1. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Dementia in Primary Care
Published in January, 2002 and Reviewed/Revised January, 2004.

http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/clinicalpracguide/entrypage.do

These guidelines have been developed by Kaiser Permanente, Care Management Institute’s Dementia Guidelines Workgroup. The 9-page guidelines provide evidence-based or consensus-based recommendations for clinical practice including the most current pharmacological treatment: Memantine.


2. Assessment Guidelines for Alzheimer’s Disease: Part I
Published in American Family Physician, June, 2002.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020601/2263.html

This 10-page article from American Family Physician journal details the important role of the family practice physician in assessing patients with dementia and includes many easily administered and scored assessment tools and practical tips for supporting caregivers.


3. Guidelines for Managing Alzheimer’s Disease: Part II.
Published in American Family Physician, June, 2002.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020615/2525.html

This 10-page article from American Family Physician journal provides detailed information about pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment and patient and caregiver education and support resources.


4. Description of Chronic Care Consortium/Alzheimer’s Disease Model of Dementia Care
Published in July, 2003.

http://www.nccconline.org/pdf/CCNAD_4-pager_7-03.pdf

Four-page description of partnership between Alzheimer’s Association and the National Chronic Care Consortium to develop, implement and evaluate a model of coordinated medical care and supportive services for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

5. Tools for Early Identification, Assessment, and Treatment for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Tools included in the publication revised between 2001 and 2003.

http://www.nccconline.org/pdf/CCN-AD_tools6-03.pdf

A 22- page description of model of coordinated dementia care including a flowchart for using the tools, the actual instruments and how and when they were used by health care practitioners in implementing the model of dementia care.


6. American Academy of Neurology Guidelines

This article on Practice Parameter: Diagnosis of Dementia (An evidence-based review) was published in Neurology, 2001;56:1143-1153.

Practice Parameter: Diagnosis of Dementia.pdf

http://www.neurology.org

This article updates the practice parameter for the diagnosis of dementia published in 1994 by the American Academy of Neurology. Studies from 1985 through 1999 were identified that addressed four questions: 1) Are the current criteria for the diagnosis of dementia reliable? 2) Are the current diagnostic criteria able to establish a diagnosis for the prevalent dementias in the elderly? 3) Do laboratory tests improve the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of dementing illness? 4) What comorbidities should be evaluated in elderly patients undergoing an initial assessment for dementia?

7. Primary Care Physicians Dementia Leaders Network

Description of the background and activities of the PCP Dementia Leaders Network established in December, 2001 and led by Larry Lawhorne, MD. , Director Geriatric Education Center, Michigan State University.