07.01.01. Where and how do people get a diagnostic assessment for dementia? | India

07.01.01. Where and how do people get a diagnostic assessment for dementia? | India

08 Jul 2022

Families usually approach general physicians for the assessment of their older relative showing symptoms suggestive of dementia. Specialists who are trained in dementia (neurologists, psychiatrists, or geriatrics) would deliver a diagnosis, but there are some primary physicians with an MBBS degree (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) who diagnose dementia without having special qualification or specific training to do so (Kumar et al., 2018). Families are advised by primary physicians to visit specialists for diagnosis and treatment, but due to lack of availability of adequate specialists, costs associated with services, and low levels of awareness, very few families may visit specialists (Kumar et al., 2018; Sathianathan & Kantipudi, 2018).

In summary, persons with dementia and their families may consult a general practitioner based on their convenience and prior experiences (Hossein et al., 2017). They may also see a specialist directly or may be referred to one (i.e., the specialist that usually provides the dementia diagnosis) (Hossien et al., 2017).

References:

Hossien, S.A., Loganathan, S., Kolar Sridara Murthy, M., Palanimuthu Thangaraju, S., Bharath, S., Varghese, M., 2017. Pathways to care among persons with dementia: Study from a tertiary care center. Asian J. Psychiatr. 30, 59–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AJP.2017.07.002

Kumar, CT Sudhir; Kishore, S., 2018. The dementia diagnosis process, Part 1: Getting started and selecting a doctor | Dementia Care Notes. Available from: https://dementiacarenotes.in/dementia-diagnosis-find-doctor/

Sathianathan, & Kantipudi, S. J. (2018). The dementia epidemic: Impact, prevention, and challenges for India. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(2), 165. https://doi.org/10.4103/PSYCHIATRY.INDIANJPSYCHIATRY_261_18