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Dementia in older people admitted to hospital: a regional multi-hospital observational study of prevalence, associations and case recognition
Timmons S, Manning E, Barrett A, Brady NM, Browne V, O'Shea E, Molloy DW, O'Regan NA et al.. Age and ageing, 2015-09-28
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Plain-language summary
Background Previous studies have indicated a prevalence of dementia in older admissions of ∼42% in a single London teaching hospital, and 21% in four Queensland hospitals. However, there is a lack of published data from any European country on the prevalence of dementia across hospitals and between patient groups. Objective To determine the prevalence and associations of dementia in older patients admitted to acute hospitals in Ireland. Methods Six hundred and six patients aged ≥70 years were recruited on admission to six hospitals in Cork County. Screening consisted of Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE); patients with scores Results Of 598 older patients admitted to acute hospitals, 25% overall had dementia; with 29% in public hospitals. Prevalence varied between hospitals (P Conclusion Dementia is common in older people admitted to acute hospitals, particularly in acute medical admissions, and rural hospitals, where services may be less available. Most dementia is not previously diagnosed, emphasising the necessity for cognitive assessment in older people on presentation to hospital.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
Among 598 patients aged 70 or over admitted to six hospitals in Cork, Ireland, 25% had dementia (29% in public hospitals), and the authors report that most of it had not been diagnosed before. Dementia was more common in acute medical admissions and rural hospitals, which led the authors to call for cognitive assessment of older people when they arrive at hospital.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Timmons, S., Manning, E., Barrett, A., Brady, N. M., Browne, V., O'Shea, E., et al. (2015). Dementia in older people admitted to hospital: a regional multi-hospital observational study of prevalence, associations and case recognition. Age and ageing. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afv131
Vancouver
Timmons S, Manning E, Barrett A, Brady NM, Browne V, O'Shea E, et al. Dementia in older people admitted to hospital: a regional multi-hospital observational study of prevalence, associations and case recognition. Age and ageing. 2015. doi:10.1093/ageing/afv131. PMID: 26420638.
BibTeX
@article{timmons2015-26420638,
author = {Timmons, S. and Manning, E. and Barrett, A. and Brady, N. M. and Browne, V. and O'Shea, E. and Molloy, D. W. and O'Regan, N. A. and others},
title = {{Dementia in older people admitted to hospital: a regional multi-hospital observational study of prevalence, associations and case recognition}},
journal = {Age and ageing},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1093/ageing/afv131},
pmid = {26420638},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afv131}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Screening consisted of Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE); patients with scores Results Of 598 older patients admitted to acute hospitals, 25% overall had dementia; with 29% in public hospitals.
Why it matters
Among 598 patients aged 70 or over admitted to six hospitals in Cork, Ireland, 25% had dementia (29% in public hospitals), and the authors report that most of it had not been diagnosed before. Dementia was more common in acute medical admissions and rural hospitals, which led the authors to call for cognitive assessment of older people when they arrive at hospital. This is a one-region prevalence snapshot: it does not test screening or any treatment.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 47 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Age and ageing) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Age and Ageing: journal h-index 231 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 174 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.4 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 34 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author John Linehan holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Trinity College Dublin: institution h-index 926 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26420638) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 45 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 47 out of 100. |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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