[Attitudes toward dementia management in Germany - Data from the IMPACT survey (Important Perspectives on Alzheimer's Care and Treatment)].
OBJECTIVE
To assess attitudes and opinions of primary care physicians, neuropsychiatrists, care givers, and community members regarding the management of dementia in Germany.


METHODS
The IMPACT survey, a 30-minute web-based questionnaire conducted between April and May 2009, queried 350 subjects in Germany (200 community members, 100 physicians, 50 caregivers of patients with dementia) as a subpopulation of 1800 subjects involved in the management of dementia subjects across Europe.


RESULTS
Community members favored dementia-screening (p < 0.001) in healthy elderly and wanted to know a diagnosis of dementia as early as possible (p = 0.092). German physicians regarded dementia as underdiagnosed and undertreated, they acknowledged the effectiveness of available antidementia drugs and saw the major reason for not-prescribing in the costs of drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
Professional knowledge about dementia has to be enhanced and financial restrictions have to be reduced to improve dementia management on all levels of medical care.
Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Abteilung für Gerontopsychiatrie, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg. Lucrezia.Hausner@zi-mannheim.de
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Hausner
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Damian
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Jekel
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Richter
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Frölich
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires