Image of male nurse pushing senior woman in a wheelchair in nursing facility

People who believe in the benefits of catching medical problems early or have friends or loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease tend to openly embrace advanced screening for dementia, according to new research from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute.

Nearly two-thirds say they would participate in dementia screening by phone, researchers noted in a recent issue of the Journal of Aging Research. Eligible patients completed the Perceptions Regarding Investigational Screening for Memory in Primary Care (PRISM-PC) questionnaire and then were asked to undergo dementia screening by a telephone.

The study results could provide evidence of the value of screening for, and possibly guide future research on dementia, which is predicted to afflict up to 19 million people over the next 35 years. 

“Despite rising incidence rates, many patients with dementia go unrecognized and never receive a cognitive evaluation or diagnosis,” the researchers wrote.