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Physician-Related Gaps in Hospice Referral for Patients with Advanced Dementia
Boris Punchik, Nikolay Kaidash, Shahar Geva Robinson, Tehilah Meged‐Book, Valentina Semionov, Tamar Freud, Yan Press. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2025-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
A total of 200 physicians participated in the study. While 84.3% had treated at least one patient with advanced dementia in the past six months, only 88 physicians (44.2%) reported referring to home hospice care such patients during that time. Moreover, only 6% of physicians correctly answered all four knowledge questions on the topic. No significant differences were observed between referring and non-referring physicians in terms of participation in dedicated training, knowledge level, or attitudes. Higher professional status (board certification) and the number of advanced dementia patients treated in the previous six months were the only independent predictors of referral. This study revealed substantial gaps in the recognition of advanced dementia and in the timely referral of affected patients to hospice care among community-based family physicians and hospital-based internists. Targeted training in hospice care for all relevant physicians, coupled with structured exposure to end-stage dementia patients and hospice services during residency, may improve clinical awareness and increase the likelihood of appropriate and timely referrals. Trial Registration: The study received an exemption from the Meir Hospital Helsinki Committee.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Punchik, B., Kaidash, N., Robinson, S. G., Meged‐Book, T., Semionov, V., Freud, T., et al. (2025). Physician-Related Gaps in Hospice Referral for Patients with Advanced Dementia. Clinical Interventions in Aging. https://doi.org/10.2147/cia.s528602
Vancouver
Punchik B, Kaidash N, Robinson SG, Meged‐Book T, Semionov V, Freud T, et al. Physician-Related Gaps in Hospice Referral for Patients with Advanced Dementia. Clinical Interventions in Aging. 2025. doi:10.2147/cia.s528602. PMID: 40919096.
BibTeX
@article{punchik2025-40919096,
author = {Punchik, Boris and Kaidash, Nikolay and Robinson, Shahar Geva and Meged‐Book, Tehilah and Semionov, Valentina and Freud, Tamar and Press, Yan},
title = {{Physician-Related Gaps in Hospice Referral for Patients with Advanced Dementia}},
journal = {Clinical Interventions in Aging},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.2147/cia.s528602},
pmid = {40919096},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2147/cia.s528602}
}
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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- A total of 200 physicians participated in the study.
- While 84.3% had treated at least one patient with advanced dementia in the past six months, only 88 physicians (44.2%) reported referring to home hospice care such patients during that time.
- Moreover, only 6% of physicians correctly answered all four knowledge questions on the topic.
- No significant differences were observed between referring and non-referring physicians in terms of participation in dedicated training, knowledge level, or attitudes.
- Higher professional status (board certification) and the number of advanced dementia patients treated in the previous six months were the only independent predictors of referral.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study found that only 44.2% of surveyed physicians reported referring patients with advanced dementia to home hospice care, and only 6% correctly answered all four knowledge questions on the topic. It found no significant differences between referring and non-referring physicians in training, knowledge level, or attitudes, and suggests targeted training and structured exposure during residency may improve timely referrals.
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants200
- Effect size84.3%; 44.2%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Clinical Interventions in Aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Clinical Interventions in Aging: journal h-index 138 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 200 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Yan Press: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev: institution h-index 553 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40919096) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.2147/cia.s528602
- PubMed: 40919096
- Original source →
- Free full text: Clinical Interventions in Aging →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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