Abstract

Findings from a Neuroimaging & Early Diagnosis service for Dementia in East Kent

Author(s): Dalvi M,Bertoni M, Ellul G,Kachroo N

ABSTRACT

• Introduction: A multidisciplinary neuroimaging service was developed in 2012 jointly by Old age Psychiatry consultants from Kent and Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership trust along with Radiologists from the Department of Radiology from East Kent University NHS Foundation Trust.We amimed to evaluate the following:

1)Whether the incorporation of the neuroimaging service helped in early diagnosis.

2) Evaluation of service in establishing diagnostic certainty / specificity .

3)Early initiation of cognitive enhancers

4)To evaluate if this service generated referrals to other specialities thereby improving patient care and experience

• Methods and Design: Data regaring the cases discussed in the Neuroimaging Service was collected from Sept 2012 till July 2013 from the radiology log book and Picture Archiving system( PACS).
• Results: The initial 100 cases were reviewed and evaluated showing improved diagnostic accuracy, decreased rates of unspecified cognitive conditions, increased specialist advice to GP’s and created new referrals to other teams such as stroke medicine improving patient care. Diagnosis for unspecified dementia before the Neuroimaging Early diagnosis Service was 71% and this dropped to 6% post neuroimaging MDT service.The diagnosis of Mild cognitive impairment increased from 8% to 16% and 12% to 24% for Alzheimer’s Disease and from 3% to 32% in Mixed dementias. The analysis of initial results demonstrated clinical efficiency of the service.
• Conclusion -It was found that the neuroimaging service has proved to be useful in improving early diagnosis and increased diagnostic certainty . From the data it clear that there were a number of clinical advantages after the scans were discussed in multidisciplinary service.