Is Dementia Screening of Apparently Healthy Individuals Justified?

Table 1

Six testing, clinical, and economic conditions for determining whether screening for dementia among “apparently” healthy individuals does more good than harm.

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Dementia tests

 (i) How feasible is it to accurately identify individuals with high likelihood of dementia via screening tests?

 (ii) What is the estimated prevalence of dementia in the population to be screened?

Clinical issues

 (i) Is the clinical course of dementia amenable to intervention and if yes at what stage and is their adequate evidence?

 (ii) What are the reasons and value of an individual knowing a diagnosis of dementia?

Economic issues

 (i) Does the healthcare system have the capacity to respond to increased demand resulting from screening for dementia?

 (ii) Will screening add value to individuals with dementia, the healthcare system, and society?

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