Dementia in Hungary: General practitioners' routines and perspectives regarding early recognition. (16th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Balogh, Réka; Imre, Nóra; Papp, Edina; Kovács, Ildikó; Heim, Szilvia; Karádi, Kázmér; Hajnal, Ferenc; Pákáski, Magdolna; Kálmán, János
• Is Part Of: European journal of general practice. Volume 26:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 7
• Page End: 13
• Publication Date: 2020-12-16
• Subjects: General practitioners -- primary care -- dementia -- case-finding -- cognitive tests; Family medicine -- Periodicals; 362.172
• DOI: 10.1080/13814788.2019.1673723
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1381-4788

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Undetected dementia in primary care is a global problem. Since general practitioners (GPs) act as the first step in the identification process, examining their routines could help us to enhance the currently low recognition rates. Objectives: The study aimed to explore, for the first time in Hungary, the dementia identification practices and views of GPs. Methods: In the context of an extensive, national survey (February-November 2014) 8% of all practicing GPs in Hungary ( n = 402) filled in a self-administered questionnaire. The questions (single, multiple-choice, Likert-type) analysed in the present study explored GPs' methods and views regarding dementia identification and their ideas about the optimal circumstances of case-finding. Results: The vast majority of responding GPs (97%) agreed that the early recognition of dementia would enhance both the patients' and their relatives' well-being. When examining the possibility of dementia, most GPs (91%) relied on asking the patients general questions and only a quarter of them (24%) used formal tests, even though they were mostly satisfied with both the Clock Drawing Test (69%) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (65%). Longer consultation time was chosen as the most important facet of improvement needed for better identification of dementia in primary care (81%). Half of the GPs (49%) estimated dementia recognition rate to be lower than 30% in their practice. Conclusions: Hungarian GPs were aware of the benefits of early recognition, but the shortage of consultation time in primary care was found to be a major constraint on efficient case-finding.