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Most older adults willing to undergo telephone screening for dementia

Study findings in the Journal of Aging Research indicate that the majority of primary care patients aged at least 65 years are willing to undergo dementia screening over the telephone.

“It is estimated that by 2050 there will be 11 (million) to 19 million people in the United States living with dementia. The incidence of dementia is also growing globally with a new patient being diagnosed approximately every 7 seconds,” study researcher Nicole R. Fowler, PhD, of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research, and colleagues wrote. “Despite rising incidence rates, many patients with dementia go unrecognized and never receive a cognitive evaluation or diagnosis. Estimates of undiagnosed dementia among older adults in the United States range from 45% to 80%.”

Nicole R. Fowler

To assess older adults’ perceptions of dementia screening, researchers administered questionnaires via telephone to patients aged at least 65 years and asked if they would be interested in dementia screening. If patients agreed to screening, it was administered during the same phone call. The study cohort consisted of 278 primary care patients from St. Vincent Health and 122 patients from Community Health Network, both located in Indianapolis.

Overall, 63.7% of study participants agreed to be screened for dementia via telephone.

Fowler and colleagues note that this rate is significantly lower than those found in a previous study they conducted, which indicated 87.9% of older adults agreed to dementia screening when asked in person and screened in person.

Study participants who knew of the benefits of early identification of dementia were more likely to agree to telephone screening. Further, those who knew someone with dementia were more likely to agree to screening.

Patients who refused screening were less likely to agree to screening for other conditions, such as depression and cancer, and reported less perceived benefits vs. patients who agreed to screening.

“Our study provides insight into what patients think about dementia screening. In addition to informing policymakers and researchers, we should make community physicians and others outside the academic community more aware of both the benefits of informing older adults about screening options for dementia and the willingness of this group to undergo screening either in person or by telephone,” Fowler said in a press release. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.