title: Rates of formal diagnosis of dementia in primary care: The effect of screening.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening could improve recognition of dementia in primary care. We sought to determine the effect of screening for dementia in primary care practices on the formal diagnosis rate; the distribution of differential diagnoses; and the factors associated with receiving a formal diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The "Dementia: life- and person-centered help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" is an ongoing general practitioner (GP)-based, randomized, controlled intervention trial. A total of 4064 community dwelling patients (aged ≥70 years) were screened for dementia in 108 GP practices. Of these patients, 692 (17%) had positive screening results (DemTect score <9). Of these 692 patients, 406 (59%) provided informed consent. The analyses included the data from 243 patients with a complete baseline assessment (preliminary data; January 2014).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 146 patients without a formal diagnosis of dementia, 72 (49%) received a formal diagnosis after a positive screening outcome (69% with "unspecified dementia"). Female sex was significantly associated with receiving a formal diagnosis (multivariate analyses).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening improved the identification of dementia considerably. Because of the risk of receiving a false-positive diagnosis, additional diagnostic assessment should be mandatory.
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Tilly
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen René
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Thyrian
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertel
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Michalowsky
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wucherer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, Section of Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Adina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dreier
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kilimann
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teipel
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Institute for Community Medicine, Section of Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
keywords: DelpHi trial; Dementia; Diagnosis rate; Differential diagnosis; Early diagnosis; Primary care; Recognition; Screening