Date of Publication

1-24-2012

Abstract

Introduction: • Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a form of progressive dementia that affects 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the US. • Age is a major risk factor for disease , and 1 in 8 Americans over 65 can expect to develop AD. • The U.S. healthcare system spends $172 billion/year on patients with AD and dementia, more than half of the Medicare budget. This cost is estimated to increase to over $1 trillion by 2050. • In 2003, the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) concluded that screening older adults for dementia is ineffective due to insufficient means of preventing or slowing its progression. • In 2011, the National Institute on Aging published new diagnostic criteria for AD. • In accordance with these guidelines the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released rules for the new Annual Wellness Visit that include the detection of cognitive impairment. • Our goal was to identify the attitudes and practices of primary care physicians (PCPs) in Vermont (VT) related to screening for AD and dementia.

Advisor(s)

Jeanne Hutchins, MA, University of Vermont College of Medicine

William Pendlebury, MD, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Martha Richardson, Alzheimer's Association, Vermont Chapter

Agency

Alzheimer's Association Vermont Chapter

Subjects

Access to Health Services, Educational and Community-Based Programs, Older Adults, Dementias, Including Alzheimer's Disease, Health-Related Quality of Life & Well-Being

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License

Screening for Alzheimer’s Disease in Vermont Primary Care Practice
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