Medical Journey of Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia: A Cross-sectional Survey of Patients, Care Partners, and Neurologists

Pruzin, Jeremy J.; Brunton, S.; Alford, Susan; Hamersky, Carol Mahler; Sabharwal, A.; Gopalakrishna, Ganesh

doi:10.14283/jpad.2023.21

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Sample characteristics of the participating HCPs are shown in Table 1 . This paper is primarily focused on the responses from the psychiatrists surveyed, as the perspectives of neurologists [ 17 ] and PCPs [ 18 ] have been previously reported. Psychiatrists were asked to describe their subspeciality or primary professional interest and could select multiple responses.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the role of psychiatrists in the diagnosis and management of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia: a cross-sectional survey

Gopalakrishna,

Brunton,

Pruzin

et al. 2023

BMC Psychiatry

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Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder and the most common cause of dementia. The clinical continuum of AD ranges from asymptomatic disease to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), followed by AD dementia, categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Almost one-third of patients suspected of having MCI or mild AD dementia are referred to specialists including psychiatrists. We sought to better understand the role that psychiatrists play in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with all-cause MCI or mild AD dementia. Methods We conducted an anonymous, online survey among physicians in the United States between February 4, 2021, and March 1, 2021. We surveyed psychiatrists, primary care physicians (PCPs), geriatricians, and neurologists who treat patients with all-cause MCI or mild AD dementia. Results A total of 301 physicians participated in the survey, 50 of whom were psychiatrists. Of their patients with all-cause MCI or mild AD dementia, psychiatrists reported personally diagnosing two-thirds (67%). Psychiatrists used various methods to diagnose MCI or mild AD dementia including mental status testing (94%), review of patient medical history (86%), and neurological exams (61%). Upon diagnosis, psychiatrists reported most commonly discussing treatments (86%), management strategies (80%), disease progression (72%), and etiology of MCI or mild AD dementia (72%) with their patients. Most psychiatrists surveyed (82%) reported receiving advanced formal training in MCI and AD dementia care, primarily via residency training (38%), continuing medical education (22%) or fellowship (18%). Additionally, almost all psychiatrists (92%) reported receiving referrals for ongoing management of patients with MCI or mild AD dementia, primarily from PCPs or neurologists. However, only 46% of psychiatrists viewed themselves as the coordinator of care for their patients with MCI or mild AD dementia. Conclusions Many psychiatrists indicated that they were well-informed about MCI and AD dementia and have a strong interest in providing care for these patients. They can provide timely and accurate diagnosis of clinical MCI and mild AD dementia and develop optimal treatment plans for patients. Although many psychiatrists consider other physicians to be the care coordinators for patients with MCI and mild AD dementia, psychiatrists can play a key role in diagnosing and managing patients with MCI and mild AD dementia. Graphical Abstract

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%