The aim of this master’s thesis is to lay the foundations for enhancing early dementia detection strategies across the UK, by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the current diagnostic journey from the perspectives of people living with dementia (PLWDs) and their caregivers (CGs). The project consists of a literature review establishing foundational knowledge and identifying existing research gaps, followed by a three-phase mixed-method approach to analysis of online patient stories. Inspired by Online Community Journey Mapping by Jung et al., 2023, initially, a thematic analysis of a representative sample of online patient stories is conducted, followed by LDA topic modeling to validate the thematic insights across the wider dataset of the UK Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Support forum. The synthesis of these two methods results in detailed journey maps of
the PLWD and CG experiences. The findings reveal nuanced insights into the barriers and facilitators of early dementia diagnosis and caregiving, particularly from the perspective of familial CGs. These journey maps serve as essential tools for policymakers, NHS workers, designers, and academics to inform strategic improvements, ultimately aiming to enhance early diagnosis rates and provide support for PLWDs and their CGs.