Involvement of Medical Technologists in Outpatient Care for Memory Loss and Dementia by Pre-Appointment Testing

Yoshimi Sato; Akiyo Moroto; Chinari Furuichi; Masako Tamura; Zen Nonogaki; Toshinobu Asai; Masahiko Souda

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Involvement of Medical Technologists in Outpatient Care for Memory Loss and Dementia by Pre-Appointment Testing

VernacularTitle:物忘れ・認知症外来における臨床検査技師の関わり ─検査技師による診察前検査について─
Author: Yoshimi SATO ¹ ; Akiyo MOROTO ² ; Chinari FURUICHI ¹ ; Masako TAMURA ¹ ; Zen NONOGAKI ³ ; Toshinobu ASAI ⁴ ; Masahiko SOUDA ⁴
Author Information

1. Depts. of Clinical Laboratory Technology, Kainan Hospital
2. Haga Diabetes and Orthopedic Surgery Clinic, Medical Corporation Haga Clinic (Current affiliation)
3. Depts. of Nursing, Kainan Hospital
4. Depts. of Geriatric Medicine, Kainan Hospital
From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 2021;70(2):177-183
CountryJapan
Language:Japanese
Abstract: Medical technologists at our hospital have begun to conduct tests before outpatient appointments for memory loss and dementia. They administer the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), take patients' medical history, and perform auxiliary diagnostic tests for cognitive function. Technologists at our hospital assessed 365 patients (mean age 80 years; 172 men and 193 women) in this way between May 2018 and May 2019. We determined a cutoff value for the MMSE and tested the validity of the technologists’ assessments of these patients by comparing them against physicians' clinical diagnosis. Our hospital sees many patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and 85% of patients diagnosed with dementia had an MMSE score of 23 or lower. The MMSE is a highly reliable screening test for dementia, and technologists scored it similarly to physicians. Addition of the GDS-15 showed that outpatients with dementia had underlying anxiety symptoms and depression. It is important that technologists continue their involvement in outpatient care as certified dementia specialists while also continuing to consider which tests they should conduct.