The Role Of Multidisciplinary Teams In Early Detection And Management Of Dementia: A Model Linking Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Nursing, Laboratory Biomarkers, And Hospital Administrators

Abstract

thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday activities. It represents one of the leading global health challenges of the 21st century, with prevalence rising rapidly due to increased life expectancy and population aging. By 2050, it is estimated that over 150 million people worldwide will be affected, with a particularly sharp rise in low- and middle-income countries, including Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, where demographic transitions are accelerating. Despite advances in our understanding of the biological mechanisms of dementia, delays in diagnosis remain a major obstacle, often resulting in missed opportunities for early intervention and supportive care. Traditional approaches that rely on fragmented care pathways and specialty-specific interventions have proven insufficient to address the complexity of dementia.

This review explores the pivotal role of multidisciplinary teams in early detection and management of dementia, emphasizing the integration of psychiatry, family medicine, nursing, laboratory biomarkers, and hospital administration into a unified model of care. Psychiatrists play a critical role in differentiating dementia from psychiatric conditions such as depression or late-life anxiety disorders and in managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Family physicians serve as the first point of contact for most patients and are uniquely positioned to implement screening tools, manage comorbidities, and provide continuity of care. Nurses act as frontline observers of functional decline, educators of families, and advocates for holistic care, while laboratory biomarkers, both traditional and novel, increasingly support the accurate diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. Hospital administrators ensure the sustainability of dementia services by allocating resources, developing interprofessional training programs, and embedding dementia care within national health strategies such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Through detailed analysis of each specialty’s contribution, this review highlights the urgent need for integrated dementia care pathways. A proposed model demonstrates how psychiatry, family medicine, nursing, laboratory medicine, and hospital administration can work in concert to improve early detection, streamline management, and reduce the societal and economic burden of dementia. The paper underscores that only through cohesive multidisciplinary collaboration can healthcare systems effectively address the growing challenge of dementia in both global and regional contexts.