A Longitudinal Analysis of General Practitioner Service Use by Patients with Mild Cognitive Disorders in Australia.

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to ascertain if participants diagnosed with any mild cognitive disorder (MCD) visited a general practitioner (GP) more than those without MCD and the effect of either depression or arthritis on GP use longitudinally.

METHODS

2,551 participants aged 60-64 years at baseline completed the Personality and Total Health Through Life (PATH) study in Canberra. Follow-up data were collected after 4 and 8 years. A cognitive screening battery was used to screen participants into a substudy of MCD.

RESULTS

Participants with any MCD had greater GP use than cognitively healthy participants across all three waves (wave 1, M = 7.35 vs. 5.59; wave 2, M = 7.77 vs. 5.86; wave 3, M = 9.01 vs. 6.81). After adjusting for demographic and health factors, MCD was a significant predictor of GP use at all three waves (p < 0.05, CI 0.84-0.99).

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that MCD is associated with a higher use of GP visits, especially if the patient has a comorbid condition.