Cedars-Sinai, a leading medical institution, has developed a pioneering method to identify hospitalized patients likely to have dementia using electronic health records. This innovative approach aims to improve the care provided to these vulnerable patients.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, was led by Dr. Zaldy Tan, the medical director of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Tan emphasized the importance of identifying patients with dementia in the hospital setting, as they may be unable to accurately communicate their medical history or make decisions about their care.

According to Dr. Tan, patients with dementia require tailored care, including assistance with understanding discharge instructions and managing the hospital environment. However, diagnoses of dementia or cognitive impairment are often not documented in patients’ medical records, posing a challenge for healthcare providers.

To address this issue, the investigators at Cedars-Sinai developed a secure algorithm to search electronic health records for indications of dementia, such as a diagnosis or prescriptions for FDA-approved dementia medications. The algorithm was designed to account for the diverse clinical scenarios that could lead to a potential diagnosis of dementia.

When the algorithm identifies a patient with possible dementia, a yellow banner appears on the patient’s chart, alerting hospital staff to the patient’s condition. Dr. Cameron Escovedo, a co-author of the study and physician leader of Enterprise Information Services at Cedars-Sinai, highlighted the complexity of creating an algorithm that could accurately capture all potential scenarios.

Dr. Nancy Sicotte, the chair of the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai, emphasized the urgent need for improved identification of dementia patients in the hospital setting. She pointed out the current poor patient outcomes associated with dementia care, including increased risks for falls, use of restraints, and prescription of antipsychotic medications.

The pioneering method developed by Cedars-Sinai has the potential to significantly enhance the care provided to patients with dementia during hospitalization. By leveraging electronic health records to identify these vulnerable individuals, healthcare providers can tailor their approach to better serve the unique needs of dementia patients.