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Vol. 61 No. 4 (2025)
DOI: 10.4415/ANN_25_04_04
Original Articles
2025-12-09
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Integrated care pathways for people with dementia in Italy: assessing key elements for quality of care in a nationwide evaluation

Authors

Domitilla Marconi , Sara Maria Pani , Simone Salemme , Giacomo Lazzeri , Claudia Sardu , Patrizia Lorenzini , Francesco Della Gatta , Elisa Fabrizi , Ilaria Bacigalupo , Nicola Vanacore , Guido Bellomo

Abstract

Background. Person-centred care is central to global and European Union (EU) dementia strategies. This Italian study evaluates compliance of integrated care pathways (ICPs) with the National Guidance for People with Dementia (NGICPD). Methods. ICPs obtained from national and official sources evaluated using a 43-item NGICPD-based checklist across three domains: framework, elements, and development.
Results. Thirty-nine ICPs were analysed. Fourteen of 21 regions and 30 of 110 Local Health Authorities developed an ICP. Mean scores were 23.5±7.9 for regional and 23.1±5.0 for LHA ICPs, showing low compliance with the NGICPD.
Conclusions. The study assessed national and regional ICPs for dissemination, guideline alignment, and implementation gaps, emphasizing the need for improved monitoring through key quality indicators.

Keywords: Quality of care, Care pathways, Dementia, health services, Primary Health Care

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Authors

Domitilla Marconi - Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

Sara Maria Pani - Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy

Simone Salemme - Department Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; International School of Advanced Studies, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

Giacomo Lazzeri - Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

Claudia Sardu - Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy

Patrizia Lorenzini - National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy

Francesco Della Gatta - Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy

Elisa Fabrizi - National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy; Escuela de Doctorado, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain

Ilaria Bacigalupo - National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy

Nicola Vanacore - National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy

Guido Bellomo - National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Copyright (c) 2025 Istituto Superiore di Sanità

How to Cite
Marconi, D., Pani, S. M., Salemme, S., Lazzeri, G., Sardu, C., Lorenzini, P., Della Gatta, F., Fabrizi, E., Bacigalupo, I., Vanacore, N., & Bellomo, G. (2025). Integrated care pathways for people with dementia in Italy: assessing key elements for quality of care in a nationwide evaluation. Annali dell’Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 61(4), 259–268. https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_25_04_04
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