title: [People with dementia in primary care : Prevalence, incidence, risk factors and interventions].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 110 years after the first description of Alzheimer's disease (AD) healthcare systems worldwide face the challenge of increasing numbers of people affected by dementia. There is a need to develop (national) dementia plans on a societal level to implement strategies to combat these challenges. These plans, among other topics, explicitly aim at scientific and research strategies as well as support and healthcare structures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes a selection of current healthcare research studies and projects in Germany. Selected studies are presented which deliver concepts and approaches to answer the most pressing issues in dementia healthcare research in primary care and the scientific evidence is summarized. Future needs in dementia research and healthcare research are presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  The projects under examination are (a) the Leipzig longitudinal study of the aged (LEILA75+), (b) the German study on aging, cognition and dementia (AgeCoDe), (c) the dementia care initiative in primary practice (IDA), (d) the Dementia: life- and person-centered help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (DelpHi) trial, (e) studies analyzing dementia care networks (IDEMUCK and DemNet-D) and (f) the general hospital study (GHoSt).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence and incidence studies have shown how high the impact of AD is on the current healthcare systems and how it is expected to be in the future. Other studies have identified risk factors as well as protective factors that can serve as target points for the development of effective interventions. They also give hints on where the healthcare system might benefit from changes. Healthcare research has identified scientific methods helpful in providing sound evidence for decision makers in health policy. These have been applied in healthcare research close to routine care and have shown their impact on routine care; however, there are healthcare-specific challenges when applying scientific methods in routine care, which are briefly described.
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Standort Rostock/Greifswald, Ellernholzstr. 1-2, 17489, Greifswald, Deutschland. rene.thyrian@dzne.de.
authors.forename: Jochen René
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6889-693X
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Thyrian
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014600:Utilization Review
keywords: Alzheimer Dementia (AD); Incidence; Prevalence; Primary health care; Risk factors