Aging Clinical and Experimental Research | 2021
The estimated prevalence of no reported dementia-related diagnosis in older Americans living with possible dementia by healthcare utilization
Abstract
Screening for dementia in relevant healthcare settings may help in identifying low cognitive functioning for comprehensive cognitive assessments and subsequent dementia treatment after diagnosis. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of no reported dementia-related diagnosis in a nationally-representative sample of older Americans with a cognitive impairment consistent with dementia (CICD) by healthcare utilization. The unweighted analytical sample included 1514 Americans aged\u2009≥\u200965 years that were identified as having a CICD without history of stroke, cancers, neurological conditions, or brain damage who participated in at least one-wave of the 2010–2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. An adapted Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status assessed cognitive functioning. Those with scores\u2009≤\u20096 had a CICD. Dementia-related diagnosis was self-reported. Respondents indicated if they visited a physician, received home healthcare, or experienced an overnight nursing home stay in the previous two years. The prevalence of no reported dementia-related diagnosis in persons with a CICD who visited a physician was 89.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 85.4%-93.1%). Likewise, the prevalence of no reported diagnosis in those with a CICD who received home healthcare was 84.3% (CI: 75.1–90.5%). For persons with a CICD that had an overnight nursing home stay, the prevalence of no reported dementia-related diagnosis was 83.0% (CI: 69.1–91.4%). Although the prevalence of no reported dementia-related diagnosis in individuals with a CICD differed across healthcare settings, the prevalence was generally high nonetheless. We recommend increased awareness and efforts be given to dementia screenings in various clinical settings.