As a diagnostic screening tool for excluding dementia in older individuals, the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) performed well and may be useful when face-to-face diagnostic screening is not practical in family practice, according to a study published in Annals of Family Medicine. In a cohort of 810 people with a mean age of 84.5 (standard deviation, 2.4 years), Marieke Hoevenaar-Blom, PhD, and colleague analyzed records of participants with TICS scores of 30 or less and of a random sample of persons with scores greater than 30 for a dementia diagnosis. Among total participants, 19.1% had a TICS score of 30 or less. Patient records produced 8.4% of dementia diagnoses for participants with a TICS score of 30 or less versus none with a score greater than 30. “The potential reach to large numbers of people at low cost could contribute to more efficient medical management in primary care,” the study authors wrote.
