A population needs assessment profile for dementia.

The Tayside Profile for Dementia Planning is an instrument designed to obtain data for population needs assessment and planning. It provides a brief tool to collect a minimum dataset by non-specialists. Third-party informants-informal carers or involved professionals-are used as data sources. The key concept is the use of a descriptive profile rather than a summative score or categorization. The profile consists of a set of needs indicators, information on current service response and demographic and background data. Key levels of dependency are measured by time interval dependency. Validity, reliability, acceptability and usability are satisfactory, with the crucial exception that informal carers and professionals appear to perceive needs differently. Further research is needed to assess which type of informant provides the more useful data.