CHOICE faculty member Doug Barthold has expanded his research program that studies risk factors and care for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In a recent publication, he and his co-authors examined diagnosis patterns to understand how different types of dementia are diagnosed, and the degree to which specialist physicians offer more precise diagnoses than non-specialists. They found that dementia subtype is often unknown at the time of initial diagnosis, but a precise diagnosis is reached sooner for patients who see specialists. Moreover, specialist access was limited for racial and ethnic minorities, who experience higher rates of ADRD incidence.
Reaching a specific diagnosis of dementia subtype provides important information that facilitates care planning for patients and caregivers, and these findings show the importance of access to specialists, especially in high risk populations.
Read the full publication here:
Drabo EF, Barthold D, Joyce G, Ferido P, Chui HC, Zissimopoulos J, 2019. “Longitudinal analysis of dementia diagnosis and specialty care among racially diverse Medicare beneficiaries.” Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Published online September 4, 2019