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Detection and Management of Cognitive Impairment in Primary Care: The Steel Valley Seniors Survey
Author(s) -
Ganguli Mary,
Rodriguez Eric,
Mulsant Benoit,
Richards Stephanie,
Pandav Rajesh,
Bilt Joni Vander,
Dodge Hiroko H.,
Stoehr Gary P.,
Saxton Judith,
Morycz Richard K.,
Rubin Robert T.,
Farkas Barry,
DeKosky Steven T.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52459.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cognitive impairment , primary care , gerontology , cognition , family medicine , psychiatry
Objectives: To identify characteristics of older primary care patients who were cognitively impaired and who underwent mental status testing by their physicians. Design: Cross‐sectional and retrospective analysis. Setting: Seven small‐town primary care practices. Participants: A total of 1,107 patients with a mean±standard deviation age of 76.3±6.6, screened using the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE); medical records reviewed. Measurements: Demographics, MMSE, medical record information. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for age, sex, and education. Results: Thirty‐one percent of the sample had MMSE scores of less than 25. Among these patients, physicians documented memory loss in only 23% which was significantly more often than in the higher scoring group (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.3–2.8), basic activity of daily living (ADL) impairment in 7.9% (OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.3–4.4), instrumental ADL (IADL) impairment in 6.7% (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.1=4.2), dementia in 12.2% (OR=3.7, 95% CI=2.0–6.8), and prescription of cholinesterase inhibitors in 7.6% (OR=4.4, 95% CI=1.9–10.2). Physicians recorded mental status testing largely in patients with research MMSE scores of 24 to 28, significantly more often when they also documented memory loss (OR=3.8, 95% CI=2.5–5.6) or impaired IADLs (OR=2.7, 95% CI=1.4–5.2), diagnosed dementia (OR=4.9, 95% CI=2.8–8.6), referred to specialists (OR=6.3, 95% CI=2.5–16.2) or social services (OR=3.6, 95% CI=1.8–7.3), or prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors (OR=8.5, 95% CI=4.2–17.5). Conclusion: Physicians noted impairment in a minority of impaired patients. They tested mental status in those with documented cognitive and functional difficulties, in very mildly impaired patients, and in those for whom they intervened.