Usefulness of Family-Report Screening Tests for Dementia

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of domestic family-report screening tests for dementia in an effort to lay the foundation for a standardization of self-report dementia screening tests. METHODS: The subjects in this study were 56 psychiatrists and neurologists etc. who were members of the Korean Geriatrics Society and Korean Association for Geriatric psychiatry and in charge of demented elderly people. RESULTS: Out of 56 respondents, 31 rated SDQ or a short form of SDQ as useful. 10 doctors replied that there was no need to put dementia screening tests for caregivers to use, and the reason was that those tests for caregivers lagged behind screening tests for patients in usefulness, or that no separate assessment through caregivers would be necessary if it's possible to evaluate patients themselves. CONCLUSION: There is little accurate information on the usefulness or results of family-report screening tests for dementia, and sustained research efforts should be dedicated to this field.