Are Geriatrics-Focused Primary Care Clinics Better at Diagnosing Dementia Than Traditional Clinics? A Matched Cohort Study

Background Dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are prevalent but underdiagnosed. Objective To compare new dementia/MCI diagnosis rates in geriatrics-focused primary care clinics and traditional primary care clinics. Design Secondary analysis of a prospective matched cohort study that spanned 2017–2021. Participants Community-dwelling Veterans over 65 receiving primary care in a geriatrics-focused medical home (GeriPACT) or traditional primary care home (PACT) at one of 57 Veterans Affairs sites. We excluded individuals with a documented diagnosis of dementia or MCI in the year prior to enrollment. Main Measures Diagnoses obtained from EHR. Cognitive status was assessed using modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (mTICS) tool. Key Results The 470 participants included in this analysis were predominantly white, non-Hispanic males with an average age of 80.3 years. 9.4% of participants received a diagnosis of dementia/MCI after 24 months: 11.5% in GeriPACT and 7.2% in PACT. Adjusted OR for dementia/MCI diagnosis based on GeriPACT exposure was 1.47 (95% CI 0.65–3.29). Low mTICS score (≤ 27) (OR 4.89, 95% CI 2.36–10.13) and marital status (married/partnered) (OR 1.89, CI 0.99–3.59) were independent predictors of dementia/MCI diagnosis. When stratified by cognitive status: diagnosis rates were 20.8% in GeriPACT and 16.7% in PACT among those who scored lower on the cognitive assessment (mTICS ≤ 27); 7.4% in GeriPACT and 3.6% in PACT among those who scored higher (mTICS > 27). The OR for new dementia/MCI diagnosis in GeriPACT was 1.19 (95% CI 0.49–2.91) among those with a low mTICS score and 1.85 (95% CI 0.70–4.88) among those with a higher mTICS score. Conclusions Observed rates of new dementia/MCI diagnosis were higher in GeriPACT, but with considerable uncertainty around estimates. Geriatrics-focused primary care clinics may be a promising avenue for improving the detection of dementia in older adults, but further larger studies are needed to confirm this relationship.