A call for utilizing various screening tools in dementia diagnosis: A systematic review

Abstract

Background Dementia is a disorder distinguished by progressive and irreversible global cognitive impairment. About 45 million live with dementia globally, with an estimated increase to 75 million by 2030. Early recognition and diagnosis of dementia could enhance the efficiency of health care and quality of life. Hence, Medicare implemented a covered visit for assessing cognitive function for eligible patients as of January 2021. Previous studies described many tests and screening tools that clinicians can use to diagnose dementia. However, choosing a suitable test is solely left for clinicians to decide. We conducted a systematic review to provide an evidence‐based screening tool guide to facilitate dementia diagnosis. Method A systematic review of studies published between 2010 and 2020 in English that targeted older patients. The search included multiple global databases; Cambridge Core, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Wiley online library. Keywords: “Dementia” “Screening” “Older people” “General Hospital” and “Inpatient''. Seven independent reviewers checked the studies to avoid bias. Result 32 articles met the review criteria. More than ten dementia screening tools and tests were identified in the various clinical settings. However, the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) is the leading test with three times usage compared to other tests, followed by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Conclusion The Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are the commonly used tools in diagnosing dementia. The review revealed other tests with a higher potential for early detection of dementia in various clinical settings. Thus, this is a call for clinicians to benefit and diversify the tools in diagnosing dementia and enrich the evidence‐based research with more confirmatory studies.