Current estimates indicate that up to 50–75% of dementia cases are undiagnosed at an early stage when treatments are most effective. Conducting robust accurate cognitive assessments can be time-consuming for providers and difficult to incorporate into a time-limited Primary Care Provider (PCP) visit. 

The number of Americans aged over 64 is projected to nearly double from 52 to 95 million between 2018 and 2060, and the over 64 age group’s share of the total population will rise from 16 percent to 23 percent,

It has been estimated that the prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among individuals 65 years and older in the US in 2016 was 10 and 22%, respectively. While there is a wide range of estimates of the prevalence of MCI among older adults ages 65 and above and it can be as high as 29.3% among those 85 years and older, early detection of cognitive impairment is beneficial to discover potentially reversible conditions, initiate treatments, and allow individuals to play an active role in decision-making planning for their future.

Researchers compared primary care visits with and without using the self-administered SAGE (Self Adminsitered Gercognitive Exam) to determine differences in the identification rates of new cognitive disorders.

SAGE was easily incorporated into PCP visits and significantly increased identification of new cognitive conditions/concerns leading to new diagnoses, treatment, or management changes. The detection rate increased 15-fold for those with impaired SAGE scores combined with informant reports.

Read more:

Scharre, D. W., Vrettos, N. E., Nagaraja, H. N., Wexler, R. K., Clark, A. D., & Nguyen, C. M. (2024). Self-administered gerocognitive examination (SAGE) aids early detection of cognitive impairment at primary care provider visits. Frontiers in Medicine, 11, 1353104. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.135310