General practitioners’ attitudes towards early diagnosis of dementia: a cross-sectional survey

Giezendanner, Stéphanie; Monsch, Andreas U.; Kressig, Reto W.; Mueller, Yolanda; Streit, Sven; Essig, Stefan; Zeller, Andreas; Bally, Klaus

doi:10.1186/s12875-019-0956-1

BMC Primary Care

Table 2 Linear regression models of the association between GPs’ attitudes, demographic characteristics, interventions and first diagnosis

From: General practitioners’ attitudes towards early diagnosis of dementia: a cross-sectional survey

	Univariable model				Multivariable model
	Est	95% CI		p value	Est	95% CI		p value
Enablers of early dementia diagnosis
Demographics
Age (per 10 years)	− 0.07	− 0.12	− 0.03	0.001	− 0.08	− 0.12	− 0.03	0.001
Sex (female vs. male)	0.13	0.05	0.21	0.002	0.10	0.00	0.20	0.055
Workload (per 10 h per week)	0.00	− 0.03	0.02	0.777	0.00	− 0.03	0.02	0.786
Consultations (per 5 per day)	− 0.02	− 0.06	0.02	0.423	− 0.02	− 0.07	0.02	0.335
Region (agglomeration vs. city)	− 0.01	− 0.11	0.08	0.823	− 0.01	− 0.11	0.09	0.851
Region (rural vs. city)	0.06	− 0.03	0.16	0.189	0.07	− 0.02	0.17	0.130
Estimate of the percentage of patients over the age of 70 (per 10%)	0.00	− 0.02	0.02	0.785	0.00	− 0.02	0.02	0.840
Language (French vs. German)	− 0.09	− 0.19	0.01	0.080	− 0.08	− 0.18	0.03	0.145
Language (Italian vs. German)	0.18	0.00	0.37	0.056	0.19	0.00	0.39	0.052
Interventions
Watchful waiting	− 0.14	− 0.18	− 0.11	< 0.001	− 0.13	− 0.17	− 0.10	< 0.001
Therapy with AChEI or memantine	0.14	0.11	0.17	< 0.001	0.14	0.11	0.18	< 0.001
Prescription of Ginkgo biloba	0.04	0.01	0.07	0.012	0.04	0.01	0.07	0.009
Minimize cardiovascular risk	0.07	0.03	0.10	< 0.001	0.07	0.04	0.10	< 0.001
Memory training (groups)	0.10	0.07	0.13	< 0.001	0.10	0.07	0.13	< 0.001
Counselling for family members	0.10	0.06	0.14	< 0.001	0.10	0.06	0.14	< 0.001
Other therapies (music, painting, dancing, coaching)	0.09	0.06	0.12	< 0.001	0.09	0.06	0.13	< 0.001
Prepare advance directives	0.10	0.07	0.13	< 0.001	0.10	0.07	0.13	< 0.001
Test fitness to drive	0.10	0.07	0.13	< 0.001	0.10	0.07	0.13	< 0.001
Counselling for the patient (e.g. AD association)	0.11	0.08	0.14	< 0.001	0.12	0.09	0.15	< 0.001
Diagnosis
Average point of first diagnosis	− 0.08	− 0.14	− 0.01	0.028	− 0.07	− 0.15	0.00	0.039
Barriers to early dementia diagnosis
Demographics
Age (per 10 years)	− 0.07	− 0.11	− 0.02	0.005	− 0.06	− 0.11	− 0.02	0.007
Sex (female vs. male)	0.15	0.07	0.24	0.001	0.13	0.03	0.24	0.010
Workload (per 10 h per week)	− 0.01	− 0.04	0.02	0.490	0.00	− 0.03	0.03	0.945
Consultations (per 5 per day)	0.02	− 0.02	0.06	0.333	0.02	− 0.03	0.07	0.427
Region (agglomeration vs. city)	0.09	− 0.01	0.19	0.079	0.05	− 0.05	0.15	0.320
Region (rural vs. city)	− 0.02	− 0.12	0.07	0.660	− 0.04	− 0.14	0.06	0.423
Estimate of the percentage of patients over the age of 70 (per 10%)	− 0.01	− 0.03	0.02	0.554	− 0.01	− 0.03	0.01	0.372
Language (French vs. German)	− 0.10	− 0.20	0.00	0.060	− 0.09	− 0.20	0.01	0.087
Language (Italian vs. German)	− 0.50	− 0.69	− 0.31	< 0.001	− 0.48	− 0.68	− 0.29	< 0.001
Interventions
Watchful waiting	0.05	0.02	0.09	0.003	0.05	0.01	0.09	0.007
Therapy with AChEI or memantine	− 0.01	− 0.05	0.02	0.401	− 0.02	− 0.05	0.02	0.408
Prescription of ginkgo biloba	0.07	0.04	0.10	< 0.001	0.06	0.03	0.09	< 0.001
Minimize cardiovascular risk	0.00	− 0.03	0.03	0.946	0.00	− 0.03	0.04	0.850
Memory training (groups)	− 0.02	− 0.05	0.01	0.110	− 0.03	− 0.06	0.01	0.103
Counselling for family members	− 0.05	− 0.09	− 0.02	0.006	− 0.06	− 0.09	− 0.02	0.006
Other therapies (music, painting, dancing, coaching)	− 0.03	− 0.06	0.01	0.116	− 0.03	− 0.06	0.00	0.089
Prepare advance directives	− 0.03	− 0.06	0.00	0.088	− 0.03	− 0.06	0.00	0.064
Test fitness to drive	− 0.05	− 0.09	− 0.02	0.001	− 0.06	− 0.10	− 0.03	< 0.001
Counselling for the patient (e.g. AD association)	0.01	− 0.02	0.05	0.502	0.01	− 0.03	0.04	0.749
Diagnosis
Average point of first diagnosis	0.06	− 0.01	0.13	0.078	0.07	− 0.01	0.14	0.073

Est beta coefficient of linear regression, CI confidence interval
For each unit increment of the independent variables (e.g. in the frequency of an intervention from 0 to 25% of cases or for each increment in the average moment of first diagnosis from MCI to mild dementia), the attitude of GPs changed by the indicated estimate on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. The multivariable models were adjusted for age, work (hours per week), practice location (city, agglomeration of the city, countryside), and the estimate of the percentage of patients over the age of 70

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