Physician Survey Results: Primary Care Knowledge of Screening for Cognitive Decline
The survey of primary care clinicians found that a majority do conduct screening for MCI, but that time is an issue, guidelines are few, and low levels of confidence persist.
As the number of aging adults expands and rates of cognitive decline rise, primary care clinicians will remain the first point of contact for detection and early management—so how prepared do they feel for this role? A new survey of US primary care clinicians conducted by Patient Care© offers a snapshot of current attitudes, practices, and knowledge related to cognitive assessment in the clinical setting.
While a majority report conducting annual screenings for mild cognitive impairment, barriers such as limited time, uncertainty about guidelines, and a lack of confidence in interpreting results persist. The survey also highlights variation in tool selection and notable gaps in clinicians’ self-reported familiarity with distinguishing early cognitive decline from normal aging. These findings shed light on the opportunities—and ongoing challenges—of integrating cognitive health into routine primary care.
The slides above provide visual highlights of the results. For open-ended responses regarding challenges to conducting cognitive screening voiced by survey respondents, see 5 Challenges Physicians Face With Cognitive Screening in Practice.
