Screening cognitive impairment among institutionalized older Chinese men in Taiwan: a new minimum data set-based dementia screening tool is needed

TitleScreening cognitive impairment among institutionalized older Chinese men in Taiwan: a new minimum data set-based dementia screening tool is needed
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsLin C-S, Lin M-H, Peng L-N, Chen L-K, Hwang S-J, Lan C-F
JournalArchives of gerontology and geriatrics
Volume53
Issue1
Paginatione25-e28
Date PublishedJul-Aug
ISBN Number0167-4943
Accession Number20947186
Keywords*Mass Screening, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Asian People/psychology/statistics & numerical data, Cognition Disorders/*diagnosis/epidemiology, Dementia/*diagnosis/epidemiology, Geriatric Assessment/statistics & numerical data, Humans, Institutionalization/*statistics & numerical data, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Nursing Homes, Prevalence, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Reproducibility of Results, Taiwan, Veterans/psychology
Abstract

Dementia screening is of great importance in various health settings for older people, long-term care facilities are no exception. The need for an effective dementia screening tool being culture sensitive is important. Minimum data set (MDS) is a population instrument for health care management in the world, which also covers dementia screening. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the MDS-based dementia screening tools among older Chinese men in the Veteran Home in Taiwan. Overall, 576 participants (mean age: 80.9±5.3 years, all males, 92.7% physically independent), 18.6% had cognitive impairment according to the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) (mean score: 26.7±3.9). However, the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 5.5% by MDS cognitive performance scale (CPS) and 18.9% by MDS cognition scale (MDS-COGS). The screening results of CPS and MDS-COGS were highly interrelated (γ=0.93, p<0.001), and MMSE scores were also significantly associated with CPS and MDS-COGS status (γ=-0.50, p<0.001 and γ=-0.52, p<0.001, respectively). Although the prevalence of cognitive impairment by MMSE and MDS-COGS are similar, the results are significantly inconsistent (p<0.001). In conclusion, both MDS-COGS and CPS were significantly correlated with MMSE scores, but significant inconsistence was noted between screening results of MMSE, CPS and MDS-COGS. Further study is needed to develop MDS-based dementia screening tools for older Chinese men in Taiwan.

DOI10.1016/j.archger.2010.09.010
Short TitleArchives of gerontology and geriatrics