Many dementia cases remain undetected in hospitals

How reliable is the diagnosis of dementia in hospitals?

More and more people are suffering from dementia today. Researchers have now found that more than one third of dementia patients in hospitals are undiagnosed.

Dementia has been on the rise worldwide for years. Researchers at University College London (UCL) found in their current research that hospitals often fail to correctly diagnose dementias. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal Of The Alzheimer's Association".

Dementia is often not recognized

It is important that future cases of dementia in hospitals be more effectively recognized. Only then is it possible to help those affected and provide them with appropriate treatment, the researchers emphasize. Dementia patients are often hospitalized for other conditions, often because they can not take care of themselves. In many cases, however, the dementia is not recognized, say the scientists.

About one third of cases of dementia were not detected

For their study, the experts examined patients who were already diagnosed with dementia and subsequently admitted to hospital for reasons other than their dementia. The clinics did not detect dementia in more than a third of cases in 2016, even though the disease had been diagnosed one year before admission to hospital.

Supply needs to be better adapted

However, this was an improvement on 2008, when hospitals were unable to identify dementia in more than half of the patients, explain the physicians. People with dementia are more likely to be admitted to hospitals for other illnesses, partly because of the difficulties of those affected to take care of themselves. People with dementia are generally prone to longer hospital stays and more complications, study author Dr. Andrew Sommerlad from University College London. The hospital records must accurately reflect the condition of the patient so that the doctors can adjust their care accordingly, the experts demand.

21,387 patients were studied for the study

When people with dementia leave the hospital without a diagnosis of dementia, they may need help with implementing plans for treatment or taking medication. However, such assistance can only be given if the condition has previously been established. For its study, between 2008 and 2016, the research team reviewed a total of 138,455 hospital admissions from 21,387 people, including 37,329 admissions from 8,246 patients suffering from dementia prior to hospital admission. The hospitals identified 63.3 percent of inpatients with a previous diagnosis of dementia such a disease.

Hospital staff needs to be better trained

In hospitals, dementia has been found to be less common among younger people and those with more severe physical conditions, say the researchers. However, it is very important that staff members look for signs and symptoms of the condition at the time of admission so that each individual receives the specialized support they need in the hospital. Hospitals can be a terrifying environment for people with dementia, researchers say. It must be ensured that all hospital staff receive better training to more effectively recognize the signs of dementia. Without proper support, the symptoms often get worse. The current research also showed that most patients with dementia in the hospital became increasingly confused. (As)