Basic information

Investigator: Ing. Hana Marie Broulíková, Ph.D.
Main recipient: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Co-recipient: MU Brno
Research period: 1/5/2024 - 31/12/2027
Total budget: 6,999,000 CZK
NIMH budget: 4,182,000 CZK
Supported by: Czech Health Research Council (AZV ČR)

Annotation

Current medicine cannot stop or reverse the course of dementia, but early interventions mitigate and delay its impact on daily functioning. Since these interventions also help people living with dementia to pay sufficient attention to their comorbidities and medication use, they may reduce health issues primarily attributed to other diseases. Overlooking this hidden effect underestimates the true health and economic benefits of early intervention. Objective: To determine the impact of dementia diagnosis timing on comorbidities, healthcare utilization, and costs. Methods: In collaboration with the Czech Brain Aging Study, Amsterdam Dementia Cohort, and Swedish Dementia Registry, we will link individual clinical data on people living with dementia to health registries to obtain longitudinal information on the stage of the disease at diagnosis, disease progression, and healthcare utilization. To supplement existing data, we will also collect information on quality of life, social and informal care. Using a generalized linear mixed model, we will quantify annual differences in healthcare utilization and costs based on the timing of diagnosis. A qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews will focus on the personal experiences of people living with dementia and their caregivers. A microsimulation model will be created to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two national dementia policies. Relevance: The project will identify and quantify the overlooked, potentially preventable impact of dementia on comorbidities, which is devastating for people living with dementia and burdens the healthcare system. The combination of quantitative data analysis and the experiences of people with dementia and their caregivers provides comprehensive insights for clinical practice and dementia-related policies.