[Diagnostic procedure and antidementive therapy of dementia patients in primary care: an urban-rural comparison].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this work was to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic regime of general practitioners (GPs) of dementia patients in an urban-rural-comparison.


METHODS
The cross-sectional analysis of 129 GPs and 390 patients is part of the three-arm cluster-randomized controlled follow-up-study Project IDA - Initiative dementia care in primary practice . The study was carried out in Middle Franconia, a typical urban-rural area in Southeastern Germany. The sample constitutes the baseline assessment. GPs had to document their diagnostic and therapeutic behaviour upon inclusion of dementia patients in the study.


RESULTS
As expected, significant differences in imaging diagnostic procedures exist between urban (57.9 %) and rural (42.7 %) areas (p = 0.010). There are no differences in the referral quote to specialists (total 57.9 %), in the frequency of treatment with non-pharmacological therapies (total 13.3 %) as well as pharmacological therapies with evidence-based medication (18.7 %; AChE inhibitors and Memantine).


CONCLUSIONS
Except for imaging diagnostic procedures, there were no differences in the regime of urban and rural GPs. Thus, an almost similar care for rural and urban dementia patients can be assumed.
Donath
Carolin
C
Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Erlangen, Bereich Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie. carolin.donath@uk-erlangen.de
Grassel
Elmar
E
Grossfeld-Schmitz
Maria
M
Haag
Christine
C
Kornhuber
Johannes
J
Neubauer
Simone
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D018697:Nootropic Agents