Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam Improves Detection of Cognitive Issues in Primary Care

Detection rates appear to increase during nonacute office visits

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A self-administered gerocognitive examination (SAGE) is easily incorporated into primary care provider (PCP) visits, and its use significantly increases detection of new cognitive conditions/concerns in older adults, according to a study published online June 12 in Frontiers in Medicine.

Douglas W. Scharre, M.D., from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, and colleagues compared PCP visits with and without using the self-administered SAGE to determine differences in identification rates of new cognitive disorders. The analysis included 300 patients (aged 65 to 89 years) without diagnosed cognitive disorders completing a nonacute office visit.

The researchers found that when SAGE was utilized, the PCP documented the detection of new cognitive conditions/concerns six times as often (9 versus 1.5 percent). For those with cognitively impaired SAGE scores, the detection rate was nearly fourfold higher, while patients having impaired SAGE score and informant concerns were 15-fold as likely to have new cognitive conditions/concerns documented.

“PCPs felt SAGE influenced their decision to further evaluate for cognitive impairment, led to more confidence regarding the presence or absence of cognitive impairment, and 86 percent would recommend its use to colleagues,” the authors write.

The Ohio State University holds the copyright for the SAGE test. One author disclosed ties to BrainTest.