One Way to Spot Early Cognitive Decline? Medicare Wellness Visits

A recent study by Huey-Ming Tzeng, PhD, and co-authors at UTMB Health found that receiving a Medicare annual wellness visit (AWV) was associated with greater recognition of mild cognitive impairment in older adults. "This study suggests that the Medicare AWV health policy may increase mild cognitive impairment identification, prompting more specialized care," Tzeng and colleagues said. "Early recognition of cognitive impairment is key to optimal dementia care," the researchers noted. "Patient access to dementia assessment often limits timely diagnosis of cognitive impairment."

Key Takeaways

• Medicare annual wellness visits were associated with a 21% increase in mild cognitive impairment diagnoses.
• Those with a wellness evaluation received a diagnosis 76 days earlier than others.
• Findings suggest the Medicare wellness visit policy may help identify cognitive impairment earlier.

Read more at MedPage Today: One Way to Spot Early Cognitive Decline? Medicare Wellness Visits — Annual evaluation tied to timelier mild cognitive impairment diagnoses

Read the article at JAMA: Annual Wellness Visits and Early Dementia Diagnosis Among Medicare Beneficiaries