journal articles
EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE NUMBER OF NEW DEMENTIA DIAGNOSES AND THE QUALITY OF DEMENTIA DIAGNOSTICS AND TREATMENT
M.T. Hoang, P.G. Jurado, T. Abzhandadze, S. Mostafaei, M. Mo, M. Åkerman, K. Vestling, C. Chen, H. Xu, M. Eriksdotter, S. Garcia-Ptacek
BACKGROUND: Care trajectories were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, how COVID-19 influenced the number of new dementia diagnoses, and the quality of dementia work-ups, and treatment is understudied.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the change in new dementia registrations, diagnostics, and treatment in the pre-, COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 pandemic periods.
DESIGN: A nationwide cohort study.
SETTING: This population-based study used data from the Swedish Registry for Cognitive/Dementia disorders – SveDem, and other nationwide registries in Sweden.
PARTICIPANTS: Persons with dementia diagnosed between 2019 and 2021 were divided into three groups based on the date of diagnosis: the pre-COVID-19 period (01 January 2019 - 29 February 2020), the COVID-19 period (01 March 2020 – 31 December 2020), and the post-COVID-19 period (01 January 2021 – 31 August 2021).
MEASUREMENTS: Outcomes included dementia diagnostics and treatments.
RESULTS: The monthly average number of new dementia cases registered in SveDem was 595, 415 and 470, respectively in the pre-COVID-19, COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 period. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, the monthly number of registrations decreased, but provision of the basic diagnostic work-up, its individual tests, and the use of cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine and antipsychotics were not significantly different in the COVID-19 period. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, new dementia diagnoses continued to be low in the post-COVID-19 period, but diagnosed individuals were more likely to receive the complete basic diagnostic work-up (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00 – 1.29), blood analysis (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.44 – 2.49), computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.01 – 1.48), occupational therapy assessment (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04 – 1.22), and memantine (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07 – 1.31).
CONCLUSION: The quantity of new dementia registrations in SveDem decreased in the COVID-19 period and has not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, but the quality of the work-ups which were conducted and registered in SveDem was similar or higher than in the pre-COVID-19 period. It is imperative to implement policies to increase SveDem registration with the aim of matching or exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels.
CITATION:
M.T. Hoang ; P.G. Jurado ; T. Abzhandadze ; S. Mostafaei ; M. Mo ; M. Åkerman ; K. Vestling ; C. Chen ; H. Xu ; M. Eriksdotter ; S. Garcia-Ptacek ; (2024): Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of New Dementia Diagnoses and the Quality of Dementia Diagnostics and Treatment. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (JPAD). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2024.150