Abstracto

Medical Decision Audit: Transmission of Data on Patients Entering French Nursing Homes with Dementia Does Not Confirm the Diagnosis

Norman Marcon

In France, there were 855.000 dementia patients. The patients in Lanmeur's rural hospital were a decent sample of those in French nursing homes. The follow-up was handled by neighbourhood general practitioners, as is common in France for nursing homes. The study looked at information that was sent when dementia patients were placed in institutions, including clinical and paraclinical information. Goal: To show that admission letters did indeed allow GPs to diagnose dementia. All dementia patients who were institutionalised were included. We looked for 25 criteria in the admission letters, which were drawn from the French guidelines for diagnosing dementia and Alzheimer's disease (multiple cross-sectional analysis per year). Results. Overall, there were 293 patients. The typical diagnostic tests used Conclusions are a necessary component of the letters of acceptance. The information in admission letters did not allow for the diagnosis of dementia by French standards. We are aware that dementia is underdiagnosed and undertreated in France in accordance with the same standards. What effects did a lack of fundamental knowledge have on the process of repeated diagnosis and the desire for treatment? This has to be evaluated.