Summary
Summary: Adults with dementia may experience poorer quality of chronic disease management because of the difficulty in reporting symptoms and engaging in shared decision-making associated with cognitive impairment. Researchers compare the quality of chronic disease management received by adults with and without dementia.
For this cross-sectional study, nationally representative data from noninstitutionalized patients 65 years or older were obtained from the 2002–2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The control group comprised adults of similarly limited life expectancy without dementia. Data analysis was performed in June 2020.
Findings: This study included 2,506 adults of whom 1,335 (53.3%) had a diagnosis of dementia and 1,171 (46.7%) did not have a diagnosis of dementia. After adjusting for potential confounders, adults with dementia received lower-quality preventive care compared with adults of similar life expectancy without dementia. Researchers found no evidence that the quality of care differed in diabetes care and medication treatment.
The quality of chronic disease management for adults with dementia was not substantially different from that for those without dementia despite potential barriers. Future studies are warranted to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of these findings for preventive care.
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