Difficulties in the Diagnosis of Higher Brain Dysfunction Identified Using a Support Coordinator Survey
- VernacularTitle:高次脳機能障害の支援コーディネーターを対象とした質問紙調査からみた診断に関する課題
- Author:
Ayumi WADA
1
;
Kumiko IMAHASHI
1
;
Shingo ISHIMORI
1
;
Reiko FUKATSU
1
Author Information
- Keywords: higher brain dysfunction; diagnosis; support centers for higher brain dysfunction
- From:The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 2024;():23041-
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
- Abstract: Objective：Since there are few surveys of higher brain dysfunction (HBD) support coordinators regarding HBD diagnosis in Japan, we conducted a questionnaire survey to better understand the challenges in the current clinical practices of HBD diagnosis.Methods：Questionnaires were sent to 114 HBD support centers, handling approximately 100,000 consultations annually.Results：The overall response rate was 73.7％．The average number of consultation seekers per center who experienced difficulties in receiving HBD diagnosis was 15.6 (range 0-368), with approximately half of the centers reporting 1-10 consultation seekers. Regarding causes, approximately 30％ of respondents reported “patients or their family members were unaware that they had HBD” and “patients or their families suspected HBD but were told by their doctors that they did not meet the diagnostic criteria.” Furthermore, the most commonly reported difficulty in receiving HBD diagnosis was “a lack of doctors who could make an appropriate diagnosis,” followed by “a lack of knowledge of HBD among medical professionals” and “a lack of knowledge of HBD among administrative officers and welfare professionals.”Conclusion：Many respondents shared their thoughts on their current diagnostic status. These results will serve as foundational material for addressing difficulties related to late HBD diagnosis.
