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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| The role of referrals in diagnosing dementia at the primary care level | | Author(s) | Steffi G Riedel-Heller, Astrid Schork, Herbert Matschinger |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 11, no 3, September 1999 |
| Pages | pp 251-262 |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Diagnosis ; General practitioners ; Referrals ; Germany. |
| Annotation | There are more than 1 million older people in Germany with dementia, and general practitioners (GPs) have a key role in their treatment and psychosocial care. Enhancing the liaison between GPs and specialist physicians by improving the psychogeriatric competence of GPs as well as the connection to non-medical services is discussed. The authors used a questionnaire to investigate the role of referrals at the primary care level and variables potentially influencing the referral behaviour of 565 German GPs. Only 31% of GPs stated that the diagnosis of dementia was made predominantly in the context of referral to a specialist. The chance that referrals were made was increased for those GPs who entertained extensive co-operative relationships with self-help groups, psychologists or the 'Alzheimer Society'/'Brain League' and for those GPs who perceived a greater preparedness on the part of relatives of the patient to comply with a referral as well as those who noticed a great readiness among specialists to accept patients for the diagnosis of dementia. GPs whose therapeutic orientation was shaped by further training and scientific literature were more likely to refer. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-000127212 A |
| Classmark | EA: LK7: QT6: L5R: 767 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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