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Pathways to dementia diagnosis: evidence for cross-ethnic differences
Hinton L, Franz C, Friend J.. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders, 2004-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Unlabelled The diagnosis of dementia often occurs well after the onset of the disease. Studies of help-seeking behavior may help illuminate why delays occur. Specific aims (1) To describe pathways to diagnosis from the perspective of family caregivers and (2) to compare help-seeking patterns and experiences across three ethnic groups. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 ethnically diverse family dementia caregivers. Interviews were coded for help-seeking events (initial help-seeking, referrals to secondary helpers, and site of final diagnosis), pathway types, and adverse experiences within the healthcare system along pathways to diagnosis. Results Help-seeking was most often initiated by family members or formal care providers (ie, healthcare providers or social workers), usually in outpatient primary care settings but also elsewhere (eg, social service agencies, hospitals). "Secondary" formal helpers were often involved, usually through self-referral by families rather than by healthcare providers. While most families reported receiving a "final" diagnosis, a small minority of predominantly Chinese-American families did not. Four distinct pathways to diagnosis were identified and found to vary significantly (p Conclusions Cross-ethnic differences were found in both pathway types and in adverse experiences.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Hinton, L., Franz, C., & Friend, J. (2004). Pathways to dementia diagnosis: evidence for cross-ethnic differences. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.wad.0000127444.23312.ff
Vancouver
Hinton L, Franz C, Friend J. Pathways to dementia diagnosis: evidence for cross-ethnic differences. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders. 2004. doi:10.1097/01.wad.0000127444.23312.ff. PMID: 15494619.
BibTeX
@article{hinton2004-15494619,
author = {Hinton, L. and Franz, C. and Friend, J.},
title = {{Pathways to dementia diagnosis: evidence for cross-ethnic differences}},
journal = {Alzheimer disease and associated disorders},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1097/01.wad.0000127444.23312.ff},
pmid = {15494619},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/01.wad.0000127444.23312.ff}
}
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Key findings
- Results Help-seeking was most often initiated by family members or formal care providers (ie, healthcare providers or social workers), usually in outpatient primary care settings but also elsewhere (eg, social service agencies, hospitals). "Secondary" formal helpers were often involved, usually through self-referral by families rather than by healthcare providers.
- Four distinct pathways to diagnosis were identified and found to vary significantly (p Conclusions Cross-ethnic differences were found in both pathway types and in adverse experiences.
Why it matters
This qualitative interview study of 39 family dementia caregivers found four distinct pathways to diagnosis that varied across ethnic groups, along with cross-ethnic differences in adverse experiences. It describes help-seeking and diagnosis experiences and does not test a treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / 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 38 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 40 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer disease and associated disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders: journal h-index 131 (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 | 2004 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 120 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.0 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 14 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Jeffrey Friend holds only 3 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Columbia University: institution h-index 1,824 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 15494619) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 38 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 38 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 40 out of 100. |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
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