title: Quality of dementia diagnostic evaluation for ethnic minority patients: a nationwide study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diagnostic evaluation of dementia for ethnic minority patients may be challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of diagnostic evaluation of dementia for patients from ethnic minorities in Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Danish national hospital registers were used to identify patients from the main ethnic minority groups in Denmark, who were diagnosed with dementia in the period 2005-2007. Three raters independently reviewed the patients' medical records. Data were compared to data from a previous similar study in the general Danish population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-seven medical records were reviewed. An acceptable diagnostic workup was documented in only 23% of the patients. Dementia diagnosis was confirmed in 35%. Significant differences in the quality of the diagnostic evaluation were found between patients from ethnic minorities and the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are significant ethnic disparities in the quality of diagnostic evaluations and outcome of dementia in the secondary healthcare sector.
authors: Memory Disorders Research Group, Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. rune.nielsen @ rh.regionh.dk
authors: T Rune
authors: TR
authors: Nielsen
authors: Birgitte Bo
authors: BB
authors: Andersen
authors: Marianne
authors: M
authors: Kastrup
authors: Thien Kieu Thi
authors: TK
authors: Phung
authors: Gunhild
authors: G
authors: Waldemar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003718:Denmark; D005006:Ethnicity; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012042:Registries; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000208:ethnology