Private general practitioners, family doctors and doctors at general out-patient clinics in public hospitals are usually the first point of contact, who play an important role in detecting and diagnosing dementia in the community, and referring people with dementia and suspected cases to specialist care in Hospital Authority or to the private sector for further investigation (Food and Health Bureau, 2017a). Older adults may need to undergo several and sometimes repeated tests from different service providers before a formal diagnosis can be made. As family doctors may not have relevant expertise and multi-disciplinary support to make a diagnosis, and not all older adults can afford the services in the private sector, thus, they usually rely on services of public hospitals. The major role of formal diagnosis lies in the public sector.

References:

Food and Health Bureau. (2017a). Mental Health Review Report.  Retrieved from https://www.fhb.gov.hk/download/press_and_publications/otherinfo/180500_mhr/e_mhr_full_report.pdf.