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Profile – Dr Danielle Jones, University of Bradford

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23/10/2023

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Dr Danielle Jones

Name:

Dr Danielle Jones

Job Title:

Associate Professor in Dementia Studies

Place of work / study:

University of Bradford

Area of Research:

I am a medical sociologist with expertise in Conversation Analysis. I have applied the method to medical communication to investigate how dementia is assessed within memory clinics in the UK. My current project, for which I am PI, explores how dementia risk is communicated in medical interaction within both primary care (by general practitioners) and secondary care memory assessment services (by psychiatrists). In the project I sought to identify if, when and how dementia risk is communicated to patients. In the latter part of the project, I used conversation analysis to explore dementia risk communication during diagnostic feedback meetings where patients were receiving a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment, seeking to understand the interactional mechanisms of secondary dementia risk reduction in clinical practice.

How is your research funded:

University of Bradford

Tell us a little about yourself:

I have worked at the University of Bradford for over 10 years and have played a leading role in the design, development, and delivery of dementia education within the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies and within the wider Faculty of Health Studies at the University. Recently I have been able to engage in educational research, evaluating the impact of this education on health and social care professionals’ knowledge and confidence in dementia care. I have also co-produced, with 22 people living with dementia, a new postgraduate dementia education module called “Understanding the me in Dementia”. This is the first module of its kind, created from the very beginning by people with dementia.

We are in the process of evaluating the module with people with dementia. I have been involved in dementia research for over 15 years and have used the method of conversation analysis in my research for 17 years, initially to explore family communication when a person has dementia, but more latterly to explore medical communication within memory assessment services. I am a member of the INTERDEM Dementia Prevention taskforce, a member of International Society for Conversation Analysis (ISCA), and I sit on the organising committee of the Qualitative Dementia Research Network (DemiQual).

Tell us a fun fact about yourself:

I once carried the commonwealth torch and passed it to Steve Cram.

Why did you choose to work in dementia:

My grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease and I watched how hard it was for her, as well as my family to not only understand the condition but to care for her. I wanted to make a positive difference to the lives of people with dementia and their families if I could.