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. 2015 Mar 29;1(1):87-93.
doi: 10.1016/j.dadm.2014.11.007. eCollection 2015 Mar.

Rates of formal diagnosis of dementia in primary care: The effect of screening

Tilly Eichler  1 , Jochen René Thyrian  1 , Johannes Hertel  2 , Bernhard Michalowsky  1 , Diana Wucherer  1 , Adina Dreier  3 , Ingo Kilimann  4 , Stefan Teipel  5 , Wolfgang Hoffmann  6
Affiliations

Rates of formal diagnosis of dementia in primary care: The effect of screening

Tilly Eichler et al. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). .

Abstract

Background: Screening could improve recognition of dementia in primary care. We sought to determine the effect of screening for dementia in primary care practices on the formal diagnosis rate; the distribution of differential diagnoses; and the factors associated with receiving a formal diagnosis.

Methods: The "Dementia: life- and person-centered help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" is an ongoing general practitioner (GP)-based, randomized, controlled intervention trial. A total of 4064 community dwelling patients (aged ≥70 years) were screened for dementia in 108 GP practices. Of these patients, 692 (17%) had positive screening results (DemTect score <9). Of these 692 patients, 406 (59%) provided informed consent. The analyses included the data from 243 patients with a complete baseline assessment (preliminary data; January 2014).

Results: Of 146 patients without a formal diagnosis of dementia, 72 (49%) received a formal diagnosis after a positive screening outcome (69% with "unspecified dementia"). Female sex was significantly associated with receiving a formal diagnosis (multivariate analyses).

Conclusion: Screening improved the identification of dementia considerably. Because of the risk of receiving a false-positive diagnosis, additional diagnostic assessment should be mandatory.

Keywords: DelpHi trial; Dementia; Diagnosis rate; Differential diagnosis; Early diagnosis; Primary care; Recognition; Screening.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Differential diagnoses of dementia in primary care patients formally diagnosed after they have screened positive for dementia (n = 72).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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