title: Community-Dwelling People Screened Positive for Dementia in Primary Care: A Comprehensive, Multivariate Descriptive Analysis Using Data from the DelpHi-Study.
abstract: Efficient help and care for people with dementia (PWD) is dependent on knowledge about PWD in primary care.
  
  
  
  This analysis comprehensively describes community-dwelling PWD in primary care with respect to various dementia care specific variables.
  
  
  
  The analyses are based on baseline data of the ongoing general practitioner-based, randomized, controlled intervention trial DelpHi-MV (Dementia: life- and person-centered help). 6,838 patients were screened for dementia in 136 GP practices; 17.1% were screened positive, 54.4% of those agreed to participate and data could be assessed in n = 516 subjects. We assessed age, sex, living situation, cognitive status, functional status, level of impairment, comorbidities, formal diagnosis of dementia, depression, neuropsychiatric symptoms, quality of life, utilization of medical support, and pharmacological therapy.
  
  
  
  Concerning clinical-, dementia-, and health-related variables, the sample under examination was on average mildly cognitively and functionally impaired (MMSE, m = 22.2; BADL, m = 3.7). A level of care was assigned in 38.0%. Depression was identified in 15.4% and other frequent comorbidities were high blood pressure (83.3%), coronary heart diseases (37.1%), cerebrovascular diseases (22.3%), among others. In 48.6%, neuropsychiatric symptoms were present in a clinically relevant severity. Pharmacological treatment with antidementia medication was received by 25.8% and antidepressant medication by 14.0%. Utilization of services was generally low.
  
  
  
  The comprehensive description of people screened positive for dementia in primary care reveals a complex and unique population of patients. They are considerably underdiagnosed and in their majority mildly to moderately affected. More in-depth analyses are needed to study relations, associations and interactions between different variables.
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen René
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Thyrian
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Tilly
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Michalowsky
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wucherer
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reimann
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertel
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, University of Greifswald, Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Adina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dreier
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.|Institute for Community Medicine, University of Greifswald, Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003697:Delphi Technique; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Dementia; primary care; primary health care; screening