Challenges to screening and evaluation of memory impairment among Hispanic elders in a primary care safety net facility.
OBJECTIVE
Implement a memory impairment screening procedure for elderly Hispanic primary care patients, and analyze its yield and challenges to further triage and diagnostic evaluation.


METHODS
Three hundred twenty nine Hispanic patients aged ≥60 years or proxy informants were enrolled from outpatient primary care clinics at an urban safety-net medical center. Patients were screened for memory impairment using the WHO-UCLA AVLT; for those without consent capacity, proxies were given the IQCODE. Bilingual research assistants conducted in-person or telephone screening. Age, gender, education, comorbidities, acculturation, overall health, access to care, and memory concerns were assessed as potential predictors of memory impairment. Based on identified implementation challenges, a multi-disciplinary stakeholder committee proposed revised approaches to increase diagnostic evaluation and sustainability.


RESULTS
Of 677 eligible patients approached, 329 (49%) were screened, and 77 (23%) met criteria for memory impairment using the WHO-UCLA AVLT (N=60) or the IQCODE (N=17). Only male gender and higher comorbidity uniquely predicted memory impairment (ps<0.05). Few screen-positive patients declined further triage and evaluation, but a substantial proportion could not be subsequently contacted. Challenges to implementing a memory screening program included staff time and adequate clinic space for in-person screening; challenges to follow-up of positive screening results included inability to contact patients and lack of primary care continuity to facilitate further triage and referral.


CONCLUSIONS
Nearly one-fourth of primary care Hispanic elders screened as memory-impaired, but few factors predicted positive screening. Stakeholder-guided adaptations are needed-particularly in resource-constrained settings-to overcome challenges to further diagnostic evaluation and referral.
Harris
Dorothy P
DP
Department of Neurology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Ortiz
Freddy
F
Adler
Fredric M
FM
Yu
Katherine
K
Maines
Michele L
ML
Barba
Dora
D
Viggiani
Sandra I
SI
Wolf
Sheldon M
SM
Fitten
L Jaime
LJ
Chodosh
Joshua
J
Vickrey
Barbara G
BG
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D019727:Proxy; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population