GENERAL-PRACTICE AND DEMENTIA - A NATIONAL SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN GPS

Objective: To find out what difficulties general practitioners (GPs) e xperience with diagnosing and managing dementia. Design: Postal questi onnaire to a random stratified sample of one in seven active Australia n GPs (2182 of 14932). Results: 1473 GPs (67.5%) responded to the ques tionnaire. The results indicated reasonable knowledge about diagnostic features of dementia and good insight into common issues facing famil y carers. Even so, GPs had difficulties with diagnosis and management of dementia and wanted assessment protocols and educational programs. A minority of GPs regularly screened elderly patients for cognitive im pairment but the majority relied on passive means of diagnosing dement ia. Although generally positive about Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT s) and Aged Care Community Services (ACCS), GPs expressed some concern s about these services. Conclusions: Recommendations arising from the survey were: development of an assessment protocol and a screening ins trument, regular cognitive check-ups for patients over 75 years, educa tional programs, improved coordination with Aged Care Assessment Teams and Community Services, inventories and registers of local community services and residential facilities, and appropriate Medicare rebates.