Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29703698›Full record

Observational studyAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2018

Accuracy of general hospital dementia diagnoses in England: Sensitivity, specificity, and predictors of diagnostic accuracy 2008-2016.

Andrew Sommerlad, Gayan Perera, Archana Singh-Manoux, Glyn Lewis, Robert Stewart, Gill Livingston

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
89citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
10.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

89 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 156 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Trial
  6. Failure to Re-identify and Manage Known Dementia Associated With Hospital Readmission and LOS: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026
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  19. Distinct medical and substance use histories associate with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
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29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Andrew SommerladDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St. Pancras Hospital, London, UK. Electronic address: a.sommerlad@ucl.ac.uk.
Gayan PereraDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Archana Singh-ManouxINSERM U 1018, Epidemiology of Ageing and Age-Related Diseases, Villejuif, France; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
Glyn LewisDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St. Pancras Hospital, London, UK.
Robert StewartDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Gill LivingstonDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St. Pancras Hospital, London, UK.
St Pancras Hospital · GBUniversity College London · GBKing's College London · GBNIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the ICR

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_17214Medical Research Council MR/K013351/1Medical Research Council MR/R024227/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRecognizing dementia in general hospitals allows for tailored care. We aimed to assess hospital dementia diagnosis accuracy, changes over time, and predictors of correct identification.

methodRetrospective cohort study of people over 65 years, using data from a large mental health care database as gold standard, linked to 2008-2016 English hospital data.

resultsIn 21,387 people who had 138,455 admissions, we found sensitivity and specificity of dementia recording, respectively, to be 78.0% and 92.0% for each person's complete records, and 63.3% and 96.6% for each nonelective admission. Diagnostic sensitivity increased between 2008 and 16. Accurate general hospital recording of the presence of dementia was lower in ethnic minority groups, younger, single people, and those with physical illness. DISCUSSION: Dementia diagnosis recording in general hospitals is increasing but remains less likely in some groups. Clinicians should be aware of this inequity and have a higher index of clinical suspicion in these groups.

Indexed as

Hospitals, GeneralAgedAlzheimer DiseaseEnglandFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityDiagnosisEpidemiologyHospital recordsMedical recordsPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID29703698
PMCPMC6057268
OpenAlexW2799540499

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.