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A five-minute cognitive assessment tool known as 5-Cog, combined with an embedded decision tree in electronic medical records, has significantly improved dementia diagnosis and care in an urban primary care setting, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The clinical trial, published in Nature Medicine, evaluated the 5-Cog system among 1,200 predominantly Black and Hispanic older adults with cognitive concerns. This innovative tool includes three metrics testing memory recall, the cognition-gait connection, and symbol-to-picture matching, making it accessible regardless of reading level or cultural background.

By integrating 5-Cog, patients underwent rapid cognitive impairment assessments before consulting with their physicians, who then utilized a decision tree to guide follow-up care. Participants in the 5-Cog group were three times more likely to receive dementia-related care, including diagnoses, further assessments, medications, or specialist referrals, compared to those receiving standard care.

"Study participants were randomly assigned to receive either the 5-Cog assessment or to a control group that received standard care. Use of the 5-Cog system improved the odds three-fold that a patient would receive dementia-related care compared to standard care. Such dementia-related care included a new diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, as well as further assessments, medications, or specialist referrals within 90 days," the National Institutes of Health stated in a news release.

Cognitive impairment is notoriously challenging to diagnose in primary care, often leading to underutilized care plans and delayed support services. This issue is more pronounced among older Black and Hispanic patients. The study's results suggest that adopting the 5-Cog system could reduce these barriers and enhance dementia care follow-up.

The research, aimed at improving primary care practices, was supported by NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute on Aging.