Missing Dementia Diagnosis Information During Home Health
Author Information
Author(s): Burgdorf Julia
Primary Institution: VNS Health, New York, New York, United States
Hypothesis
How does the lack of dementia diagnosis information affect home health care for older adults?
Conclusion
Many home health care providers do not have access to important information about their patients' dementia status, which can lead to worse health outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- 68.3% of home health care patients with dementia did not have their diagnosis captured.
- Patients without a captured dementia diagnosis were less likely to receive necessary therapy services.
- Patients without a captured dementia diagnosis had higher hospitalization rates.
- Patients without a captured dementia diagnosis were less likely to improve in daily living activities.
Takeaway
When doctors visit older people at home, they often don't know if the person has dementia, which can make it harder for them to provide the right care.
Methodology
The study used multilevel logistic models to analyze data from a national sample of older adults receiving Medicare home health care.
Participant Demographics
Older adults aged 65 and over who received Medicare home health care in 2018.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.61-0.64; 95% CI: 0.69-0.72; 95% CI: 0.80-0.82; 95% CI: 1.65-1.73; 95% CI: 1.44-1.50; 95% CI: 0.68-0.72
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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