Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia?
Cognitive screening is recommended for older patients with unplanned hospital admission. We determined rates of reassessment/specialist memory referral after routine inclusion of at risk of dementia status in discharge documentation to primary care. Questionnaires were sent to relevant GP practices...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
Royal College of Physicians
2017
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| _version_ | 1826272365387972608 |
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| author | Phelps, A Kingston, B Wharton, R Pendlebury, S |
| author_facet | Phelps, A Kingston, B Wharton, R Pendlebury, S |
| author_sort | Phelps, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Cognitive screening is recommended for older patients with unplanned hospital admission. We determined rates of reassessment/specialist memory referral after routine inclusion of at risk of dementia status in discharge documentation to primary care. Questionnaires were sent to relevant GP practices on consecutive patients aged ≥75 years identified as at risk and discharged 6 months earlier. Among 53 patients (mean age ±SD = 87.3±6.0 years, mean±SD Abbreviated Mental Test Score = 4.4±2.7), 49 (92%) patients had been reviewed since discharge, and 12/43 (28%) without previously known cognitive problem had had a cognitive reassessment. The most common reasons for non-assessment/referral included clinical factors (eg terminal illness/comorbidities) (n=15) and patient/ family wishes (n=5) and that confusion was expected in unwell older patients (n=5). Routine cognitive reassessment/specialist referral appears unjustified in patients identified as at risk of dementia during unplanned hospital admission. However, the prognostic value of delirium/confusion in acute illness is under-recognised and could be used to highlight those at risk. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:11:24Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:51ed8146-78b3-4dbf-97bd-617766869955 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:11:24Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Royal College of Physicians |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:51ed8146-78b3-4dbf-97bd-6177668699552022-03-26T16:22:37ZRoutine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:51ed8146-78b3-4dbf-97bd-617766869955Symplectic Elements at OxfordRoyal College of Physicians2017Phelps, AKingston, BWharton, RPendlebury, SCognitive screening is recommended for older patients with unplanned hospital admission. We determined rates of reassessment/specialist memory referral after routine inclusion of at risk of dementia status in discharge documentation to primary care. Questionnaires were sent to relevant GP practices on consecutive patients aged ≥75 years identified as at risk and discharged 6 months earlier. Among 53 patients (mean age ±SD = 87.3±6.0 years, mean±SD Abbreviated Mental Test Score = 4.4±2.7), 49 (92%) patients had been reviewed since discharge, and 12/43 (28%) without previously known cognitive problem had had a cognitive reassessment. The most common reasons for non-assessment/referral included clinical factors (eg terminal illness/comorbidities) (n=15) and patient/ family wishes (n=5) and that confusion was expected in unwell older patients (n=5). Routine cognitive reassessment/specialist referral appears unjustified in patients identified as at risk of dementia during unplanned hospital admission. However, the prognostic value of delirium/confusion in acute illness is under-recognised and could be used to highlight those at risk. |
| spellingShingle | Phelps, A Kingston, B Wharton, R Pendlebury, S Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia? |
| title | Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia? |
| title_full | Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia? |
| title_fullStr | Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia? |
| title_short | Routine screening in the general hospital: What happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia? |
| title_sort | routine screening in the general hospital what happens after discharge to those identified as at risk of dementia |
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