The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, suggests that where a person lives may play a more significant role in whether they receive a dementia diagnosis than individual risk factors. According to the findings, someone in one region of the U.S. could be twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia as someone in another region.
Julie Bynum, M.D., a U-M Health geriatrician and lead author of the study, emphasized the need to address these disparities. "These findings go beyond demographic and population-level differences in risk and indicate that there are health system-level differences that could be targeted and remediated," said Bynum in a statement. She noted that the variation in diagnosis rates could be due to differences in health care practices, patient knowledge, and care-seeking behaviors.
The study analyzed data from 4.8 million Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 and older in 2019, focusing on "diagnostic intensity" across 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs). Researchers found that while nearly 7 million Americans currently have a dementia diagnosis, many more likely have symptoms but remain undiagnosed. Access to advanced dementia treatments, including new medications and diagnostic tests, requires a formal diagnosis.
The study found that the prevalence of diagnosed dementia ranged from 4% to 14% across HRRs, with new diagnoses in 2019 ranging from 1.7% to 5.4%. After adjusting for various factors, including education level, smoking rates, obesity, and diabetes, researchers calculated that people in low-intensity areas were 28% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, while those in high-intensity areas were 36% more likely.
The concentration of dementia diagnoses was highest in the southern U.S., but this pattern shifted once researchers accounted for other risk factors. Bynum suggested that the variation could stem from differences in clinical practices, such as how frequently primary care physicians screen for dementia or the availability of specialists.
Bynum called for increased efforts to ensure early identification of cognitive issues, especially in younger Medicare populations. She also encouraged individuals to advocate for themselves to receive cognitive screenings, which are covered by Medicare during annual wellness visits.
Bynum highlighted Medicare's recent GUIDE model for dementia care as a potential avenue for improving care coordination and access. This new model incentivizes clinical practices to provide better dementia care and offer 24/7 access to trained providers.
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