Factors Related to Noncompliance in Screening and Tracking Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients in a Single Community.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the cumulative conversion rates (CCR) from minor cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia among individuals who failed to participate in annual screening for dementia. Additionally, we analyzed the reasons for failing to receive follow-up screening in order to develop better strategies for improving follow-up screening rates.


METHODS
We contacted MCI patients who had not visited the Dongdaemun-gu Center for Dementia for annual screening during the year following their registration. We compared the CCR from MCI to dementia in the following two groups: subjects registered as having MCI in the Dongdaemun-gu Center for Dementia database and subjects who failed to revisit the center, but who participated in a screening test for dementia after being contacted. The latter participants completed a questionnaire asking reasons for not previously visiting for follow-up screening.


RESULTS
The final diagnoses of the 188 subjects who revisited the center only after contact were 19.1% normal, 64.9% MCI and 16.0% dementia. The final diagnoses of the 449 subjects in the Dongdaemun-gu Center for Dementia database were 25.6% normal, 46.1% MCI and 28.3% dementia. The CCR of the revisit-after-contact group was much lower than anticipated. The leading cause for noncompliance was "no need for tests" at 28.2%, followed by "other reasons" at 23.9%, and "I forgot the appointment date" at 19.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the low dementia detection rate of the group who revisited only after contact and the reasons they gave for noncompliance, there appears to be a need for ongoing outreach and education regarding the course and prognosis of MCI.
Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Chanmin
C
Park
Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Won Sub
WS
Kang
Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jong Woo
JW
Kim
Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jong-Woo
JW
Paik
Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Young Jong
YJ
Kim
Dongdaemun Health Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jun Hee
JH
Jeon
Dongdaemun-gu Center for Dementia, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Mee Ae
MA
Lee
Dongdaemun-gu Center for Dementia, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jae Gwang
JG
Kim
Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.; Dongdaemun-gu Center for Dementia, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ji Young
JY
Song
Cumulative conversion rates; Mild cognitive impairment; Noncompliance; Screening tests