Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in the secondary health care sector

Thien Kieu Thi Phung; Birgitte Bo Andersen; Lars Vedel Kessing; Preben Bo Mortensen; Gunhild Waldemar; Thien Kieu Thi Phung; Birgitte Bo Andersen; Lars Vedel Kessing; Preben Bo Mortensen; Gunhild Waldemar

doi:10.1159/000223664

Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in the secondary health care sector

Thien Kieu Thi Phung, Birgitte Bo Andersen, Lars Vedel Kessing, Preben Bo Mortensen, Gunhild Waldemar, Thien Kieu Thi Phung, Birgitte Bo Andersen, Lars Vedel Kessing, Preben Bo Mortensen, Gunhild Waldemar

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We conducted a nationwide registry-based study of the quality of diagnostic evaluation for dementia in the secondary health care sector. METHOD: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from the patient population (4,682 patients) registered for the first time with a dementia diagnosis in the nationwide hospital registries during the last 6 months of 2003. Through medical record review, we evaluated the completeness of the work-up on which the dementia diagnosis was based, using evidence-based dementia guidelines as reference standards. RESULTS: Satisfactory or acceptable completion of the basic dementia work-up was documented in 51.3% of the patients. Only 11.5% of those with unsatisfactory work-up were referred to follow-up investigations. Dementia syndrome was confirmed in 88.5% of the cases, but correct subtypes were diagnosed in only 35.1%. CONCLUSION: The adherence to clinical guidelines concerning dementia work-up is inadequate in the secondary health care sector. Our findings call for improvement in the organization of clinical dementia care, for education of specialists and for changes in attitude towards making a diagnosis of dementia.

Original language	English
Journal	Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
Volume	27
Issue number	6
Pages (from-to)	534-42
Number of pages	8
ISSN	1420-8008
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1159/000223664 https://doi.org/10.1159/000223664
Publication status	Published - 2009

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Phung, T. K. T., Andersen, B. B., Kessing, L. V., Mortensen, P. B., Waldemar, G., Phung, T. K. T., Andersen, B. B., Kessing, L. V., Mortensen, P. B., & Waldemar, G. (2009). Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in the secondary health care sector. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 27(6), 534-42. https://doi.org/10.1159/000223664, https://doi.org/10.1159/000223664

@article{b026719068ab11df928f000ea68e967b,

title = "Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in the secondary health care sector",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: We conducted a nationwide registry-based study of the quality of diagnostic evaluation for dementia in the secondary health care sector. METHOD: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from the patient population (4,682 patients) registered for the first time with a dementia diagnosis in the nationwide hospital registries during the last 6 months of 2003. Through medical record review, we evaluated the completeness of the work-up on which the dementia diagnosis was based, using evidence-based dementia guidelines as reference standards. RESULTS: Satisfactory or acceptable completion of the basic dementia work-up was documented in 51.3% of the patients. Only 11.5% of those with unsatisfactory work-up were referred to follow-up investigations. Dementia syndrome was confirmed in 88.5% of the cases, but correct subtypes were diagnosed in only 35.1%. CONCLUSION: The adherence to clinical guidelines concerning dementia work-up is inadequate in the secondary health care sector. Our findings call for improvement in the organization of clinical dementia care, for education of specialists and for changes in attitude towards making a diagnosis of dementia.",

author = "Phung, {Thien Kieu Thi} and Andersen, {Birgitte Bo} and Kessing, {Lars Vedel} and Mortensen, {Preben Bo} and Gunhild Waldemar and Phung, {Thien Kieu Thi} and Andersen, {Birgitte Bo} and Kessing, {Lars Vedel} and Mortensen, {Preben Bo} and Gunhild Waldemar",

note = "Keywords: Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Cognition; Delivery of Health Care; Dementia; Denmark; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical Records; Neuropsychological Tests; Reference Standards; Registries; Reproducibility of Results; Specialization; Tomography, X-Ray Computed",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1159/000223664",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "534--42",

journal = "Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders",

issn = "1420-8008",

publisher = "S Karger AG",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in the secondary health care sector

AU - Phung, Thien Kieu Thi

AU - Andersen, Birgitte Bo

AU - Kessing, Lars Vedel

AU - Mortensen, Preben Bo

AU - Waldemar, Gunhild

AU - Phung, Thien Kieu Thi

AU - Andersen, Birgitte Bo

AU - Kessing, Lars Vedel

AU - Mortensen, Preben Bo

AU - Waldemar, Gunhild

N1 - Keywords: Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Cognition; Delivery of Health Care; Dementia; Denmark; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical Records; Neuropsychological Tests; Reference Standards; Registries; Reproducibility of Results; Specialization; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - BACKGROUND: We conducted a nationwide registry-based study of the quality of diagnostic evaluation for dementia in the secondary health care sector. METHOD: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from the patient population (4,682 patients) registered for the first time with a dementia diagnosis in the nationwide hospital registries during the last 6 months of 2003. Through medical record review, we evaluated the completeness of the work-up on which the dementia diagnosis was based, using evidence-based dementia guidelines as reference standards. RESULTS: Satisfactory or acceptable completion of the basic dementia work-up was documented in 51.3% of the patients. Only 11.5% of those with unsatisfactory work-up were referred to follow-up investigations. Dementia syndrome was confirmed in 88.5% of the cases, but correct subtypes were diagnosed in only 35.1%. CONCLUSION: The adherence to clinical guidelines concerning dementia work-up is inadequate in the secondary health care sector. Our findings call for improvement in the organization of clinical dementia care, for education of specialists and for changes in attitude towards making a diagnosis of dementia.

AB - BACKGROUND: We conducted a nationwide registry-based study of the quality of diagnostic evaluation for dementia in the secondary health care sector. METHOD: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from the patient population (4,682 patients) registered for the first time with a dementia diagnosis in the nationwide hospital registries during the last 6 months of 2003. Through medical record review, we evaluated the completeness of the work-up on which the dementia diagnosis was based, using evidence-based dementia guidelines as reference standards. RESULTS: Satisfactory or acceptable completion of the basic dementia work-up was documented in 51.3% of the patients. Only 11.5% of those with unsatisfactory work-up were referred to follow-up investigations. Dementia syndrome was confirmed in 88.5% of the cases, but correct subtypes were diagnosed in only 35.1%. CONCLUSION: The adherence to clinical guidelines concerning dementia work-up is inadequate in the secondary health care sector. Our findings call for improvement in the organization of clinical dementia care, for education of specialists and for changes in attitude towards making a diagnosis of dementia.

U2 - 10.1159/000223664

DO - 10.1159/000223664

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19506375

SN - 1420-8008

VL - 27

SP - 534

EP - 542

JO - Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders

JF - Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders

IS - 6

ER -

Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in the secondary health care sector

Abstract

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