[Referral from general practice to diagnostic evaluation of dementia]

The study objective was to describe the GP's referrals of patients to diagnostic evaluation of dementia and the GP's perception of the organization of this process++. The study is based on postal questionnaire mailed to all GPs in Denmark, spring 1998. Seventy-five percent of 3379 GPs answered the questionnaire. Seventy-one percent (1799) of the GPs had referred a patient to diagnostic evaluation of dementia within the last 12 months. Thirty-nine percent had referred to a geriatric psychiatric service, 36% to a neurologic service, 18% to a psychiatric service, 11% to a geriatric service, and 16% had referred to other services. Fifteen percent of the GPs had referred to two or more of the services. The study concludes that there is considerable regional variation as to where the GPs refer patients for diagnostic evaluation of dementia as well as to the GPs perception of the possibilities of referrals in Denmark. The implications are discussed.