Aims

This study aims to inform how clinicians make ethical decisions over the disclosure of test results and diagnoses to adults with memory problems, particularly in the context of new medical advancements in relation to predisposition to and the early detection and diagnosis of dementia. This ethnographic study will combine an interrogation of the philosophical foundations of moral and ethical principles in particular the respect for autonomy- with the situated ethics of clinical practice, r ecognising the institutional structures, social organisations and larger social worlds in which ethical issues emerge and are acted upon. The project will view clinical assessments and diagnoses in the context of older people and their families experiences of memory problems to inform what ought to be considered in making decisions when communicating with patients and their families: what information should be communicated, when should this be communicated and how should it be communicated ? The results of this study will be disseminated to academics, policy makers, practitioners and patients and carers who are affected by memory problems and dementia.