes in knowledge and attitudes affect the large number of participants across society and in many countries.’

The Dementia MOOCs also tie in with Dr Doherty’s research on dementia-friendly communities. ‘Seventy per cent of those with dementia will continue living in the community, so they will need community support. It’s about empowering people with dementia to live well.’

UTAS has worldwide reach

As far as Dr Doherty is concerned, there’s no better place than UTAS to do this particular research. ‘We’ve invented the Dementia MOOCs. We’ve demonstrated their enormous reach. We’re making a unique offering to the world addressing a global problem.

‘We have a unique opportunity right now, here in Tasmania. The courses are created here and can take Tasmania to the world. Here we are developing something with just as much power for global change, as anywhere else. And it’s a grass roots change. It’s not aimed at a select small group but at a huge spectrum of people across many countries.

‘There’s nothing quite like being at a massive international conference on dementia in somewhere like Chicago, and someone coming up to us from the Caribbean saying they’ve done the MOOC and how fantastic it is. It shows we’re addressing a global problem from a local perspective.

‘We’re privileged at Wicking, as so few places bring such a broad cross-section of people together – being truly multidisciplinary is rare. We’re very lucky – and we live in the most beautiful place on earth.’