Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26310787›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2015

Dutch family physicians' awareness of cognitive impairment among the elderly.

Pim van den Dungen, Eric P Moll van Charante, Peter M van de Ven, Gerbrand Foppes, Jos P C M van Campen, Harm W J van Marwijk, Henriëtte E van der Horst, Hein P J van Hout

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Pim van den DungenDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.vandendungen@vumc.nl.
Eric P Moll van CharanteDepartment of General Practice, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.p.mollvancharante@amc.uva.nl.
Peter M van de VenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.vandeven@vumc.nl.
Gerbrand FoppesDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. gfoppes@hotmail.com.
Jos P C M van CampenDepartment of Geriatric Medicine, Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Jos.vanCampen@slz.nl.
Harm W J van MarwijkDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. hwj.vanmarwijk@vumc.nl.
Henriëtte E van der HorstDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. he.vanderhorst@vumc.nl.
Hein P J van HoutDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. hpj.vanhout@vumc.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDementia is often not formally diagnosed in primary care. To what extent this is due to family physicians' (FPs) watchful waiting, reluctance to diagnose or to their unawareness of the presence of cognitive impairment is unclear. The objective of this study was to assess FPs' awareness of cognitive impairment by comparing their evaluation of the absence or presence of cognitive impairment in older patients without an established diagnosis of dementia, with a reference test of cognitive functioning. In addition, we assessed which patient characteristics were associated with con- and discordance between FPs' evaluation of cognition and results of the reference test.

methodsThe design was a nested diagnostic study. FPs (n = 29) of 15 primary care practices classified the cognitive status of all their patients ≥ 65 years of age (n = 7865) into four categories, based on recollection and medical records. All patients categorized as 'possible cognitive impairment or dementia' and a sample of patients categorized as 'no signs of cognitive impairment' randomly selected to match age and gender were offered to receive a reference test of cognitive function (the CAMCOG) to verify the FPs' label. This reference test could yield three outcomes: no cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or dementia. Reference test results were weighted back to the original samples to provide estimates for the correct categorization of elderly as 'possible cognitive impairment or dementia' (positive predictive value [PPV]) and 'no signs of cognitive impairment' (negative predictive value [NPV]). Cognitive functioning was not assessed for patients evaluated by FPs as 'probable dementia' and 'unknown or no recent contact'. Characteristics associated with the con- or discordance of the FPs' classification and the reference test were assessed using logistic regression.

resultsComplete reference test results were obtained from 318 elderly. FPs labeled 8.3 % of elderly 'possible cognitive impairment or dementia'. The PPV of this label for a CAMCOG score suggestive of dementia or aMCI was 47.1 % (95 %-confidence interval: 43.5 - 62.4 %). FPs labeled 83.7 % 'no signs of cognitive impairment'. The 1-NPV of this label for a CAMCOG score suggestive of dementia or aMCI was 12.5 % (95 %-CI 8.2 - 16.8 %). FPs labeled 3.6 % as 'probable dementia' and 4.5 % as 'unknown or no recent contact'. The odds that FPs' suspicion of cognitive impairment were confirmed by the CAMCOG were higher if persons were ADL dependent (OR 2.24 [95 %-CI 1.16 - 4.35]). The odds of FPs being unaware of the presence of cognitive impairment were higher in the older elderly (OR 1.15 [95 %-CI 1.09 - 1.23] per year).

conclusionEvaluation of FPs' classification of the global cognitive function of elderly without a firm diagnosis of dementia showed both over- and unawareness of the presence of cognitive impairment. FPs were more often unaware of cognitive impairment in the older elderly.

Indexed as

AwarenessCognitionPhysicians, FamilyAgedAged, 80 and overCase-Control StudiesCognition DisordersDementiaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID26310787
PMCPMC4549900

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.